Three Lafayette County students are among more than 70 University of Mississippi students to receive a 2017 Marcus Elvis Taylor Memorial Medal, the university’s highest academic award. The students were recognized April 6 during UM’s 74th annual Honors Day Convocation at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Matthew Philip Forgette is a junior international studies major who plans to continue his studies toward earning his bachelor’s degree in international relations. He is a member of Global China Connection, Sigma Nu Fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He has been awarded a Croft Scholarship.

He is the son of Richard Forgette and Karen Forgette from Oxford.

Hannah Faith Hurdle is a senior journalism major who plans to continue her studies in graduate school, where she wishes to earn either a master’s in library science or become a sign language interpreter/translator for the deaf. She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, the Ole Miss Hand Band, the Wells Project, Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, The International and American Student Alliance, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and Reformed University Fellowship.

She has been awarded a Luckyday Scholarship, Order of Omega, Who’s Who. Hurdle has also been on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll.

She is the daughter of Tory Hurdle from Oxford and Paula Hurdle from Fulton, Kentucky.

Megan Leigh Garner is a senior marketing major who has accepted a graduate assistantship with the MBA program at The University of Mississippi and will begin upon graduating in May.

She is a member of Ole Miss Diamond Girls, Ole Miss Running Club, Delta Gamma Fraternity, Order of Omega, Who’s Who, Gamma Beta Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Mortar Board Honor Societies. She has been awarded Outstanding Student in Elementary Italian, Provost Scholar, Standard Bearer for the School of Business, Kristofer G. Mihalyka Scholarship and the Distinguished Senior Scholarship.

She is the daughter of Leigh Garner Christian from Oxford.

The Taylor Medals were established at UM in 1904 by Dr. William A. Taylor of Booneville in memory of his son, an honored 1871 alumnus of the university. The award recognizes no more than 1 percent of the student body each year.