W&J students honored with Jonathan Flickinger ’05 Giving Heart Recognition

Three Washington & Jefferson College students have been recognized with traits of a giving heart.

The Jonathan Flickinger ’05 Giving Heart Recognition was created in 2018 by the Flickinger family with the help of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity as a loving memorial to Jonathan, who passed away unexpectedly in 2017.

After graduating from W&J, Jonathan obtained his law degree from Duquesne University. He also was the recipient of the W&J Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Jonathan is equally remembered for the thoughtful and kind acts he did throughout his life, and those who knew him best have said his example drove them to be a better person.

The recognition acknowledges students whose lives emulate Jonathan’s by caring for others in ways large and small and whose spirits demonstrate kindness and love, courage and compassion, humor and inspiration, and joy and faith. This year, all faculty, students, and staff were encouraged to nominate deserving students.

The 2022-2023 recipients are Grant Gonot, Gabby Lloyd, and Emily Heck.

Gonot’s name will be listed on a permanent plaque on the W&J campus. He will receive a $1000 donation to Promise Camp.

Lloyd and Heck will each receive a $500 donation to Butler Special Olympics and the Washington City Mission, respectively. Details about their nominations are below.

Donations to the Jonathan Flickinger ’05 Giving Heart Recognition can be accepted at the Washington County Community Foundation.

Grant Gonot

Major: Neuroethics and Psychology

Co-curricular Involvement: Residential Assistant, Writing Center Tutor, Vice President of Student Christian Association, member of CSC, and member of Washington Fellows.

Quote from Nominator: “Grant is one of the most selfless and compassionate friends I ever met. He has a unique goal in his education as a thematic major in Neuro-ethics and not only excels in his classes, but also befriends every professor he encounters. Grant loves his friends and invests in his friendships in ways such as playing a casual game of basketball, taking people out for breakfast or dinner, and inviting people to bible studies in the Student Christian Association (SCA) on campus. We are president and vice president of SCA, and I love being able to work with him to make sure we live out our faith and truth fully and that all of our friends who attend feel welcome and heard. He laughs with friends in the brightest moments and mourns with friends in their lowest. He is breaking barriers between students and faculty as he occasionally invites members of both to breakfast in the Commons. He applied to become a Resident Assistant for the 23-24 year, and he demonstrates a healthy balance of maturity and friendliness that will set an example for whoever is on his floor or in his building. He gives his heart openly and freely to those who come into his life from in the classroom, to in the cafeteria, to his role as a PAL tutor & potential RA, and to his job when he returns home. My dear friend, Grant Gonot, is the spitting image of the character of Jonathan Flickinger and deserving of this award. There is no doubt in my mind that his generous heart for his fellow students and community will help him become successful after graduation and beyond.”

Gabby Lloyd

Major: Economics and Spanish

Co-curricular Involvement: Member of the Women’s Soccer team, an EMT for Washington County’s Ambulance and Chair, Residential Assistant, PAL Tutor, President of Star Wars club, Butler Special Olympics volunteer assistant coach and referee, Washington Hospital Emergency Department Greeter, and Toys for Tots volunteer.

Quote from Nominator: “Gabriella is someone who is dedicated to serving others in everything she does. Gabriella is a double major in Economics and Spanish while also on the pre-med track. One may wonder why this interesting combination of majors and career trajectories exists. The reason is that she wants to be able to understand her future patients from financial situations as well as break down the language barrier many Spanish-speaking patients face. Gabriella spends her Friday nights and weekends working as an EMT, trying to save people’s lives, or volunteering for the Butler County Special Olympics. Additionally, Gabriella has done significant work for humanity as a whole with her research, ranging from multiple problems with finances in health care to how to better treat patients after unique surgery situations. Not to mention she has spent the summer working in addition to medicine to better understand the importance of not overprescribing patients. Gabriella has sacrificed so much time and energy to make the lives of those around her better. I know Gabriella will continue to live a life of service after her time here at W&J, and she will be a fantastic physician. I, along with the others that Gabriella has touched throughout her college career, am grateful to have met her.”

Emily Heck

Major: Public Policy

Co-curricular Involvement: Women’s Lacrosse and Field Hockey teams, Vice President of Member Experience of Pi Beta Phi sorority, member of Alpha Lamba Delta Honors Society, member of Washington Fellows, Alpha Beta Scholar, Franklin Maxwell Scholar, President of Pi Alpha Theta Honors Society, member of Pi Gamma Nu honors society.

Quote from Nominator (self-nominated): “I am an active participant on campus through multiple different facets. Being a member of the field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams; participating in multiple academic departments (Public Policy, Economics, History, Conflict & Resolution Studies, and Social Justice Studies) with the goal of channeling the applicable skills I learn into a career as a public servant; volunteering with Meals on Wheels and the City Mission; and being an active member of honors societies (Alpha Lambda Delta, Pi Gamma Mu, Phi Alpha Theta). I have organized and facilitated multiple fundraisers, such as Lemonade for Literacy, Pie-A-Pi Phi, and Arrowbands, as the Vice President of Community Relations for Pi Beta Phi, and other fundraisers, such as a bake sale to fundraise for Ukrainian charities, as an Executive Board Member for Alpha Lambda Delta. Outside of the classroom, I spend time volunteering at the City Mission in the city of Washington, both with my lacrosse team and individually. I have been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels since I was a child, and being able to develop relationships with members of the community and become a support system for these individuals who are not able to leave their homes regularly due to old age or illness is perhaps one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. During the COVID lockdown in 2020, my mother and I volunteered four times a week with Meals on Wheels in order to ensure that elderly members of the community were being taken care of and able to access food. As mentioned above, I aim to work in a field that involves public service, specifically in a manner that benefits veterans and individuals who suffer from homelessness. A career goal that I aspire to reach is to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs and focus these passions into developing policies that are oriented to assist veterans who are experiencing homelessness. And I cannot speak on behalf of anyone but myself; however, I choose to live by the motto of putting others before myself and treating others in the same manner that I would like to be treated. I try to live every day following these ideals and take every day as an opportunity to educate myself and to improve to be a better person.