Sharon Calvino Named to President's Club

2013 Nov 21

In the University's chapel service Nov. 21, Dr. Stephen Jones, president of Bob Jones University, awarded Sharon Calvino, a senior communication disorders major from Greenville, S.C., the Sower Award.

One of six President's Club awards, the Sower Award is given to a student who has exhibited exceptional faithfulness to the Lord in the area of soul winning or who has had an unusual soul winning opportunity.

Several students nominated Sharon for the Sower Award. One of her friends wrote, "As long as I've known Sharon, she has had a great burden for lost people. Despite her busy school and work load, she sacrifices Saturday mornings to help out in a Bible club and has recently [gotten involved] in Sunday afternoon evangelism. . . . Sharon also has a great burden for her unsaved extended family members. Her grandmother is fighting cancer. Just this month, Sharon has very prayerfully and boldly sent her a couple of e-mails presenting the simple truth of the Gospel.

Knowing Sharon, she would not desire any recognition for herself but would rather just point all recognition to Christ and the power of His gospel alone. But I am thankful for the example that Sharon has been to me of a willing vessel that God is using to accomplish His perfect will for His glory."

Another friend said, "Sharon has consistently and selflessly chosen to pour herself into a group of people who very rarely give back and who often do not follow through on their commitments. When she invites an individual to church, she consistently follows through on Sunday by riding the church bus to her house or just going with a friend to her house to see if she can come. She has been a rebuking example to me of choosing to pursue the lost even when it's most inconvenient, and even when there's a seemingly good excuse not to bother. Recently, the Lord burdened her to pray for specific fruit and then proceeded to bless her with just that. Just a few weeks ago, the Lord allowed Sharon to lead a young mother to Himself, and since then she has been eagerly discipling this new believer in the things of the Lord."

Students are nominated for President's Club awards by faculty, staff and their peers, and a committee selects recipients from the nominations received. In addition to recognition in a President's Club chapel, recipients have their photo displayed in the university Student Center and enjoy dinner with the president.