Maloch, Flocks Awarded 52nd Senior Honor Citation

Photo by Whit Pruitt, University Relations

Connor Flocks and Victoria Maloch, the recipients of the 2017 Senior Honor Citations.

The Arkansas Alumni Association is proud to announce the winners of the 52nd Senior Honor Citation. Victoria Maloch and Connor Flocks were awarded the honor May 4 during the Cardinal & White Banquet at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.

This honor recognizes the top two seniors on campus. The award was announced at the conclusion of the banquet by Chancellor Joe Steinmetz. Maloch and Flocks were part of the 71 students chosen in fall 2016 as the Class of 2017 Seniors of Significance. They were then chosen as two of the 22 Razorback Classic honorees before receiving the Senior Honor Citation. As the winners of the Senior Honor Citation, Maloch and Flocks received life membership in the Arkansas Alumni Association, permanent recognition on a plaque at the alumni house and were invited back to campus to represent their class at events, including speaking at their Senior Walk Dedication.

Maloch is from Magnolia and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business with a pre-law concentration from the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

“Graduating with a class of 20 students in a town of 368 people, I never imagined I would become a Senior of Significance, let alone become a part of Razorback Classics or receive the Senior Honor Citation. During the last few years, however, I have discovered anything is possible when you become engaged in the Razorback community and honor the values it holds dear,” Maloch said.

Maloch was a White House intern for the Executive Office of the President and a congressional intern for the U.S. House of Representatives. She was National Secretary of the National FFA Organization. She is a Harry S. Truman Scholar. She is also a member of Chi Omega and the Honors College. She was the inaugural Senior Walk Dedication Chair for the Student Alumni Board.

“During my time as a Razorback, my experiences have been shaped and defined by the history, traditions and alumni of the University of Arkansas. From being an initiate of Chi Omega’s founding chapter to one day having my name on Senior Walk and now on the wall as a 2017 Senior Honor Citation recipient, a piece of my heart will forever live within the University of Arkansas story. Like our land-grant university, my roots will always be in Arkansas and agriculture. But I will also follow in the example the University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Alumni Association have set of bringing people together, continually learning and improving, and serving as a partner, resource and catalyst to Arkansas and beyond.

“The Senior Honor Citation is a great honor, but also a great responsibility. As the recipient of a lifetime alumni membership, it is my responsibility not only to be an active and engaged alumni member, but to make sure all future students have the same opportunities to flourish as I did.”

Flocks is from Greenwood and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the Sam M. Walton College of Business. Flocks said he was in shock when he heard his name called as the winner of the Senior Honor Citation.

“I felt so humbled in that moment. If there is anything to describe my reaction, it's overwhelming gratitude,” he said.

Flocks was President of Associated Student Government, President of the Razorbacks Booster Club and Vice President of Board Development for the Student Alumni Board. He served as Secretary for Lambda Chi Alpha. He was a category advisor intern for The Hershey Company. He was also a Distinguished Delegate for Model United Nations in Washington, D.C.

“My father taught me that to measure the success of a leader, you must look 2, 3, 4 or even 10 years down the road at the leaders they develop. To me, receiving the Senior Honor Citation is a direct result of mentors who have shaped me into the leader I am today,” Flocks noted. “Wherever I go, this will serve as a tangible reminder of why I will forevermore be a part of the Razorback family. When you're a part of something bigger than yourself, you're willing to do whatever you can to make it better for everyone involved. When I received this award, my passion to do so was solidified.”

Graduating seniors were named Razorback Classics by the Arkansas Alumni Association.