Always A Judson, Inc.

Judson Alumnae Daughters Extend our Legacy

As the halls of Judson College no longer buzz with the excitement of graduating students, the daughters of our alumnae continue the pursuit with strength and perseverance!

This year at Cottey College, a private women’s college in Nevada, Missouri, Dr. Manda Spencer-Foster’s (’02) daughter, Deanna, was the recipient of the Benediction Speaker Award, which was voted by the faculty, for areas of leadership, academic success and community affairs. She recently gave this year’s commencement benediction as did Bryce Bearson in 2025.

“With sweet similarities to Judson commencement ceremonies, I was also saddened by what could have been for her at Judson,” said Dr. Foster. “However, I also think it is amazing that two of Judson’s daughters received this award and presented the commencement benedictions. Judson wasn’t just a building, it’s a spirit!”

When Deanna was asked at graduation, “why a women’s college”, she responded, “My mom went to Judson and she is amazing, confident, and strong! A women’s college teaches you to stand in the space God puts you. It’s not because we can’t in a coed college, it’s because we need to learn our voice and strengths that God gave us.”

“I pondered her words and realized, THAT IS Judson’s Legacy,” said Dr. Foster. “Our alumnae and friends are helping the next generation and those to come afterward to find their voice and their strengths!”

Check out our new AAJ Newsletter: 2025 Year in Review!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1npgkfugUwE8X54Z1S_y3s0r2adamN42R/view?usp=drive_link

THANK YOU and Happy 2026!

We are very thankful for our new Partners who joined in 2025 and extend a sincere 'thank you' to those of you who have come along the way and helped us to sustain the Judson Legacy Project for five years now! We cannot continue this effort without you and appreciate those of you who are committing to monthly giving which is helpful with our secured storage expenses.

We wish each of you a very Happy New Year!

Respectfully,
AAJ Board of Directors and Advisors

Always a Judson AAJ is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the legacy of Judson College through women empowerment and preservation of artifacts.

Merry Christmas from Always A Judson!

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Congratulations to Ti-Ara Turner and Payton Luker-this year’s Judson Legacy Scholarship Winners!

Ti-Ara Turner ’21, was named the recipient of this year’s special Dr. George Williams Memorial Scholarship, as she obtains her PhD in biomedical sciences in the Immunology Graduate Program at the University of Iowa.

Her career goal is to manage research projects that identify immune system mechanisms that promote neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.
As a part of a Judson family legacy, she grew up learning about the Judson traditions from her mother Marilyn Lewis ’91 and recalled her mother singing “Once Upon a Time”, knowing she loved the song then, but would one day better understand the power that it held. “Before I would rest my eyes at night, my mother would always say, ‘Good night, Sweet Dreams’, and remind me that I could not say this until I was as senior at Judson College. I always wanted to say that phrase, so I knew I had to go to Judson after graduating high school”, said Ti-Ara.
The AAJ Scholarship will enable Ti-Ara to purchase necessary equipment tailored to her project and specific PhD thesis work to identify new therapeutic targets for MS and spread science throughout several communities. This funding will help her to accelerate her progress as an independent researcher and mentor.

Payton Luker ’20, is the 2025-2026 recipient of the Judson Legacy Scholarship for Graduate Study.

She had an outstanding undergraduate record at Judson as a Biology Major, and served as a lab-assistant as well as Co-Captain of the soccer team.
After completing a Master of Science degree at UAB, she is currently enrolled in her third year of a Doctor of Pharmacy program at Samford University and serves as president of the Student National Pharmacists Association. In this position, she has participated in an impressive array of community service opportunities utilizing her pharmacy background on behalf of what she names the ‘underserved and often unheard’. She is genuinely committed to small town communities and meaningful patient interaction as she plans a career as both a practicing pharmacist and a faculty member.