Pearl River celebrates graduates for 2021-22

Several women gather in their maroon robes at PRCC Graduation 2022

Pearl River Community College welcomed hundreds of families and friends to Dobie Holden Stadium on the Poplarville campus Friday to celebrate the graduation of more than 600 students.  

The morning ceremony awarded degrees to 243 students from Career Technical Education programs including Allied Health and Nursing. The invocation was given by Landun T’rail Hinton of Richton, the National Anthem was sung by Sarah Harrington of Lumberton, and the Benediction was done by Savannah Rea of Slidell, La. 

The afternoon ceremony recognized 371 students receiving an Associates in Arts degree. The invocation was given by Patrick Dunkle of Brooklyn, the National Anthem was sung by Mallorie Saucier of Carriere, and the Benediction was done by Charles Byrd of Lumberton. 

“We want to tell you how absolutely amazing each of you are,” said PRCC President Dr. Adam Breerwood. “You have a community of people who believe in you – always believe in yourself.” 

Several student groups were honored by Breerwood throughout the ceremonies, asking associated students to stand and.be congratulated. The groups included Phi Theta Kappa, National Technical Honors Society, PRCC Middle College, Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute, and more. 

Graduates were also reminded of the Wildcat Way. 

Young man with maroon cap and gown at PRCC Graduation 2022

“You are asked to walk your journey with pride, to show respect to all you encounter, to always demonstrate what it means to treat others with class, and to carry yourself with character,” said Breerwood. “We encourage you to carry that same philosophy with you as you graduate today.” 

Michael M. McNair of Columbia was emotional upon his graduation from the Commercial & Residential Construction Technology program. After years of working construction with a high school degree, he decided to come to PRCC to get a degree and have a new beginning.  

“I want to open my own business,” said McNair. “I plan to build spec houses and grow from there.” 

Other graduates found the day to be emotional as well. Raynah Travis from Hattiesburg is a student in Middle College. She is graduating with her Associates in Arts before receiving her high school diploma from Hattiesburg High School. In the fall, she plans to attend Texas Southern University to earn a degree in health science. 

“Middle College was a big help for me and my family,” said Travis. “This helped take the financial burden off my mom who has sacrificed so much for me. I just know that she, my family, and my friends are proud of me.” 

Both ceremonies were livestreamed. The footage will be available on PRCC’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. 

GETTING STARTED AT PRCC 
Enrolling at Pearl River Community College requires just four simple steps: 

1. Apply for Admissions online and have your transcript sent 
2. Apply for Financial Aid, including doing your FASFA 
3. Apply for Housing if needed 
4. Sign up for ROAR, our orientation program to help you have the BEST experience as a Wildcat  

Visit PRCC.EDU/Admissions to become a Wildcat today. 

Anyone interested in a tour of the Forrest County Campus or Poplarville Campus can reach out to the Office of Recruitment by calling 601-403-1197, emailing recruitment@ prcc.edu, or visiting the webpage Prcc.edu/recruitment.    

HALF-PRICE TUITION FOR SUMMER 2022 
For Summer 2022, PRCC will be offering half-price tuition for all students attending, whether full-time or part-time. Many of the classes are offered online to allow students to complete the work on a more flexible schedule. 

All that is needed to receive this discount is to register for the classes. The college will adjust the fees for you. 

TIKTOK SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST 
Three students will win either a full or half-price tuition scholarship for Fall 2022. 

New and returning students are invited to share their main character energy through a video on TikTok. To be eligible to win, the student must use the hashtags #MainCharacter #MainCharacterEnergy #MainCharacterPRCC and tag PRCC’s official TikTok account @PRCC_Wildcats. Students are encouraged to be creative with their submissions. 

To be eligible, you must have an admissions application on file at PRCC and live in one of our six county districts (Forrest, Hancock, Jefferson Davis, Lamar, Marion and Pearl River.)  

Winners will be selected and notified on Wednesday, June 1. 

For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), and Facebook (@PRCCMKTG). 

Each community college president is asked to bring two (2) wrapped door prizes, minimum value of $50 each. We will have a station set up at the conference for you to drop off the door prizes.

Each community college is asked to provide name tags for their Board members, administration, and staff attending the conference.