Matthew Thompson, a senior Social Work student at Belmont University, recently was honored as the undergraduate Student of the Year by the Middle Tennessee branch of the National Association of Social Workers.  The award honors a student who has created a positive influence on classmates for the profession, and maintained academic achievement.

“Matt has demonstrated a tremendous aptitude for scholarship and scholastic activity,” said Dr. Sabrina Sullenberger, Social Work Department Chairperson.  She adds, “He is also a dedicated and courageous individual, respected and valued by his colleagues and peers.”

Thompson is a decorated Army veteran and a bronze star recipient who served honorably in the Middle East and Persian Gulf in 2002 and then was again deployed in Iraq in 2007.   He was the recipient of a competitive national fellowship through The Mission Continues, in which he was awarded a 10 month grant designed to provide a stipend for veterans working in social service fields.  He was one of 80 grantees from a field of just under 2200.

Thompson has deep and abiding commitment to the needs of veterans in the community.  Continue reading →