The Meridian Star
MERIDIAN —
• Natalie Patrice Saez has been selected to receive the Gerald Blaine Price Scholarship at Meridian Community College.
This $600 award is funded through the MCC Foundation. The medical lab at Riley Hospital initiated this scholarship to honor their former associate. The family of Price continues to support this fund.
Saez, a 1999 graduate of Northeast Lauderdale High School, is a sophomore in the Medical Laboratory Technology Program with plans to graduate in August. She is president of the Student Association of Medical Lab Technicians and a member of Health Occupation Students of America. In addition to her course work, Saez works full time. Her plans are to enter the workforce after graduation. She would like to pursue a bachelor’s degree at a later date.
• Lara Caitlyn Ainsworth has been selected to receive the Charles Armstrong Scholarship at Meridian Community College.
This $1,400 award is funded through the MCC Foundation from an endowment established by the Meridian Kiwanis Club to honor Armstrong’s 27 years with the Meridian Public School System. He is remembered as a teacher, coach, administrator and especially as a mentor.
Ainsworth is a 2011 highest honors graduate of Meridian High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society, Anchor Club,and Art Club. At MCC, Ainsworth is in the University Transfer Program. A President’s List scholar, she was recently tapped for membership in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year college students. Ainsworth works part time and is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Her plans are to pursue a degree and a career in graphic design.
• Angelia Lynn Austin has been selected to receive the Carney-Nelson Scholarship at Meridian Community College.
This $900 award is funded through the MCC Foundation by Harriett Carney and Drs. Chip Carney and Virginia Nelson.
Austin, a 1993 graduate of Meridian High School, is in the University Transfer Program taking courses in preparation for veterinary school. A Dean’s List scholar, Austin has completed her associate's degree in liberal arts. She is getting a head start on her career path by working full-time at Poplar Springs Animal Hospital.
• Kimberly Latasha Davis has been selected to receive the Dr. O.D. Polk Sr. Scholarship at Meridian Community College.
This $1,000 award is funded through the MCC Foundation by members of the Polk Family. Polk, who practiced medicine in Meridian for 40 years, served on the Board of Trustees of Meridian Community college and Meridian Public Schools.
Davis, a 1995 graduate of Murrah High School in Jackson, is in the third semester of the Associate Degree Nursing Program. The mother of two children, Davis commutes from Madison to attend MCC. She is a member of the Organization of Student Nurses and the Mississippi Organization of Associate Degree Nursing. Her plans are to continue her education through the doctorate level. Teaching is a possibility in the future.
