POPLARVILLE – Two Marion County students have been elected Mr. and Miss PRCC by their peers at Pearl River Community College.
Jerrod Newson of Columbia will be featured in the PRCC Wildcat yeardisk as Mr. PRCC along with Michaela Andrews of Foxworth as Miss PRCC.
Sophomore class favorites on the Poplarville campus are Larke Bickham of Poplarville and Adam Smith of Pascagoula. Freshman class favorites are Asia Thibodeaux of Gulfport and John Cornish of Olive Branch.
Forrest County Center sophomore favorites are Lauren Link and Dominique Cole, both of Hattiesburg. Freshman favorites at the Forrest County Center are Gabriela Garza of Sumrall and John Graves of Bassfield.
At the Hancock Center in Waveland, sophomore favorites are Wendy Scelson of Bay St. Louis and David Hale of Waveland. Freshman favorites are Maranda Bennett of Pearlington and Brandon Ellis of Bay St. Louis.
Newson, 19, is the son of Bridget Newsom of Columbia and Lewis Odom of Prentiss. A graduate of East Marion High School, he is executive vice president of the PRCC Student Government Association, a cheerleader and a member of Wildcat Watch. He plans to train as a police officer after graduation.
Andrews is the 20-year-old daughter of Jack and Jackie Andrews of Foxworth. She is a graduate of West Marion High School, executive president of SGA and a member of the Spirit of the River marching band. She was in the PRCC Singers her freshman year. Andrews plans to transfer to the University of Southern Mississippi to study social work and psychology.
Bickham, 19, is the daughter of Keith and Lorrie Bickham of Poplarville. She was elected 2014 homecoming queen, is a student athletic trainer and a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. A graduate of Poplarville High School, she plans to study kinesiotherapy at USM before transferring to the physical therapy program at William Carey University or the University of South Alabama.
Smith, 20 is the son of Josh and Bonnie Smith of Pascagoula. A graduate of Pascagoula High School, he is a business major and an outfielder on the Wildcat baseball team. He plans to transfer to Mississippi State University.
Thibodeaux, 18, is the daughter of Paul and Janice Thibodeaux Sr. of Gulfport. A graduate of West Harrison High School, she plays on the Lady Wildcat basketball team and is the praise and worship leader for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She plans to attend Texas Southern University and hopes to continue playing ball while pursuing a degree in teaching and coaching.
Cornish is the 19-year-old son of Kyle and Leigh Cornish of Olive Branch where he graduated from Olive Branch High School. He plays on the Wildcat basketball team which won the 2014-15 state championship and is FCA president. He hopes to play Division I basketball which studying actuarial science or business administration.
Forrest County Center
Link, 22, is the daughter of Mark Link and Jody Harvey, both of Hattiesburg. She is a graduate of Oak Grove High School and a member of the Honors Institute leadership team. A kinesiology major, she plans to transfer to William Carey University or the University of South Alabama to study physical therapy.
Cole, 38, is the son of Ursula Cole and Antonio Cole, both of Hattiesburg. A business administration major, he is a graduate of Hattiesburg High School and plans to attend USM.
Garza is the 26-year-old daughter of Raul and Virginia Garza of Los Fresnos, Texas. She is a graduate of Los Fresnos High School, majoring in nursing. She plans to earn a bachelor’s degree and become a traveling nurse.
Graves, 33, is the son of Pam and Robert Graves of Bassfield. He is a graduate of Bassfield High School and a member of Phi Theta Kappa, Sigma Kappa Delta English honor society, Mu Alpha Theta math honor society and the Honors Institute. He plans to transfer to USM to study polymer science.
Hancock Center
Hale, 29, enrolled at PRCC after earning a GED. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the Student Activities Program. He plans to transfer to USM to study psychology. He is the son of David Crowley of Escatawpa and Deborah Hale of Waveland.
Scelson, 19, is the daughter of Elma Ladner and Robert Scelson, both of Bay St. Louis. A graduate of Bay High School, she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa. She plans to study computer science at USM and hopes to work at NASA.
Bennett is the 19-year-old daughter of Eddie and Stacey Bennett of Pearlington. She is a graduate of Hancock High and a member of the Hancock Center Student Government and Student Activities Program. She plans to pursue a radiology degree.
Ellis, 24, is the son of Jessie Ellis of Bay St. Louis and Mavis Pontiff of St. Martinville, La. He is a graduate of Hancock High and plans to transfer to the University of Mississippi to major in sports medicine.
