• CLINTON —Taylor Hathorn of Waynesboro was among honorees at Mississippi College’s annual Honors Convocation to recognize students academic and service achievements within the university and community

Hathorn received the Psi Zeta Chapter Award, given annually to an outstanding senior English major who has been active in the local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, international English honorary society.

• DECATUR — East Central Community College students Ryan Ethridge of Collinsville and Haley Hutcherson of Meridian were co-recipients of the Computer Programming Award during the annual Awards Day ceremonies sponsored by Mississippi State University.

• NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Waynesboro, Mississippi, native Bethany Brewer is among 700 Belmont University students participating in one of 43 faculty-led Maymester and Summer Study Abroad experiences across the world.

Traveling all across the globe to Argentina, Belfast, London, Israel, Jordan, Greece, Cambodia, Poland, Austria, Costa Rica, Florence, Rome, Portugal, Ireland, Scotland, Korea, South Africa, Germany, Haiti, India, Tanzania, Hawaii and more, these 43 programs provide students with the opportunity to expand the classroom beyond the traditional experience. Students are able to visit places they’ve never been, see historical sites and spend time experiencing new cultures.

The catalog of study abroad programs offered to students include studying acting and its origins in Belfast and London, examining the history and psychology of sport in Scotland, learning about conflict transformation and social justice at the George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, understanding service learning through live sound in South Africa and Zambia, evaluating the role of song in the spread of the Gospel in Uganda and Zimbawe, actively participating in adventure tourism in Australia and studying the role of music in society through the eyes of this year’s Bonnaroo line-up.

• OXFORD — Devna Bose, a senior from Philadelphia, was among University of Mississippi students earned more than 50 awards in three regional contests this spring for their outstanding work in newspaper, television, radio and online journalism. Bose won first place in the Society of Professional Journalists competition for feature writing.

The Southeastern Journalism Conference, held this year at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, featured more than 200 participants from 28 colleges and universities in seven states. UM was named Grand Champion at the conference for on-site competitions, where 15 students had to produce content on a deadline.

In the SEJC Best of the South competition, Ole Miss students won 17 awards.

The Daily Mississippian won first place for best all-around daily newspaper and best-affiliated website in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence competition. The SPJ region includes universities in Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Louisiana.

• RAYMOND — The following residents were among graduates recognized during spring graduation ceremonies at Hinds Community College: Miranda Bishop of Meridian; Jamarcus Brunner and Jermeshia Jones, both of Waynesboro; April Dade of Decatur; Jeremy Ellis of Union; Charles Evans of Newton; Ayana Jones and Trever Myers, both of Philadelphia; and Javaris Moore of Newton

• OXFORD – University of Mississippi junior Erin Johnson of Collinsville, junior Taylor Gray of Meridian and senior Haley Skinner of Meridian were among more than 220 students inducted into the UM chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in a spring 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. 

Johnson is a junior pharmaceutical science major who, after graduation in May 2019, plans to attend the UM School of Pharmacy to pursue a doctorate in pharmacy. Johnson is a member of the Sally M. Barksdale Honors She is the daughter of Ken and Michelle Johnson of Collinsville.

Gray is a junior exercise science major and is the daughter of Scott Gray Jr. and Dawn Gray of  Meridian.

Skinner is a senior social work major who, after graduation May, plans to continue her education at UM in the Master of Social Work Advanced Standing program. She then hopes to become a mental health and substance abuse social worker to help people overcome the struggle with addiction and encourage them to create better and more meaningful lives for themselves. Skinner is a member of the Phi Alpha and Gamma Beta Phi honor societies and the Student Social Work Organization. She is the daughter of Twala Boswell of Meridian and the late Bruce R. Whitehead Jr. of Merdian.

• DECATUR — Numerous East Central Community College career and technical students took top honors in the Mississippi SkillsUSA competition held in Jackson.  Those receiving first place honors represented Mississippi and competeD at the National Skills and Leadership Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in June.

First place honorees and their respective hometowns include Jonathan Collins of Forest, carpentry; Emily Nelson, early childhood education, Jacob Robertson, extemporaneous speaking, and Courtney Tillman, prepared speech, all of Decatur; Elaina Boyle of Philadelphia, cosmetology; and Jodi Vines of Stonewall, job interview.

Receiving second place awards were Shaun Hunt of Louisville, cabinetmaking; Brad Westberry of Morton, sheet metal; Jeremy Seibel of Lawrence, industrial motor control; Jonathan Green of Carthage, technical drafting; Ethan Gutierrez of Forest, collision repair; Shelby Withers of Madden, refinishing; Scott Main of Meridian, diesel technology; Zack Savage of Union, motorcycle maintenance; Chaney Comans of Sebastopol, job demonstration A; Evie Adams and Abigayle Mowdy, both of Union, nail care; and Ashlynn Hunt of Philadelphia, Kelsey Killen of Meridian and Mikaela Mayes of Sebastopol, promotional bulletin board.

Third place awards were presented to Leonard Nelson of Lake, HVAC; Justin Smith of Carthage, job demonstration O; and Madison Caldwell of Morton and Hayley Null of Collinsville, esthetics.