Submitted by jbraswell on May 1, 2018
POPLARVILLE – Graduates of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute at Pearl River Community College received medallions and congratulations Monday, April 30, in a ceremony at the Brownstone Center for the Arts.
They will wear the medallions when they are the first students to receive diplomas at graduation on May 11.
To become Honors Instititute graduates, they must complete a minimum of 21 hours of honors courses while maintaining a 3.4 grade point average.
“They have done so much more,” said Dr. Terri Ruckel, institute dean at the Forrest County Center. In addition to hundreds of hours of community service, the students are members and leaders of campus organizations and honor societies and have received more than $500,000 in scholarships, she said.
“Because of Honors, I believe in myself more and hold myself to higher standards,” said Rebecca Barrett of Poplarville, who attends the Forrest County Center. She plans to major in accounting at Millsaps College.
The Honors Institute brought out qualities some of the students didn’t know they have, said Dalton Spiers, also of Poplarville.
“A lot of times we don’t recognize our capabilites unless someone is there to push us across the finish line,” he said. A full-time employee of the PRCC admissions department, he will continue his education at the University of Southern Mississippi College of Business.
PRCC President Dr. Adam Breerwood presented the graduates with the medallions.
“You have proven that you are capable of overcoming challenges that may come in front of you,” he told them. “You have something special, a different level of committment. Your future is bright, but always remember that your foundation is here at The River.”
I n addition to Barrett and Spiers, graduates are Tyler Fiveash, Cody Hudson, Parker Mathis, Dylan Nguyen, Danielle Smith and Vera Thacker, all of Oak Grove; Lorenzo Catlett, Jonathan Johnson, Dustin Loftin and Melissa Novak, all of Hattiesburg; Brandon Ashe, Allie Cooper, Jacob Kutch and Jacob Namias, all of Picayune; Taylor Bolton, Caitlyn Penton and Mekayla Williams, all of Leakesville; Gage Kennedy and Hannah Ladner, both of Kiln; Torian Miller and Nathan Young, both of Sumrall; Susan Morgan and Said Otwane, both of Petal; Alejandra Alcantara of Carriere, Taylor Barefoot of Brooklyn, Chase Crosby of Saucier, McKinsy Harris of Poplarville, Calynn Ladner of Pass Christian, Stanton Ladner of Necaise, Clay Lee of Carnes and Jennifer Pacheco of Wiggins.
Graduates of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute at Pearl River Community College are, first row from left, Alejandra Alcantara of Carriere, Brandon Ashe of Picayune, Taylor Barefoot of Brooklyn, Rebecca Barrett of Poplarville, Taylor Bolton of Leakesville, Lorenzo Catlett of Hattiesburg, Allie Cooper of Picayune, Tyler Fiveash of Oak Grove, McKinsy Harris of Poplarville, Cody Hudson of Oak Grove, Jonathan Johnson of Hattiesburg; second row, Gage Kennedy of Kiln, Jacob Kutch of Picayune, Calynn Ladner of Pass Christian, Hannah Ladner of Kiln, Stanton Ladner of Necaise, Clay Lee of Carnes, Dustin Loftin of Hattiesburg, Parker Mathis of Oak Grove, Torian Miller of Sumrall, Susan Morgan of Petal, Jacob Namias of Picayune; Dylan Nguyen of Oak Grove, Melissa Novak of Hattiesburg, Said Otwane of Petal, Jennifer Pacheco of Wiggins, Caitlyn Penton of Leakesville, Danielle Smith of Oak Grove, Dalton Spiers of Poplarville, Vera Thacker of Oak Grove, Mekayla Williams of Leaksville and Nathan Young of Sumrall. Not pictured is Chase Crosby of Saucier.
PRCC Public Reltions photo
Dr. Adam Breerwood, Pearl River Community College president, congratulates Hannah Ladner of Kiln after presenting her with an Honors Institute medallion. With her on stage are Jacob Kutch of Picayune and Calynn Ladner of Pass Christian.
PRCC Public Relations photo
Dr. Adam Breerwood congratulates Dylan Nguyen of Oak Grove, a Forrest County Center student, on graduating from the Honors Institute.
PRCC Public Relations photo
