• Samra Blake Ward of Meridian was one of 14 students from Mississippi, two each from Alabama and Tennessee, and one each from Illinois, Wisconsin and Canada to enter the University of Mississippi this fall on prestigious scholarships as members of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

    Providing $32,000 each, the McDonnell Barksdale Honors Scholarships, Donald S. Pichitino Scholarships and Harold Parker Memorial Scholarships attract exceptional students to Ole Miss to experience special academic opportunities at the Honors College.

    Ward is a Barksdale Honors Scholarship recipient. Established in 1997 through a gift from alumni Jim and Sally Barksdale, the college provides undergraduate students from all disciplines with a vibrant center of academic excellence, merging intellectual rigor with public service, to help them become outstanding in their fields and engaged citizens of society.

    During their freshman year, the students enroll in the Honors College interdisciplinary courses, which expose them to critical thinking in the arts, sciences and humanities. They also enroll in honors sections of courses across disciplines to fulfill hours in their majors or to meet general academic requirements.

    As early as their freshman year, students have the opportunity to do research, which produces an honor’s thesis in the student’s senior year.

    The incoming group of scholars, posting an ACT average of 32.4 and average GPA of 3.96, includes seven National Merit Finalists.

    Ward ranked No. 1 in her class of 388 at Meridian High School, where she won the French II Award, Ameila Graeser English Award and Jerry Reynolds History Award. An Academic Team Medalist, she was a regional Science Fair winner and Voice of Democracy Essay district winner. Winner of the Meridian Star Excellence in Journalism Award, she was her school’s delegate to both the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference and Girls State.

    Her service included work with Relay for Life, Salvation Army, and the Boys and Girls Club. Her observations of how students process and retain information have inspired her to double major in psychology and English, then teach or become a school counselor. Ultimately, she plans to continue her studies to become a cognitive psychologist.

    • Brittany J. Pearson of Lauderdale attended Summer College for High School Students at the University of Mississippi from June 30-July 30.

    Pearson, a student at Northeast Lauderdale High School, earned between 3 and 7 hours of college credit by taking UM faculty and staff-led courses on the Oxford campus.

    • Matthew K. Boggan, Ed.D., assistant professor of Education Leadership at Mississippi State University Meridian, was recently listed on the national honor roll of published writers by the National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision. Boggan is also EDL cohort coordinator, PI/program director for Project LEAP and Meridian Student Government sponsor.

    • Mississippi State University- Meridian announces the first recipients of the Riley Next Step Scholarship. 

    Sixty-six outstanding transfer students from East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Jones County Junior College and Meridian Community College have been selected to receive over $420,000 in scholarship money, made possible through a grant from The Riley Foundation and other generous benefactors. Recipients of the scholarship are known as Riley Scholars.?Each Riley Scholar received full tuition at Mississippi State University-Meridian for two years (four semesters – fall/spring). Riley Scholars who are members of Phi Theta Kappa also received additional funds over the two-year period to cover the published estimated cost of books.

    Note: (Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)- 3.25 cumulative GPA;  Community College Recognition (CCR) – 3.0 cumulative GPA):

    Riley Scholars from Meridian Community College: Brittany Shanae Bohannon, DeKalb, secondary education; Jessica Paige Bonner, Enterprise (PTK), elementary education; Madison Cole Boutwell, Quitman (CCR), psychology; Heath William Carroll, Vicksburg, business; Melanie G. Chambers, Meridian (PTK), social work; Emily Jo Crenshaw, Union (PTK), social work; Anna Kathleen Edwards, Meridian (PTK), elementary education; Donald Ramon Edwards, Meridian (PTK), interdisciplinary studies; Brittany Ashton Harden, Meridian, social work; Estella Lynn Hare, Marion (PTK), business; Sandi Lea Kelly, Quitman (CCR), elementary education; Megan Christian Kidd, Enterprise(PTK), secondary education; Chelsea Michelle Linton, Meridian (CCR), elementary education; Joshua Andrew Marks, Meridian (PTK), business; John Michael Mathis, Meridian (PTK), psychology; David Grant McDaniel, Meridian(CCR), business; Somer Adrian Moore, Collinsville (PTK), business; Hali Renea Morgan, Meridian (CCR), elementary education; Heather Gabrielle Partridge, Meridian (CCR), elementary education; Trisha Jo Rainer, Toomsuba (CCR), business; Amber Christine Tess, Collinsville, elementary education; Tomeka Latwyone Thedford, Toomsuba (PTK), business; Melody Ann Vaughn, Porterville (CCR), undeclared; Lauren Christina Walker, Meridian (CCR), elementary education; Lowell D. Wallace, Meridian (PTK), social work; Jacob Wyatt Williams, Meridian (PTK), business; Tammy Faye Willoughby, Waynesboro (PTK), psychology; Elizabeth St. Clair Woods, Meridian (PTK), general liberal arts; Kathy R. Wooten, Scooba, elementary education

    Riley Scholars from East Central Community College: Myrial Shilandre’ Brown, Newton, psychology; William Joseph Cunningham, Union (CCR), social work; Frank Dixon, Philadelphia (PTK), business; Mary Allie French, Lake (PTK), business; Kelly Demar George, Philadelphia (PTK), social work; Adella Rainer Gilbert, Decatur (PTK), business; Tara Rose Gilmer, Walnut Grove (PTK), elementary education; Candace Wade Graham, Pulaski (PTK), elementary education; Jennifer Shannon Graham, Forest (PTK), business; Brittni Rebecca Harris, Decatur (CCR), secondary education; Tora Lekea Hearn, DeKalb (CCR), Interdisciplinary studies; Leanna Paige Holsen, Union (CCR), secondary education; Kristen Paige Jones, Newton (CCR), elementary education; Michaela Lasha Lee, Preston (CCR), social work; Tiffany LeeAnn Lowery, Walnut Grove, psychology; Chasity Ann McAdams, Kosciusko (CCR), elementary education; Dominique Latesch McKee, Newton (PTK), psychology; Rachel Lynn Oatman, Saucier (CCR), social work; Emily Lauren Pace, Newton (PTK), elementary education;  Amy R. Plaisance, Union (PTK), elementary education; Stephanie Lorraine Robinson, Newton (CCR), elementary education; Laura Mamie Shannon, Union(PTK), elementary education; Willie Kevin Vaughn, Philadelphia (PTK), business; Kristi Bell Wade, Forest (PTK), elementary education; Kanisha Shalois Warnsley, Newton (PTK), social work; Hannah Carol Watkins, Union, secondary education; Anna Victoria Williams, Newton (CCR), elementary education

    Riley Scholars from East Mississippi Community College: Laura Elizabeth Farrow, Philadelphia (PTK), undeclared; Gidget Diane Griffin, DeKalb (PTK), elementary education; Timothy W. Jewell, Macon (PTK), business; Matthew Lyle Johnson, DeKalb, secondary education; Tracy K. Naylor, DeKalb (CCR), social work; Christopher Mark Sudduth, Macon (CCR), secondary education?Riley Scholars from Jones County Junior College: Sheri Alison Blackledge, Waynesboro (PTK), business; Rose Eason Brown, Ellisville (PTK), interdisciplinary studies; Lindsay Ann James, Bay Springs (PTK), business; Jessica Lynn King, Stringer, elementary education

    • Monica Rigdon of Little Rock was recently named administrative assistant to the dean of healthcare education at East Central Community College in Decatur.

    Rigdon served the past five years as an assistant in the college’s Financial Aid Office. She is a 1982 graduate of Parkway High School in Bossier City, La., and received an associate of arts degree from ECCC in May 1984.

    She is married to Bobby G. Rigdon Jr. They have a son, Adam Rigdon, a junior at Mississippi College.

    • Felicity Purvis of Newton is a recent addition to the financial aid staff at East Central Community College in Decatur.

    Purvis previously served as a financial aid specialist at Meridian Community College. She is also a former secretary at MCC’s Career Development Center.

    Purvis is a 2002 honor graduate of Newton County Academy, where she  served as editor of the annual staff and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Outreach Society, NCA Pride Club and Student Government Association. In addition, she was named to the National Honor Society, National Dean’s List and Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

    Purvis is a 2004 honor graduate of ECCC, where she was a member of the Warrior Corps, Concert Choir and Mu Alpha Theta, an honor society for math students. She was also the recipient of several scholarships.

    She continued her education at Mississippi State University-Meridian and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in May 2006. Honors include her selection to “Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.”

    She is married to Matt Purvis of Newton.

    • Anna Kathryn Blaine has been selected to receive the Beverly Barham Memorial Scholarship at Meridian Community College. 

    This $400 award was initiated by the Dusty Social Service Club in 1990 and Berneice and Dwight Barham, now of Hattiesburg, have continued to fund it each year.  Preference in selection is given to a member of the local group.

    Blaine, a 2010 graduate of Meridian High School, is a member of the Lady Cats Softball Team, Varsity Cheerleading Team and Key Club, she was a Wise Cat and was named to receive a service award. Blaine is past president of the Dusty Social Service Club.  She is in the University Transfer Program with plans to complete the bachelor of science degree in nursing at the University of Southern Mississippi.

    • Andrew Lee Miller has been selected to receive the first Milford Earl “Bob” Rawson Scholarship at Meridian Community College. 

    This award, funded through the MCC Foundation, was established by Kathy Brookshire to honor Rawson for Father’s Day. A true Southern gentleman, he exemplifies what all fathers should strive to be. 

    Miller, a 2009 graduate of West Lauderdale High School, is a sophomore in the University Transfer Program. Miller works part time in an assistantship with MCC Promotions and volunteers as a counselor at Camp Rising Sun, a Mississippi summer camp for children surviving cancer. He plans to attend Auburn University and obtain a degree in architecture.

    • Jinna Alston has been selected to receive the Madeline Scott Callahan Memorial Scholarship at Meridian Community College. 

    This $1,000 award is funded through the MCC Foundation from an endowment established by the East Mississippi Medical Alliance and Dr. Joel Callahan, Sr. Friends and family continue to support this fund. This award perpetuates the memory of Madeline Callahan and her “gift of giving.”

    Alston is a 2007 graduate of Penn Foster High School, an accredited online diploma program. A sophomore in the Dental Hygiene Program, Alston is a member of Health Occupation Students of America. Her long-range plan is to become a dental surgeon.