Jacob Smith
The Southern Editor
What does it mean to embody the spirit of a community? At Florida Southern College, the monthly Spirit of the Cornerstone Award celebrates students and faculty who personify the Judeo-Christian values that define our campus.
The Cornerstone emphasizes integrity, character, and mutual respect, urging individuals to uphold personal and academic honesty while valuing the dignity and diversity of others. It promotes respect for rights, property, and a supportive environment that fosters personal growth and academic success.
Recipients of the award are first deemed eligible by way of a submission form on Engage. The form asks for a nomination of an individual, student organization or athletic team, which tenet of the Cornerstone they most embody and why that nominee is receiving recognition. These nominees are then examined by the Student Accountability Board, where they give the final say on whether or not that person or group is deserving of the award.
“When we give out the Spirit of the Cornerstone, we take into consideration what they have done for others,” said Student Accountability Board member Liam Parke. “And then usually, since we’re such a connected campus, there’s someone on the board that can give their own personal example of how this person has helped them or helped others or just been like a light on campus.”
Junior Lexi Lapore-Paternostro was one such student to be recognized for embodying the Spirit of the Cornerstone when she received the award in September. This came as a surprise to Lapore-Paternostro, as she was in the middle of leading a Studio Box rehearsal when she was given the news.
“My first reaction was just disbelief, and then I went, ‘Wait. That’s actually really, really exciting,” Lapore-Paternostro said. “It was gratifying to see the people on the board just take note of things I do and how I like interacting with people.”
From serving as the Administrative Vice President of SGA, to giving tours as a Southern Ambassador, to working eight jobs, both on and off campus, Paternostro knows how to keep herself busy. But despite all of her commitments, she doesn’t mind the workload.
“My big thing is why not? If I have this time, opportunity, people and passion for all these different organizations on campus, why not do as much as I can?” Lapore-Paternostro said. “I don’t want to look back and feel like I’ve wasted college, because this is the only time we’re truly going to have the freedom to sit with people at midnight and make jokes or just give tours to people interested in coming here.”
When Eli Johnson was called to the front of his formation during his Army ROTC lab, he had no idea what was going on. Things started to make a bit more sense, though, when he learned that he was the October student recipient of the Spirit of the Cornerstone.
“Even though I didn’t know much about the award when I first received it, it felt really nice to be given to me,” Johnson said. “It was super flattering to have it be done in front of the other cadets in the Maxim Battalion because I like to think that it helps set an example for my fellow MS-1s.”
Along with being a first-year cadet in ROTC, Johnson is involved in the Florida National Guard as a public affairs specialist. Johnson’s role as a public affairs specialist has him creating media for the National Guard. Whether it’s photos, videos or writing articles, Johnson takes great pride in the work he’s doing.
“It’s a great feeling knowing that you’re out there and letting the community know that you’re there,” Johnson said. “We’re here for you. We care about you. We serve you and the state.”
In the same way that he was inspired by his role models, Johnson hopes to use his secondary education degree in tandem with his role in the National Guard to be the same figure for someone else.
“I wanted to be qualified to teach because I want to be what most of my teachers were for me,” Johnson said. “Just that role model, that person that said, dream big. And that person that saw the best in you even when you couldn’t see the best in yourself.”
Alongside Johnson, Dr. Cara Mackie earned the faculty award for October. Being a part of the Department of Communications since 2008 and the Communications chair since 2019, she felt touched.
“I really care deeply for our students’ well-being, and I was genuinely touched when the students handed me this award,” Mackie said.
As a professor, Mackie hopes to create a safe environment where students feel comfortable engaging in learning activities and strongly encourages them to provide feedback on her teaching style.
“I try my best to create a positive and enriching environment in my classrooms that allows a student to grow academically, professionally, and personally,” Mackie said. “And, I encourage students to appreciate and learn from the differences in people, ideas and opinions through classroom discussions.”
November recipients of the Spirit of the Cornerstone were awarded to senior Tian Ho and Nora Quinn of Community Living. Due to the publication schedule, we were unable to interview Ho and Quinn before print. For more information about the award or the Cornerstone, please contact the Student Accountability Board at sga_sab@mocs.flsouthern.edu.
