News Article

JONESBORO – Arkansas State University's Office of Multicultural Affairs along with the Division of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement hosted the fifth annual Living Legends awards on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Carl R. Reng Center Student Union Auditorium.

The Living Legend Award was created in 2019 as a way of highlighting A-State alumni and others living in Northeast Arkansas who have enriched their communities, excelled in their fields and inspired younger generations.

This year, three individuals were chosen to join the 20 recognized in previous years.

Awardees this year include Jamie Caradine, a native of Hughes and 1978 A-State graduate. Caradine was active in the mission to discontinue the playing and singing of “Dixie” and other efforts to improve race relations at A-State. He is active on campus and in the community.

Caradine was the second Black employee in the engineering office at Hytrol and retired after 30 years in the sales department. 

Bishop Adrian Rodgers has served as the pastor of Fullness of Joy Ministries for 30 years. He is the director of Total Man Ministry, the presiding bishop of IMPACT Fellowship International and a member of the Mayor’s Pastoral Alliance.

Rodgers is a chaplain for the Craighead County Jail and has advocated improving jail conditions and coordinates recovery and job assistance programs to help people after they are released.

Sharon Lee is a long-time A-State employee, serving the university for 42 years. Lee has two bachelor's degrees and an MBA, all from A-State.

She is a member of many campus organizations including the Lettermen’s Club, Strong-Turner Alumni Chapter, Staff Senate, and Red Wolves Foundation among others. Lee was a member of A-State’s first women’s basketball team. 

The event posthumously recognized two A-State alumni. Qubilah Jones was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and Tierre Hamilton was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.