Grace McDonald ’25 of Athens named the 2025 LeQuire Award winner at Maryville College
April 10, 2025
Grace McDonald, a senior Biology major at Maryville College from Athens, Tennessee, has been named the recipient of the prestigious LeQuire Award for the 2024-25 academic year.
The LeQuire Award, established in 1987 by descendants and friends of Maryville physician Granville Dexter LeQuire and his wife, Ellen Brickey LeQuire, includes a cash gift to help defray the expenses of applying to medical school and an engraved pewter julep cup.
McDonald, who will graduate in May from the 206-year-old institution, was honored with the award by College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker at the College’s Celebration of Student Achievement ceremony held on Friday, April 5, at the Clayton Center for the Arts. Each year, the recipient of the LeQuire Award is selected from among the graduating class by the College president, with nominations coming from faculty members in the Humanities and Natural Sciences divisions.
The valedictorian of her graduating class at McMinn County High School in Athens, McDonald has accepted a seat at Trevecca Nazarene University’s Physician Assistant Program in Nashville. She is set to graduate from the program in August 2027. McDonald’s future plans are fueled by her passion for healthcare, and she credits the academic and athletic communities at Maryville College for preparing her for this next step in her journey.
“My professors are not only approachable but also personally interested in my development as a student and aspiring healthcare provider,” she said. “As a student-athlete, I have found that my coaches are invested in my academic successes, and my professors are supportive of my athletic undertakings.”
As a member of the Maryville College Women’s Soccer team, her academic success earned her three Academic All-Conference honors, and her Senior Study — titled “The Interactions of 17β-estradiol With Bacteria Found in the Human Gut-Skin Axis” — examined the complex interactions between hormones and gut bacteria. It’s the culmination of a scholastic career guided by her academic advisor, Biology Professor Dr. Drew Crain, who has been a constant source of leadership and support in her academic and professional development, she added.
“The support of my mentors at Maryville College has been instrumental in shaping my character and encouraging me to pursue my post-graduate goals,” she said.
In announcing McDonald as the winner, Dr. Coker noted that “her advisor and other faculty members in the Natural Sciences division remark that she is one of their top students who boasts an exceptional academic record and significant healthcare experience.”
McDonald’s dedication to her education and career goals extends beyond the classroom. She has been involved in numerous extracurricular activities and is grateful for the mentorship she received — on the field and in the laboratory.
“The relationships I have formed through sports have fostered a close-knit and dependable community to help me navigate through my college years,” she said. “With these formative experiences, I am confident that I will be well-equipped to provide excellent patient care as a physician assistant in a few years.”
While at MC, McDonald has been a recipient of the prestigious McGill Fellowship recognizing academic accomplishment for all four years, as well as a past winner of the Sophomore Biology Award, the Susan Allen Green Junior Biology Award, and the Outstanding Performance in Organic Chemistry Award.
“Her advisor shares what truly sets this student apart is her ability to balance academic excellence with meaningful clinical and community engagement experience,” Coker said. “With over 785 hours of direct patient care at Starr Regional Medical Center (in Athens), our recipient is more than prepared to step into her career after graduation.
“(McDonald’s) advisor concluded his recommendation (by writing) ‘I give her my highest recommendation — she embodies the qualities of academic excellence, professional dedication and community service that the LeQuire Award celebrates, and have no doubt she will be a wonderful healthcare provider.’”
