Annie Kate Watson ‘23 is one of four seniors in the College of Engineering to receive the 2023 Outstanding Senior Awards for their exceptional contributions to NC State and beyond in Citizenship and Service, Humanities, Leadership and Scholarly Achievement.
Seniors are nominated by their respective academic departments in the College of Engineering, and winners are chosen by a selection committee made up of faculty and staff members in the College. Winners received their awards during a special ceremony held at the James B. Hunt Jr. Library on NC State’s Centennial Campus on April 25.
Annie Kate received the Outstanding Senior Award for Citizenship and Service. In May, she will complete her B.S. in Biomedical and Health Sciences Engineering, with a minor in German. In her time with the Park Scholarships program, Annie Kate was the co-chair for the Distinguished Speaker Committee, bringing science activist Nalini Nadkarni to campus for the Gerald H. Elkan Distinguished Lecture in Science and Society, and honoring Molly Barker with the William C. Friday award. She received several Park Enrichment Grants, including funds to attend an alternative service break in Costa Rica and the Engineering World Heath’s Virtual Winter Institute.
“During her time as a Park Scholar, Annie Kate Watson has epitomized the pillars of Leadership, Scholarship, Service and Character,” said Kanton Reynolds, Class of 2023 Park Faculty Scholar and Teaching Associate Professor, and Director of Undergraduate Programs, Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “It is fitting that the faculty and staff in the College of Engineering saw fit to recognize her efforts and contributions to our community with the Senior Award for Citizenship and Service. I cannot think of a more deserving student and in fact I am equally proud that two of her Park classmates were also nominated for the award, which speaks to the veracity of our selection process, enrichment programs and their individual drive and determination to represent themselves as well as the Park program well.”
David Horne ’23 and Rachel Beall ’23 were also nominated for the Outstanding Senior Award by their respective departments.
Annie Kate served as president and technology and innovation chair of the Helping Hand Project at NC State, a student organization that supports the limb difference community with custom 3D-printed prosthetic devices and family support events. She was also involved in Providence College Ministry, the Orthopaedic Mechanobiology Lab and Service Raleigh.
Annie Kate was accepted into NC State’s accelerated bachelor’s/master’s Program for electrical engineering, and will complete her master’s degree next year, specializing in robotics, mechatronics, control and instrumentation.
Congratulations, Annie Kate!