Stewart, associate director of admissions and coordinator of minority student recruitment at AU, received the award in Washington, D.C.

“Ms. Stewart symbolizes Minority Access’ ideal role model -- one who has assisted minorities through recruiting, teaching, mentoring and supporting minority students,” said Andrea Mickle, president and chief executive officer of Minority Access.

Stewart has been with AU since 1999. Besides her work in the Admissions Office, she is an instructor in “U1000: The AU Experience,” AU’s introductory class for new students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Alabama State University and a master’s in higher education administration and student personnel services from Tuskegee University.

Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with nearly 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.