CIU soccer field dedicated to Lexington resident

The Columbia International University soccer field now carries the name of a longtime resident of Lexington.

The field was dedicated to CIU alumna Elizabeth Rikard Sessions on Nov. 3 during halftime of a CIU Lady Rams soccer match. Sessions graduated from CIU, then called Columbia Bible College, in 1943. She went on to assist in the founding of Rikard Nursing Homes in Lexington County, where she served the elderly for 28 years. Sessions also served on CIU’s board of trustees for 17 years, and received several honors from CIU including the dedication of Rikard Dining Room, Alumna of the Year in 1999 and an honorary doctorate in 2010.

In 2012, after Sessions heard of CIU’s vision to begin its first athletics program, her financial generosity made the soccer field a reality.

On hand at the dedication to present Sessions with a plaque detailing her accomplishments were CIU President Dr. Bill Jones and CIU Athletics Director Kim Abbott.

“At a certain time on this earth, I’m not going to be here, Dr. Jones isn’t going to be here, none of us are going to be here, but this field will have a name,” Abbott said to the cheering student body in the bleachers.

President Jones told the students that Sessions Field will stand as a legacy to a woman who has made a tremendously positive impact on CIU, and represents a life filled with complete devotion and faithful service to God.

Founded in 1923, Columbia International University is private, Christian and multidenominational. CIU prepares students to make a positive impact on the world through their professional calling. The university is recognized for the quality of its academic offerings, consistently ranked among the top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. www.ciu.edu

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Elizabeth Rikard Sessions smiles at the dedication of Sessions Soccer Field on the Columbia International University campus. (Photo by Alicia Heatherly)  >>>