Submitted by jbraswell on May 2, 2017
POPLARVILLE – Honors Institute students at Pearl River Community College received medallions Monday, May 1, to mark their completion of the elite academic program.
They will wear the medallions at graduation on May 12 when they will be the first to receive diplomas.
“I hope and I pray that we have served you well, that you have learned and that we have provided you with some experiences in your thought process of what the future can bring,” said Dr. William Lewis, PRCC president. “You helped to elevate us and we hope that we’ve elevated you.”
He reminded the graduates that members of PRCC’s Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame, whose photos hang in White Hall, all laid their foundations for success at Pearl River.
“We’ve gotten to speak to many alumni who started out right here and have been very successful,” graduate Jenna Lee of Picayune said in reflecting on her time in the Honors Institute.
Sarah Spence of Carriere learned lessons about money and time management when she and several other students traveled to London last summer on a study-abroad trip led by Dr. Stephen Black, Honors Institute director.
“It gave me the confidence that after the River I can take on the world,” she said. “I appreciate this more than I can ever put into words.”
Graduate Raechel Zimmerman of Lumberton described herself two years ago as a single mom with blue hair and a passion to prove herself.
“The Honors Institute at Pearl River opened doors for me that I never knew even existed,” she said. “We showed up, we’re about to finish, we will change the future.”
The graduates are:
•Joseph Austin of Oak Grove. He will study engineering at Mississippi State University and has received more than $16,000 in scholarships.
•Carr of Bassfield. He has been accepted into the William Carey University pharmacy program and has received $24,600 in scholarships.
•Rachael Carraro of Hattiesburg. She will study aerospace engineering at MSU and has received $50,000 per year in scholarships from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and MSU.
•Kevin Craft of Oak Grove. He will major in business at Carey and has received $24,600 in scholarships.
•Alexandria Cumbest of Hurley. She plans to study chemical engineering at MSU and has received $8,500 in scholarships.
•Karissa Davis of Oak Grove. She will study biology at the University of Mississippi.
•Belle Failla of Picayune. She will go to MSU to major in mechanical engineering and has received $19,000 in scholarships.
•Alyssa Fuller of Carriere. She will study biomedical engineering at MSU and has received $19,000 in scholarships.
•Jenna Lee of Picayune. She is majoring in biological sciences.
•Brendan Massey of Hattiesburg. He will study mathematics at the University Michigan and has received $60,000 in scholarships, including the Pearson Scholarship for Higher Education.
•Reagan Norwood of Biloxi. She will study speech pathology at the University of Southern Mississippi.
•Ericka Ogden of Oak Grove. She will attend USM and has received $16,000 in scholarships.
•John Paul Pierce of Hattiesburg. He will major in religious studies at Carey and has received $24,600 in scholarships.
•Megan Seyfarth of Oak Grove. She has received $16,000 in scholarships to attend USM.
•Alexander Ann Smith of Tylertown. He will major in history at USM.
•Sarah Spence of Carriere. She will major in microbiology at USM and has received $4,000 in scholarships.
•Madden Stockstill of Picayune. She will work in the Disney College Program before studying pre-pharmacy at Ole Miss. She has received $16,000 in scholarships.
•Skylar Taggart of Carriere. He will major in aerospace engineering at MSU and received All-USA Academic and STEM Club scholarships.
•Kelle` DeAnna Thipgen of Columbia. She will study pharmacy at Ole Miss.
•Raechel Zimmerman of Lumberton. She will major in English and education at MSU and has received $16,000 in scholarships.
Graduates from the Poplarville campus are, seated from left, Belle Failla and Jenna Lee, both of Picayune; Reagan Norwood of Biloxi, Alyssa Fuller of Carriere; standing, Skylar Taggart of Carriere, Alexander Ann Smith of Tylertown, Kelle` Thigpen of Columbia, Karissa Davis of Oak Grove, Madden Stockstill of Picayune and Sarah Spence of Carriere. Not pictured is Alexandria Cumbest of Hurley.
PRCC Public Relations photo
Graduates from the Forrest County Center in Hattiesburg are, seated from left, Raechel Zimmerman of Lumberton, Rachael Carraro of Hattiesburg, Megan Seyfarth of Oak Grove; standing, Joseph Austin of Oak Grove, Sam Carr of Bassfield, Brendan Massey and John Paul Pierce, both of Hattiesburg, and Ericka Ogden of Oak Grove. Not pictured is Kevin Craft of Oak Grove
PRCC Public Relations photo
