Ham Stevens did not attend East Central Community College; nor did his late wife, Joanne.

But when his wife — a longtime educator — died a few years ago, he decided to honor her memory by establishing a scholarship at ECCC to assist local students in need of financial assistance to attend college.

Stevens, who was among the approximately 80 donors who joined scholarship recipients at the annual BellSouth Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon held on the ECCC campus in Decatur, said the decision to establish the Joanne Stevens Scholarship Award at ECCC was an easy one.

“The main reason for choosing EC was the fact that we both have always felt that EC offered the very best courses to help students right out of high school to get their feel of college and to help them better decide their majors before entering a senior college.” Stevens explained. “And if the student decides not to go to senior college, he or she would be well-equipped after two years at EC to go into the workforce in most any field of endeavor.”

Stevens, a retired insurance executive and former business owner, said he also selected ECCC for the scholarship “because students who attend East Central receive more individualized attention as compared to those who attend a four-year college or university.” He added, “Students are more than just a number at East Central, and that close relationship between instructor and student is vital to the student’s success, especially the freshman year.”

Stevens said he first came up with the idea for the scholarship when he presented the American Legion Award at the Lake High School Awards Day program in 2003.

“Watching the reaction on the faces of the students that night who received awards and scholarships was enough to sway me into action that I could do this in memory of Joanne,” said Stevens, a World War II veteran who represented the local American Legion Post at the awards ceremony.

Stevens, a longtime Forest resident, stated he requested Morton High School graduates receive the $1000 scholarship because his wife taught first grade at Morton for several years and served as elementary school principal from 1980 to 1989, when she retired.

He said his late wife “would have definitely approved the scholarship because she was very dedicated to helping her students and also the teachers with whom she worked.”

Stevens said he “looks forward with much emotion” each year to awarding the scholarship and helping students continue their education at a higher level.

This year’s scholarship recipient — Marcus Lee — said he is “most appreciative” to the Stevens family for the scholarship and is looking forward to attending East Central this fall.

Stevens said each scholarship recipient has expressed appreciation to him for the financial assistance. He added that he stays in touch with each award winner and monitors their progress.

Stacey Hollingsworth, executive director of Foundation and Alumni Relations at ECCC and scholarship awards luncheon donor coordinator, said 44 endowed scholarships and 29 annual scholarships were presented to approximately 80 award recipients at the 2006 program. She stated scholarship amounts range from a few hundred dollars to full tuition.

Tuition at ECCC is $700 per semester. Joe Killens, vice president for Student Services and event coordinator, presented the scholarship awards.

The complete list of scholarships awarded, award recipients and their respective high schools include the following:

The ATCO Loan Scholarship — Conyetta Darby, South Leake; The Bank of Forest Scholarship — Keith Brown, Forest; The Bank of Morton Scholarship — Leann Craps and Kayla Lathem, both of Morton; BellSouth Scholarship — Robert Westbrook, Newton County; The Clayton Blount Scholarship — Lindsey Stephens, Newton County; The Pleas and Amanda Breazeale Blount Scholarship — Kyle Barrett, Newton County;

The ECCC Board of Trustees Scholarship — Joshua Sheehan, Newton County; Dr. Austin P. Boggan Scholarship — Phillip Vines, Neshoba Central;

The Ann Burkes Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship — Steven Cullen, Carthage; The Mable Moore Carr Educational Scholarship — Tyler Walters, Forest; The Citizens Bank of Philadelphia Scholarship — Brittany White, Union; The W. R. Covington Scholarship — Chris Reed, Noxapater; Opal McMullan Dickerson Scholarship — Elizabeth Ann Richardson, Preston; EC Scholars Scholarship (sponsored by the James and Luvie Thomas Foundation) — Heath Street, Lake;

EC Scholars Scholarship (sponsored by the ECCC Alumni Association Scholarship) — Justin Farmer, Newton County; The Entergy Mississippi, Inc.

Excellence in Education Scholarship for Vocational and Technical Education — Terrance Burgin, Columbus; The Leon Eubanks Kaljyc-Peers Leadership Award — Maggie McDill, Newton County; The R. G. Fick Scholarship — Clanton Blaylock, Newton County Academy; The Hubert D. Gilmore Scholarship — Kimberly Sanders, Edinburg; The Sue Gunter Memorial Scholarship — Ryan Reeves, Forest; The R. O. and Bertha Hannah Scholarship — Tyler Walters, Forest;

The Nancy Hiett Harris Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship — Kristi Ellis, Carthage; The Richard Harris Scholarship — Brittany Alexander, Newton County; The Dr. Shelby Harris Memorial Scholarship — Steven Cullen,

Carthage; The Harrison Memorial Scholarship — Brookes Mayes, Newton County Academy, and Robert Westbrook and Josh Sheehan, both of Newton County; The Albert and Fannie Hollingsworth Scholarship — Tuesday McKelvain, Lake;

The Hudspeth Scholarship — Patience Haynes, Noxapater; The Myrtle R. Hutchison Scholarship — Lauren Estes, Forest; The S. Lebrun Hutchison Scholarship — Robbie Pierce, Newton County; The James E. Land Memorial Scholarship — Carmen Ezelle, Newton County; The La-Z-Boy Scholarship — Beth Alexander, a home-schooled student from Little Rock, and Drew Gillis, Newton

County;

The Frank Edwin and Nena Holt Leatherwood Scholarship — Joshua Skinner, Union; The Edwin and Marie Lowe Scholarship — Madaline Taylor, Carthage; The Thomas Rudolph Mayes Memorial Scholarship — Valerie Johnson, Nanih Waiya; The Russell McCann Memorial Scholarship — Jess Brantley, Union;

Merchants and Farmers Bank Scholarship — Regan Joyner and Taylor Weldy, both of Neshoba Central; Mississippi Association of Supervisors Scholarship — Dru Anderson of Newton County, Jonathan Jackson of Union and Justin Jones and Beau Rhinewalt, both of Morton;

The Dr. Margaret Mosal Memorial Scholarship — Victor Warnsley, Morton; The Ben Myers Memorial Scholarship — Travis Page and Rick Parks,

both of Neshoba Central; The New Directions Scholarship — Glenda Cater, Decatur; The Stella Newsome Scholarship — Angela Boatner, Noxapater; Newton Community Healthcare Scholarship — Jessica McDaniel, Union; Newton Rotary Club Scholarship — Caleb Page, Newton County and Brittany Germany, Union;

The Polk and Jennie Pace Scholarship — C.J. Crawford, Newton County Academy; The Charles P. and Bonnie Saxon Phillips Scholarship — Chelsey

Holland, Winston Academy; The Philadelphia/Neshoba County Arts Council Scholarship — Cassidy Byars, Philadelphia; The R. C. Pugh Scholarship — Corby Callahan, Neshoba Central; The Sam Rush Memorial Scholarship — Julie Gaines, Neshoba Central;

The Charles W. Sanders Memorial Scholarship — Vickie Hammonds, Forest; Jay B. and Frances Harris Smith Scholarship — Amber Eaves, Nanih Waiya; The State Farm Insurance Company Scholarship — Tina Brown, Forest;

The Joanne Stevens Memorial Scholarship — Marcus Lee, Morton; The Taylor Advanced Welding Scholarship — J.P. Phillips, Louisville; The Charles and Judy Dowdle Thomas Scholarship — Alexandria Graham, Philadelphia;

The Kinoth and Ella Mae Thornton and Emerson Electric Scholarship — Kristin Drury, Grace Christian School; The Thomas W. Thrash Memorial

Scholarship — Brittany Alexander, Newton County; The U. S. Electrical Motors Scholarship — Austin McNair and Katherine Jones, both of Neshoba Central;

The Arno and Ruth Carr Vincent Scholarship — Lucy Burns, Carthage; The Charles E. Ward Memorial Scholarship — Sheldon Ricks, Lake;

Warrior Golf Classic/ECCC Alumni Association Scholarship — Joseph Cieglo, Forest and Megan Shoemaker, Newton County; The Weems Family Scholarship — Julia Tucker, Newton County and Ashley Henley, a home-schooled student from Hickory; The Jack and Mary Jo White Scholarship — Matthew Anthony, Neshoba Central; The J.C. White Scholarship — Katherine Taylor, Carthage;

The Bob Wilkerson Memorial Vo-Tech Scholarship — Bethany Taylor, Forest; The Wilkes- Palmer Scholarship — Kendrick McCarty, Noxapater; The Jones and Carrie Williamson and Bascom and Hattie Chisolm Scholarship –

La’Toria Lewis, Southeast Lauderdale; and The General William Patrick Wilson Memorial Scholarship — Delynn Agee, Choctaw Central;

For more information regarding the scholarship awards program contact Stacey Hollingsworth, ECCC Office of Development and Foundation,

Phone 601-635-2111 or call toll free, 1-877-462-3222, ext. 327. The email address is sholling@eccc.edu.