Piedmont College President James F. Mellichamp presented the H.M. Stewart Sr. Award of Excellence to valedictorian Alana L. Hall of Atlantic Beach, Fla., during the baccalaureate ceremonies at the Piedmont Chapel in Demorest.

The Stewart Award is presented by South State Bank each year to the Piedmont graduate with the highest GPA.

Hall graduated from Piedmont April 30 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and minors in chemistry and business administration with a perfect 4.0 GPA. She is also a member of The Torch and Alpha Chi honor society.