Melissa Mercer, Miss UAB 2025, is set to graduate Saturday, May 3 — just eight weeks before she takes the stage to compete for the prestigious title of Miss Alabama.

Throughout the Spring 2025 semester, departments across the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s College of Arts and Sciences submitted nominations for the Dean’s Awards for Outstanding Undergraduate Students and Outstanding Graduate Students.

Xavier Golden always planned to become a doctor; but after joining the military and discovering tech careers through TikTok, he switched paths to computer science, earning his degree and more than one job offer.