“Leah exemplifies the mission and values of East Tennessee State University, which
are to improve the quality of life for people in the region and to treat everyone
with dignity and respect. Her work, both in and outside of the classroom, is making
a positive, tangible difference for our communities,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian
Noland. “This is an outstanding and well-deserved honor for Leah and her family. It
is also a testament to the caliber and character of the education that we provide
at East Tennessee State University. It is incredibly unusual for a regional public
university to be competing at this level — and here we are with back-to-back winners.”