Anastasia Rentouli (center) receiving her Spirit of State award Friday from MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Young Hyatt (left) and President Mark E. Keenum. (photo by Beth Wynn/MSU)
Photo by: Beth Wynn / Mississippi State University
Maroon And White Pride: Rentouli Among 17 Students Honored With Spirit of State Awards
April 12, 2019 | Women's Tennis
by Sasha Steinberg
MSU Office of Public Affairs
editorial assistance by John Cade
MSU Assistant AD/Communications
STARKVILLE - Mississippi State women's tennis senior Anastasia Rentouli was one of seventeen Bulldog students with a fierce passion for Mississippi State who were honored Friday with the Spirit of State Award, the university's premier student recognition for exceptional personal contributions to campus life.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum congratulated and thanked this year's Spirit of State Award winners for their passion and commitment to serve and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
"I greatly appreciate your contributions to this university, this community and to our state. The wonderful education you've received and the values that you have learned at Mississippi State—hard work, integrity and respect for others—will help you for the rest of your life."
For 14 years, the annual Spirit of State Awards program, organized by the university's Division of Student Affairs, formally honors those who have made a positive impact on peers and the broader campus community through organizational involvement, service to the institution and personal actions promoting school spirit and tradition.
Those selected have been nominated either by faculty and staff members or fellow students. A minimum 2.25 grade point average and good academic and disciplinary standing within the university are among the eligibility criteria.
The Athens, Greece, native Rentouli is completing her fourth year as a member of MSU's women's tennis squad this spring and has been successful on and off the court.
As a player, Rentouli has been one of MSU's most productive players ever. The 2018 All-SEC selection stands fourth all-time at MSU in total career victories (148), second in singles wins (85) and tied for third in doubles wins (63). More impressively, she is on pace to finish in MSU's top five all-time for win percentage in all three categories.
"I feel very honored and privileged to be part of the 17 MSU students who were recognized for their contributions to Student Life at our University, and also represent MSU Women's Tennis and the Athletic Department," Rentouli said. "Spirit of State means being selfless and able to give back to a school that has given so much to me. Being able to commit to the Maroon and White, and represent our University with honor and integrity, while encouraging others to do so as well."
A three-time SEC Community Service Team member, she has been a member of the MSU Student M-Club, serving as President in 2018-19. She is also the MSU campus involvement chair for SAAC.
In 2018, Rentouli received both Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southern Region sportsmanship awards – the Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership & Sportsmanship Award as well as the Cissy Leary Sportsmanship Award. She was recently named one of the ITA's 2019 recipients of the Wilson ITA National Promoter of the Year Award and will serve an internship at Wilson Sports' international headquarters in Chicago this summer.
The senior is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, and was named CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District VI In 2018. She is expected to repeat all of those honors again this spring and holds an outstanding 3.97 GPA while double majoring in finance and marketing.
The new Spirit of State Award recipients include (by hometown):
ATHENS, Greece—Anastasia Rentouli, a senior finance and marketing double-major.
MERIDIAN—Sarah K. Avera, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major; and Mayah J. Emerson, a senior educational psychology major.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama—Stanley C. Blackmon Jr., a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
BRANDON—Reagan M. Moak, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina—Sydney A. Reed, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
DECATUR—Alana R. Knowles, a senior psychology major at MSU-Meridian.
FRANKLIN, Tennessee—Kali M. Hicks, a senior communication/public relations and foreign language/Spanish double-major.
HATTIESBURG—Taylor L. Parsons, a senior communication/public relations major.
MOUNDVILLE, Alabama—Reginald K. Roakes, a geosciences/professional meteorology and climatology master's student. He also holds an MSU bachelor's degree in geosciences/professional meteorology.
PHILADELPHIA—Meghin E. Smith, a senior interdisciplinary studies major.
PORT GIBSON—Jonnese O. Goings, a senior management major.
PUNE, India—Meenakshi M. Das, a senior computer science major.
RIDGELAND—Shelby B. Baldwin, a senior marketing major.
SMITHVILLE—Demarus S. "Dee" Stegall, a senior communication/public relations major.
TUPELO—Jennifer L. Ware, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
VESTAVIA HILLS, Alabama—Grey W. Garris, a senior biological sciences major.
For more on MSU's Division of Student Affairs, visit www.saffairs.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi's leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
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MSU Office of Public Affairs
editorial assistance by John Cade
MSU Assistant AD/Communications
STARKVILLE - Mississippi State women's tennis senior Anastasia Rentouli was one of seventeen Bulldog students with a fierce passion for Mississippi State who were honored Friday with the Spirit of State Award, the university's premier student recognition for exceptional personal contributions to campus life.
MSU President Mark E. Keenum congratulated and thanked this year's Spirit of State Award winners for their passion and commitment to serve and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
"I greatly appreciate your contributions to this university, this community and to our state. The wonderful education you've received and the values that you have learned at Mississippi State—hard work, integrity and respect for others—will help you for the rest of your life."
For 14 years, the annual Spirit of State Awards program, organized by the university's Division of Student Affairs, formally honors those who have made a positive impact on peers and the broader campus community through organizational involvement, service to the institution and personal actions promoting school spirit and tradition.
Those selected have been nominated either by faculty and staff members or fellow students. A minimum 2.25 grade point average and good academic and disciplinary standing within the university are among the eligibility criteria.
The Athens, Greece, native Rentouli is completing her fourth year as a member of MSU's women's tennis squad this spring and has been successful on and off the court.
As a player, Rentouli has been one of MSU's most productive players ever. The 2018 All-SEC selection stands fourth all-time at MSU in total career victories (148), second in singles wins (85) and tied for third in doubles wins (63). More impressively, she is on pace to finish in MSU's top five all-time for win percentage in all three categories.
"I feel very honored and privileged to be part of the 17 MSU students who were recognized for their contributions to Student Life at our University, and also represent MSU Women's Tennis and the Athletic Department," Rentouli said. "Spirit of State means being selfless and able to give back to a school that has given so much to me. Being able to commit to the Maroon and White, and represent our University with honor and integrity, while encouraging others to do so as well."
A three-time SEC Community Service Team member, she has been a member of the MSU Student M-Club, serving as President in 2018-19. She is also the MSU campus involvement chair for SAAC.
In 2018, Rentouli received both Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southern Region sportsmanship awards – the Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership & Sportsmanship Award as well as the Cissy Leary Sportsmanship Award. She was recently named one of the ITA's 2019 recipients of the Wilson ITA National Promoter of the Year Award and will serve an internship at Wilson Sports' international headquarters in Chicago this summer.
The senior is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, and was named CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District VI In 2018. She is expected to repeat all of those honors again this spring and holds an outstanding 3.97 GPA while double majoring in finance and marketing.
The new Spirit of State Award recipients include (by hometown):
ATHENS, Greece—Anastasia Rentouli, a senior finance and marketing double-major.
MERIDIAN—Sarah K. Avera, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major; and Mayah J. Emerson, a senior educational psychology major.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama—Stanley C. Blackmon Jr., a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
BRANDON—Reagan M. Moak, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina—Sydney A. Reed, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
DECATUR—Alana R. Knowles, a senior psychology major at MSU-Meridian.
FRANKLIN, Tennessee—Kali M. Hicks, a senior communication/public relations and foreign language/Spanish double-major.
HATTIESBURG—Taylor L. Parsons, a senior communication/public relations major.
MOUNDVILLE, Alabama—Reginald K. Roakes, a geosciences/professional meteorology and climatology master's student. He also holds an MSU bachelor's degree in geosciences/professional meteorology.
PHILADELPHIA—Meghin E. Smith, a senior interdisciplinary studies major.
PORT GIBSON—Jonnese O. Goings, a senior management major.
PUNE, India—Meenakshi M. Das, a senior computer science major.
RIDGELAND—Shelby B. Baldwin, a senior marketing major.
SMITHVILLE—Demarus S. "Dee" Stegall, a senior communication/public relations major.
TUPELO—Jennifer L. Ware, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
VESTAVIA HILLS, Alabama—Grey W. Garris, a senior biological sciences major.
For more on MSU's Division of Student Affairs, visit www.saffairs.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi's leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
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