• OXFORD – University of Mississippi sophomore Mya Marie Woods of Meridian and junior Jerod James Fritts of Collinsville were two of 24 students inducted into The Columns Society for 2019-20. The Columns Society serve as the official hosts and hostesses for the University of Mississippi. The students were inducted during a ceremony at Paris Yates Chapel.

Woods is a biology major who is on track to graduate in May 2021. After graduation, Woods plans to attend medical school in Atlanta and pursue a career in obstetrics and gynecology. Woods is a 2018 Orientation Leader, an IMAGE publicist, a RebelTHON campus recruitment committee member, a community assistant and member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College.

Woods is the daughter of Donna Jenkins and Chivas Warren of Meridian.

Fritts is a biochemistry major who is on track to graduate in 2020. After graduation, Fritts plans further his education at dental school and pursue a career as a pediatric dentist. Fritts is an Ole Miss Student, a 2019 Ole Miss Orientation Leader, an executive board member for Ole Miss Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association, a Lyceum Scholar and a Division II international officer for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Fritts is the son of Dan and Sam Fritts.

Founded in 2008, The Columns Society is a group of 12 men and 12 women who embody character, respect and passion for The University of Mississippi. These juniors and seniors represent the University at various events and welcome guests to campus. The organization is founded upon the principles of humble service, leadership and integrity. 

CLINTON — Michael Washington of Collinsville was among students elected to the new class of Ambassadors at Mississippi College.

MC Ambassadors serve the Baptist-affiliated university with a passion for all things Blue & Gold. They welcome prospective undergraduates, reach out to the metro Jackson community, and greet alumni. One recent event was the admissions office’s Junior Day as 80 high school juniors toured the Clinton campus.

Each ambassador earns excellent grades. The students combine winning social skills with a servant’s spirit. They make their faith a key priority and remain involved in extracurricular activities. Student ambassadors stay on call to host special guests, and travel off campus to connect with alumni. There’s no rigorous training program needed. Students chosen bring strong skills as they participate in major events at the Christian university.

• OXFORD – Two local residents were among 198 University of Mississippi students selected to be honored among the 2018-19 class of Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.  

Christina Blake Barham of Meridian, a marketing major, and Erin Lynann Bratu of Collinsville, an electrical engineering major with an emphasis in computer engineering were among honorees recognized for their achievements during a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges is a respected honor program for college students in the U.S. Students who excel academically and demonstrate leadership and community service on and off campus are recognized for this exclusive honor.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Morgan Ross of Meridian, Mississippi, who studied metallurgical and materials engineering at The University of Alabama, received the 2019 Capstone Engineering Society Outstanding Senior Award.

Ross earned 10 scholarship awards during her time at UA. Ross was in the University Honors Program and the Randall Research Scholars Program.

She is a member of honor societies Tau Beta Pi, The Anderson Society, Mortar Board, Omicron Delta Kappa, Cardinal Key, Alpha Lambda Delta, Phi Eta Sigma and Golden Key International. Ross was named 2018 RRSP Outstanding Junior, 2017 UA Outstanding Sophomore and 2016 MTE E.C. Wright Outstanding Sophomore. In 2017, she won the C.H.T. Wilkins Award for Excellence.

During summer 2017, Ross was a research intern with the Army Education Outreach Program conducting thin film studies. She also worked with Dr. Gregory Thompson, UA professor of metallurgical and materials engineering, studying ultra-high temperature ceramics and coatings. Ross has presented her work at seven events during her undergraduate career including the 42nd Annual Conference on Composites, Materials and Structures.

In 2018, Ross earned first place in the UA System Casting Competition and first-place oral presentation at the UA Systems Conference. At the 2018 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference, Ross came in first in the College of Engineering category and second in the Engineering, Technology and Energy category.

At the Capstone, Ross served in several leadership positions including secretary of the Materials Advantage/American Foundry Society, vice president of STEAM Alabama, professionalism committee head of RRSP, middle school outreach chairman of the Society of Women Engineers, vice president of involvement for University Stewards, and a student instructor in Honors Cultural Literacy.

Ross was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and participated in the UA Honors Study Abroad Program in New Zealand. She also worked as an assistant to UA President Emeritus Dr. Robert Witt.

In 2018, Ross was a summer measurement engineering intern at Corning, Inc. in Hickory, North Carolina. This summer she will intern with Chevron in Mississippi. In the fall, she will return to UA to finish her metallurgical engineering master’s degree in UA’s Accelerated Master’s Program.

The Capstone Engineering Society, the alumni association for the College of Engineering, was established in 1973. CES is dedicated to maintaining relationships with UA engineering alumni to ensure the College is able to provide UA engineering and computer science students with a superior educational experience.

The CES began the Outstanding Senior Award in 1986 to honor an exceptional student who deserves distinction among his or her peers. An outstanding student is selected from the 11 academic programs in the College, and the overall winner is determined by a selection committee after assessing each student’s academic performance, professional and technical activities, College leadership, external leadership and other activities.

BEREA, Ky. — Calisa Henry of Philadelphia, Mississippi, has been named to Spring 2019 Dean’s List at Berea College.

A student is named to the Dean’s List who achieves a GPA of 3.4 or higher while passing at least 4 total credits, a course load equivalent to 16 semester hours.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Caroline Wigley of Gilbertown recently was selected for the Capstone Men and Women group at the University of Alabama.

Capstone Men and Women serve as official ambassadors of UA. They assist the University president’s office, admissions and alumni during functions held on campus and in other locations, as well as host daily tours of the campus for prospective students and other visitors.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Avery Watson of Meridian, Mississippi, was inducted into the University of Alabama’s Anderson Society during a recent Tapping on the Mound ceremony.

The Anderson Society is a leadership honorary that recognizes students who have made significant contributions to The University of Alabama. Twenty-four students are accepted each year, and seven honorary memberships are awarded to faculty and graduating seniors.

While these contributions often take many forms, there are certain qualities of members of the Anderson Society that are prominently and ubiquitously found — an immersion into some sort of community service, passion for improving the university community through both explicit and implicit means, and persistent effort to attain excellence in some sphere of university life.

Once an Anderson initiate, members are expected to continue to devote themselves to service, some directly under the auspices of the Anderson Society, but much more individually.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Avery Watson of Meridian, Mississippi, was inducted into the University of Alabama’s Blue Key Honor Society during a recent Tapping on the Mound ceremony during Honors Week. Blue Key Honor Society is a premier honor society that recognizes college students for balanced and all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership and service.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Avery Watson of Meridian, Mississippi, and Caroline Wigley of Gilbertown were recently inducted into Mortar Board at the University of Alabama.

Moral Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for superior achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. The University of Alabama’s Hypatia Chapter is one of the oldest chapters in the nation.

Only a select few students on each campus are invited to join this esteemed society. Mortar Board members are presented with the opportunity to join a diverse group of students from different disciplines and interests.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Mississippi residents Christopher Hicks and Avery Watson, both of Meridian, and Caroline Wigley of Gilbertown were recently inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa Society. ODK is the national leadership honor society for college students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character. Membership in ODK is a mark of the highest distinction and honor.

Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes and encourages achievement in scholarship; athletics; campus or community service; social and religious activities; campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tatum Dye of Meridian, Mississippi, has been inducted into the University of Alabama’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Founded on Dec. 5, 1776, Phi Beta Kappa Society is the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. It has chapters at 286 colleges and universities in the United States, 50 alumni associations, and more than half a million members worldwide. Noteworthy members include 17 U.S. presidents, 39 justices of the Supreme Court of the United States and more than 130 Nobel laureates.

The mission of The Phi Beta Kappa Society is to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, foster freedom of thought, and recognize academic excellence. UA’s chapter was founded in 1851.

Students are elected to membership on the basis of outstanding academic achievement in the liberal arts and sciences.

• SENATOBIA — Anterrious Gray of Macon was among several Northwest Mississippi Community College students inducted into the Theta Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) in a ceremony held on the Senatobia campus.

PTK is an international scholastic and leadership honor society for two-year colleges. Students who are working toward an associate degree are eligible for membership. Northwest requires a 3.5-grade point average for initiation and membership in PTK. Members are eligible for scholarships at universities throughout the nation.