Greensburg resident receives ‘shock of the century’ from university’s student government leaders as they honor her for living university’s mission.
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (03/21/2026) Lindsey Wilson University’s Shelby Burton spends most of her time behind a camera.
But on Friday, March 20, Burton was in front of the lens when she was named the university’s 2026 Remarkable Raider.
The Remarkable Raider award is presented annually by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association to a member of the Lindsey Wilson community who exemplifies the Lindsey Wilson mission.
The recipient is often surprised by the award, and that could not have been more true for Burton on Friday. She learned the news in the middle of an afternoon baby shower her co-workers held for her in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship.
“I can’t really process it,” said Burton, who is Lindsey Wilson’s assistant director of public relations and media producer. “I had zero clue. It was the shock of the century.”
In addition to a plaque, Burton was presented a commemorative T-shirt, which was given to all of those in attendance. And a special commemorative T-shirt was made for the son that she and her husband, Chase, will welcome in June.
Living the Lindsey Wilson mission
In her daily position, Burton is responsible for producing most of the university’s videos, taking pictures at events and for university publications, and producing content for the university’s primary social media platforms. She also serves as an adviser to the Lindsey Wilson student government.
“I like to know everything, and that is also part of my job to know about everything happening on campus,” said Burton. “I’m so impressed they pulled it off without me knowing about it.”
Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association President Zachariah Lawson ’26 said Burton was selected to be this year’s Remarkable Raider because “she puts the students’ interests first and foremost.”
“There is no other person who lives our mission of serving every student, every day more than Shelby does,” said Lawson, who is serving his second consecutive term as student body president.
Lawson said that Burton has given the university’s student leaders invaluable advice over the years — and that is in addition to her thorough coverage of university events, especially ones that involve students.
“She works closely with our executive cabinet, and she makes sure we have what we need,” said Lawson, an English major with an emphasis in communication and professional writing from Williamsburg, Kentucky. “She also stays late to make sure there is coverage of student activities, games and other events.”
A life-changing move
A Greensburg, Kentucky, native, Burton is a 2016 graduate of Taylor County High School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting with an emphasis in video and photography from Western Kentucky University and a master’s degree in organizational communication and leadership from Murray State University.
Before she moved over to Lindsey Wilson’s Office of Public Relations, Burton served in the university’s Office of Student Services, starting to work there on Labor Day 2020, when much of higher education was shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When I graduated from college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or what my dream in life was,” she said. “Especially during COVID, in such an uncertain time, it felt like I was kind of just wandering around to find a place. I had zero idea that when I took that position that it would quite literally change my life. Now I can’t imagine working anywhere other than here. It holds my whole heart.”
While Burton said she loves chronicling the iconic moments that help define Lindsey Wilson with her camera and creating content for social media posts, she said it is also rewarding to spend time with members of the university’s student government.
“I love seeing the work they do here, but it makes me even more proud to watch them move on and do great things,” she said. “They say the students are the ones who grow, but I grow right along with them every single day.”
Lindsey Wilson University Assistant Director of Public Relations and Media Producer Shelby Burton, center (holding plaque), is joined by family members, co-workers and students on Friday, March 20, in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship after being named the 2026 Remarkable Raider by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association.
Lindsey Wilson University Student Government Association President Zachariah Lawson ’26 of Williamsburg, Kentucky, presents the 2026 Remarkable Raider award to Lindsey Wilson Assistant Director of Public Relations and Media Producer Shelby Burton on Friday, March 20, in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship as Burton’s family members look on.
Lindsey Wilson University Assistant Director of Public Relations and Media Producer Shelby Burton and her husband, Chase, display the Remarkable Raider award and commemorative newborn T-shirt she was presented by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association on Friday, March 20, in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship. The Burtons are expecting their first child, a son, in June.
Lindsey Wilson University Assistant Director of Public Relations and Media Producer Shelby Burton wipes a tear from her eye as she reads the inscription on the Remarkable Raider award presented to her by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association on Friday, March 20, in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship. Looking on are, from left, Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association members Whitley Gibson ’27 of Edmonton, Kentucky, and Jordan Roberts ’27 of Liberty, Kentucky, and Burton’s husband, Chase.
Lindsey Wilson University Assistant Director of Public Relations and Media Producer Shelby Burton reads the inscription on the Remarkable Raider award presented to her by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association on Friday, March 20, in the Doug and Betty Jean Moseley Auditorium of the Norma and Glen Hodge Center for Discipleship as her family members look on.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)