Evie Holman
University of Mississippi senior Evalyn “Evie” Holman is the 2015 recipient of the David Arnold Engineering Service Award.
Considered to be one of the top honors in the School of Engineering, the recognition is given annually to a student who exhibits the qualities of service, intelligence, character, leadership, creativity and judgment. A native of Herndon, Virginia, Holman is scheduled to earn her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with honors this month.
“I was really shocked,” Holman said when she learned of her award. “I’m really honored just to even be considered among such other talented and great students. David Arnold is an exceptional engineering alum and it means a lot to me that I was considered worthy of his award.”
During her time at Ole Miss, Holman has been an outstanding campus leader and community servant. One of the projects that she is most proud of is her involvement in the Big Event, a program that that has involved thousands of students since its inception in 2011. She has served as chair of the logistics committee and as director of the event.
“The Big Event is something I have been involved with since freshmen year,” Holman said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences, not just because you’re serving and giving back to your community, but because of the personal relationships you make with the residents here.”
Bradley Baker, director of the Ole Miss Student Union and Big Event adviser, praised Holman’s leadership and service.
“During Evie’s involvement with the Big Event, I have seen her grow as student, first and foremost, and as a leader as well,” Baker said. “With the help of her strong leadership skills and vision, the Big Event has been pushed to succeed at new levels. Her drive to do well at Ole Miss both inside and outside of the classroom has prepared her for a successful career in the field of engineering.”
Besides her involvement with the Big Event, Holman has served as president of the Columns Society, a group of official hosts for university-sponsored events. She has also served as a School of Engineering ambassador and as a philanthropy committee member for Phi Mu. She was a member of the Ole Miss Women’s Rifle Team and was named to the NCAA Southeastern Conference Honor Roll.
Holman encourages students to find their passion and use it to give back to the community, not only to help others, but also to learn more about themselves.
“I think it’s important for students to be involved in community service because it offers a very different perspective of your community,” she said. “Hopefully, that perspective inspires you to do more, give back and help in any capacity you can. I hope every student carries that inspiration with them and makes it a part of their lifestyle.”
Holman has accepted a full-time position in the Global Services Procurement Department at ExxonMobil this summer to begin her professional career.