Warden

• JACKSON — Lamar Elementary School student Addyson Warden won third place in Poetry (K-6) in a bicentennial arts competition sponsored by the Mississippi Children’s Museum.

This fall, the Mississippi Children’s Museum (MCM) joined in celebrating the state’s 200th birthday with its own series of events, including one specifically aimed at providing an opportunity for children to reflect on, and celebrate the past, present and future of Mississippi through the arts. MCM partnered with the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), the Office of Governor Phil Bryant and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to solicit a call for submissions from K-12 students in the areas of visual arts, music and poetry. The 160 submissions were judged by a panel of community experts.

• Meridian Community College Fitness Center Director and Wellness and Fitness Center Instructor Wade Heggie was presented the USA Swimming ConocoPhillips Outstanding Service award during Mississippi Swimming’s (MS Swimming) Top 5 Banquet. 

Heggie has served MS Swimming as the safety chair from 2013 -2014 and from 2015-18 as the general chair. He has been the involved with Meridian Swim Association starting in the early 1980s as a swimmer and then progressed into a coach and board member. During his time as general chair, he spearheaded many projects including updating policies,  advancing MS Swimming in the LEAP program (LSC Evaluation and Achieve Program).

The goal of LEAP is to assist LSCs in becoming more efficient and effective. LEAP looks at business and organization success, volunteer development, and club and coach development.  MS Swimming is currently a LEAP 2 and has resubmitted reports for LEAP 1, 2, and 3. As general chair, he has been on call 24/7 to help the swimmers, parents, teams and other boards from Mississippi and others throughout the US. 

The Outstanding Service Award was established in 1981 to recognize volunteers for their invaluable contribution to USA Swimming. The award, sponsored by Phillips 66, is presented annually to an honoree named by each of the 59 Local Swimming Committees. 

Selection criteria consider quality, level and years of volunteer service in elected or appointed positions from among the categories of administrator, official and coach. 

  Past winners from Meridian Swim Association are Kathy Sides Cornett (2002) and Ann Crowe (2002).

• Meridian Community College Wellness and Fitness Coordinator Brandi Pickett was presented the Honor Award and a $500 grant from the Mississippi Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD).

The Honor Award recognizes an individual’s outstanding contribution to the work and programs of MAHPERD. This contribution may include service and leadership which has strengthened the organization and profession in Mississippi over a period of years. This is the highest award given by MAHPERD.

Qualifications for the award include a current member of MAHPERD for a minimum of five years; possess a bachelor of science or art degree, be at least age 30, possess a minimum of 10 years experience as a teacher, supervisor, director, coach or combination in health, physical education or recreation (HPER) or dance, contribute to local, state and/or national alliance of HPERD.

The award was given during a luncheon held on the campus of Delta State University.

Pickett’s roles in MAHPERD include being on the board and council from 2007-2012 and MAHPERD executive director from 2013-2017.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Bradley Clark of Gilbertown is one of close to 300 University of Alabama students receiving a hands-on educational experience at more than 60 companies and organizations through UA’s Cooperative Education Program this fall.

Clark is working at Marathon Equipment.

In the Cooperative Education Program, students alternate periods of full-time study with periods of full-time employment. This program offers work related to the academic major or career interests of each student. The experience enhances the students’ employment prospects after graduation.

While in school, students carry regular course schedules. While on co-op, they work with professionals in their fields who supervise their training and work. At work, co-op students earn competitive salaries and may receive benefit packages in addition to valuable on-the-job experience. Students maintain their full-time student status while at work and have priority registration status each semester through graduation.

• TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Three area residents were among 1,300 students awarded degrees during summer commencement exercises at the University of Alabama.

The graduates are: Shanan Cox of Gilbertown, who received a master of science in nursing; Tera Elysse Johnson of Waynesboro, Miss., who received a bachelor of science degree; and Brandon Rafael Wallace of Butler, who received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Mississippi residents Bethany Brewer of Waynesboro and Shawn Reid of Union achieved the Dean’s List at Belmont University for the Summer 2017 session.

Eligibility for the summer session is based on a minimum 9-hour load over 10 weeks and a quality grade point average of 3.5 with no grade below a C.

• TROY, Ala. — Hope Boykin of Butler has joined Chi Omega sorority at Troy University during the fall 2017 semester at the Troy Campus.

This year’s Sorority Recruitment, held by the TROY Panhellenic Council, welcomed nearly 300 women to Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Chi Omega, Kappa Delta and Phi Mu sororities.

• BATON ROUGE, La. — Mary Love Hodge, Christina Barham and Kimberly Meador, all of Meridian, Erin Bratu of Collinsville and Kaylee Yates of Decatur were initiated into Phi Kappa Phi at the University of Mississippi.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. These residents are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

• OXFORD – University of Mississippi junior Brittany Brown and senior Dylan Taylor, both of Quitman, were among more than 270 students inducted into the UM chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in a recent ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. 

After graduation in May 2019 with a degree in journalism, Brown plans to continue her education at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism to pursue a master’s degree in journalism.  Brown hopes to become an investigative reporter and cover social issues in underrepresented communities. Brown is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She is very involved with NewsWatch Ole Miss television broadcast and The Daily Mississippian newspaper and is a Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate achievement research scholar.

Brown is the daughter of Willie and Beverly Brown of Quitman.

Taylor, after graduation in May 2018 with a degree in political science, plans to work in D.C. before applying to law school. Taylor serves on the executive board for the Ole Miss mock trial team and is an undergraduate research assistant.

Taylor is the son of Randall and Michelle Acreman, and John and Lynn Taylor of Quitman.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is based on a student’s sound character and academic standing. Juniors must have completed 72 credit hours and rank in the top 7.5 percent of their class, while seniors and graduate students must rank in the top 10 percent of their class.

• OXFORD – University of Mississippi junior Blake Barham was among more than 270 students inducted into the UM chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in a recent ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. 

After graduation in May 2019 with a degree in marketing, Barham plans to go on to work and expand her knowledge and opportunities within the field of marketing and sales. Barham is a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority, was named to the Dean’s List in spring 2017, and is a member of  Gamma Beta Phi honor society.

Barham is the daughter of Bill and Christine Barham of Meridian.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is based on a student’s sound character and academic standing. Juniors must have completed 72 credit hours and rank in the top 7.5 percent of their class, while seniors and graduate students must rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Phi Kappa Phi celebrated 50 years on the UM campus in 2009. The honor society was founded at the University of Maine in 1897.