Four graduating seniors received Thresher Awards at Bethel College’s annual end-of-year Awards Convocation.
Awards were presented in Bible and religion/music; chemistry; English; and forensics.
The Thresher is the highest academic award at Bethel, given to a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding work overall, as well as in their senior thesis or senior project.
Josué Coy Dick, North Newton, received a Thresher in Bible and religion and also in music. He graduated from Bethel May 10 with a B.A. and majors in Bible and religion; music (violin performance); peace, justice and conflict studies; and social work.
Peter Goerzen, assistant professor of Bible and religion, and Dr. Christina Liu, associate professor of music, presented the Thresher to Coy Dick.
In his citation, Goerzen pointed to Coy Dick’s “outstanding, creative, sustained contribution to the Bible and religion program and overall theological contribution to life on campus at Bethel.
“In each Bible and religion course, Josué has modeled critical thought, depth of insight, and engagement in a way that has raised the standard for conversation that takes place in good process.”
Goerzen noted that Coy Dick won the Bethel round of the binational C. Henry Smith Peace Oration Contest twice. The winning speech from each participating Anabaptist college competes against the others, and in 2024, Coy Dick’s second speech, “Jesus and the Wounded,” won the whole thing.
Coy Dick “provided the founding vision and energy for the Bethel College Community for Justice and Peace, which re-invigorated a longstanding Bethel College tradition of student activism,” Goerzen said. “Josué’s vision for the organization again drew on careful theological and ethical reflection.”
Liu pointed out Coy Dick’s involvement in music throughout his time at Bethel, mainly as a member of the college chamber orchestra as well as the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra. He won the NMKSO’s Dwight Beckham Young Soloist competition twice, first in the high school division and later in the college division.
He was active in instrumental music throughout his time at Bethel, as a member of the college chamber orchestra as well as the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra, and gave a senior violin recital.
Karissa Wilson, Sterling, Kan., received a Thresher in chemistry. She will graduate in December with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology.
“Karissa has exemplified what it means to be a Thresher through hard work, dedication to her field, involvement across campus, a willingness to help others, and exemplary academic performance,” said co-presenter Dr. Katy Layman, professor of chemistry and physics.
Added Dr. Will Wiebe-Friesen, associate professor of chemistry, “Karissa has gone above and beyond in multiple areas. Her senior research seminar far exceeded the scope of what is expected, which was possible only through her vision for what she wanted it to be, and the creativity and intelligence and grit to see it through.”
Wilson was part of the pilot group for Bethel’s Employment Experiences initiative and has been “a dedicated and reliable chemistry department assistant,” said Layman. Wilson was also a member of the women’s tennis team (which traveled to the NAIA national tournament in Alabama earlier in the spring), who “modeled balancing an intense academic load with a demanding tennis season, exemplifying responsibility and leadership among her peers,” Wiebe-Friesen noted.
Louisa Lehmann, Wegberg, Germany, received a Thresher in English. She graduated last December with a B.A. in English.
Dr. Siobhán Scarry, professor of English, recognized Lehmann’s “outstanding senior seminar research project.”
“Louisa’s presence in the English classroom has been marked by an unwavering commitment to her studies, a positive and collaborative approach with her peers, and a willingness to take risks when diving into unknown intellectual and creative territories,” Scarry said.
Scarry continued, “Louisa’s innovative spirit and commitment to research are especially notable in her senior
thesis, entitled ‘The Rise of the Monster and the Loss of Masculinity: A Cultural Studies Approach to 21st-Century Adaptations and Commercial Appropriations of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.’”
Isaiah Smith, Great Bend, Kan., received a Thresher in forensics. Smith graduated from Bethel May 10 with a B.A. and majors in history and political science and social work.
In his senior season with Bethel forensics, Smith qualified six events to the annual national collegiate forensics tournament, AFA-NST, held this year at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., April 3-6.
He was active in social justice organizations on campus during his time at Bethel, including the Bethel College Community for Justice and Peace and the Pride Alliance Council.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel is ranked #25 in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional College Midwest for 2026. Bethel was the only Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Community Healing and Transformation (TCHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see www.bethelks.edu
Bethel College’s 2026 Thresher Award winners, from left, Louisa Lehmann, Isaiah Smith, Josué Coy Dick, Karissa Wilson (photo by Emily Timperley)
