Judson University senior Megan Curran of Geneva was named the 2018 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Every fall, a meritorious senior from each of the four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities in Illinois is awarded the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award and becomes a Student Laureate.

Judson President Gene Crume was present when Megan Curran of Geneva was honored with the Lincoln Academy Student Laureate Medallion.

Curran is majoring in art and minoring in psychology. She plans to attend graduate school for art therapy after completing her degree. Her wide-ranging talents have enabled her to thrive in a variety of roles both on campus and off.

Curran has been an Architectural Model Shop supervisor since her first year at Judson and an Art and Design Studio and Gallery Assistant for the last two. She has been a resident assistant in both Ohio Hall and Lindner Tower.

As the recipient of a theatre scholarship, she has served as audio technician for productions of “Mousetrap,” “Everybody Loves Opal,” “A Belated Valentine,” “John: His Story,” “Harmony,” “Little Woman,” and “Newsies.” She has also lent her skills to Chapel and various other Judson events, as well as the Batavia Fine Arts Council for productions of “A Midnight Clear” and “A Midsummer’s Night Dream.”

As an artist, Curran recently completed an internship as a painter’s assistant at Maestro Corporate Group, and her work has been selected for the annual Art & Design + Architecture & Interior Design Juried Student Exhibition, Side Street Studio’s RE: Pop V, and the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s annual exhibition in Springfield.

She was also commissioned to make signage for Open Engagement, a design conference in New York City.

Additionally, Curran spends her weekends working as the personal aid for a young woman with autism, and performs volunteer services regularly. A short list includes set construction and painting for Geneva Community High School, stagehand for the Children’s Theatre of Elgin, audio engineer/stagehand for White Buffalo Music Festival, camera and switchboard operator for The Well church, technical director/counselor for Royal Family Kid’s Camp, Food for Greater Elgin, and various World Vision events.

About Judson University

Judson University is a fully accredited, private Christian institution representing the Church at work in higher education. Nestled along the beautiful Fox River in Elgin, just 40 miles northwest of Chicago, Judson is home to more than 1,280 students from 37 states and 20 countries.

Judson offers degrees in more than 65 different majors and minors for traditional, graduate and adult students and ranks consistently among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. Judson has also been recognized as a “Christian College of Distinction.” With an academically challenging environment and encouraging spiritual community, Judson shapes lives that shape the world.