Academic honor society names new members
One hundred and fifty-three Meridian Community College students were selected for
membership in the Nu Upsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the international academic
honor society for community and junior college students when the MCC chapter hosted
its annual celebration to congratulate the honorees.
To become a member of Phi Theta Kappa, students must have completed at least 12 hours of coursework and have a grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Sharing that one of his childhood heroes was Public Television’s Fred Rogers of the Mister Rogers Neighborhood fame, Dr. Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of campus for Mississippi State University-Meridian, and keynote speaker at the celebration, said several life lessons can be gleaned from Rogers. “The first is to live life with humility,” he said.
Another trait that Rogers stressed: Having integrity in what you do. “The most important thing in life is to find out who you are and be the best you can be,” Dr. Cruse said. “You must discover how you can use your life to positively impact the lives of others.”
He noted that the third lesson was “you have to ask tough questions and tackle tough issues.”
In presenting closing remarks, MCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner congratulated the new members for their efforts and said not only are the students academically talented, but they are also “active, passionate and care about what they do. Their future is so incredibly bright that it is exciting.”
“You’re going to have an impact. You’re going to have influence. And how exciting is that?” Dr. Huebner added when addressing the new members.
Also during the ceremony, Dr. Huebner recognized MCC Dean of Student Affairs Deanna Smith for being selected as a PTK Distinguished College Administrator.
The ceremony combined both fall and spring inductees.
Named as fall inductees were: Mia Adams, John Aldridge, Shane Arledge, Ivan Barnard, Jason Begley, Lauren Boswell, Zachary Brewster, Angel Buckley, Ronsbel Castillo-Lopez, Andrew Clayton, Mary Culpepper, Camille Cunningham, Scarlet Cunningham, Kenyon Darden, Casey Dean, Mason Doxey, Kimberly Dumas, Sadie Fulton, Marisol Garcia, Lakelyn Graham, Olivia Gray, Noah Harwell, Justin Hopkins, Kaitlyn Houston, Millaree Keely, Jada Kendricks, Hannah Kennedy, Marquez Kennedy, Ja'Niya Lewis,Destiny Little, Maci Manning, Patrick Martin, Summer Martin, Marshall Mayerhoff, Connor McOlgan, Jordan Miles, Madison Miller, Arcila Lina Mondragon, Jayda Mullins, Toan Nguyen, Ashley Pinon, Zane Pritchard, Deanna Reed, Ryleigh Richardson, Alan Rigdon, Martravius Scandrick, Maecy Scribner, Elijah Sharp, Ansley Shelby, Nathan Sherman, Alec Sparks, Rachel Thaggard, Mary Thompkins, Madison Topcik, Isabel Valle, Jaylen Vance, Isabella Warham, Kalisha Williams, Karigan Williams, Wynecia Willis, Kayla Wooten, and Luke Yocum.
Named as spring inductees were: Callie Cox Abraham, Abdurahman A. Alsadi, Ali Grace Applebee, Abdias Arreola-Espino, Tyler Athas, Griffin W. Atkinson, Sam T. Balderas, Micheal Keith Banks, Joseph B. Berry, Ivan Betancourt, Daniel W. Bihn, Anna G. Blount, Kaylynn Boshoff, Alison G. Bowen, Matthew D. Bowling, Kelly L. Brady, Braeden Presley Brewer, Lauren E. Brewer, Cody S. Britt, Jessie R. Broadwater, Alexander Coleman, Savannah L. Cooksey, Riley C. Crawford, Morgan L. Cumberland, Josiah L. Davis, Pansica Felipe De Lima, Aizlynne P. Deason, Kassidy Jean Ducarpe, Madison Grace Embry, Mehdi Ennaoui, Peyton Seth Esslinger, Kayla D. Evins, Amber Kathryn Fant, Leah M. Gibelyou, Piper C. Gonzalez, William B. Gordon, Jack A. Gray, Kayla Leann Haney, Lexie Elizabeth Henderson, Sebastian Alexander Hendricks, Madison E. Hines, Siomara Nataly Hinojosa, Kayla ReAnne Horton, Cohen F. Hurst, Gabrielle B. Hutchinson, Lauren N. Kirchhefer,
Joel Parrish Linton, Parker Breland Lyons, Karlee Madolyn Massey, Seth Pearson McCartney, Allyn Grace McCary, William Brian McCullough, Reanna D. Miles, Luis A. Montenegro-Allen, Jentzen Clarke Moore, Marcus D. Mowdy, Roshida Nelson, Sadie Odom, Ben Luke Paget, Sharon Scarlet Pech, John C. Plowman, Collins Pollock, Addisyn Pope, Kaitlyn Elise Ralls, Elijah Reid Rank, Kamryn E. Rodriguez, Isabella Caitlin Sanders, Anton Sarunic, Waylon Wesley Sebren, Emily M. Smith, Makenzie Claire Smith, Russell Isom Smith, Tanner E. Smith, Brennen Michael Study, Lani A. Taylor, Brittany Lynn Thomas, Australia R. Tucker, Carson R. Turner, Kam'Ron Garrison Vereen-McBride, Christian Velazquez, John David Voss, Mary Grace Wansley, Dylan P. Williams, Kacey R. Williams, Taylor N. Williams, Laikyn E. Wilson, and Aubree Hayes Younger.