September 3, 2015
The Northeast Texas Community College†Honors Program is pleased to announce its Honors Students for the 2015-2016†school year. This†includes†10†Presidential Scholars and†15†Honors Scholars.
Honors Northeast†was founded in the spring of 2007.†Geared to attract top high school graduates and college students, the program†has†prospered thanks to a network of loyal supporters both in and out of the†college. Each year, NTCC honors students have attended and†presented research†at the Great Plains Honors Council and the National Collegiate Honors Council.†NTCC Presidential Scholars have won†twelve†state†Caldwell Awards,†seven†regional Boe Awards, and on†the national level,†six†Coca Cola Gold†Awards, a Hites,†five†Jack Kent†Cooke scholarships,†four†Guistwhite Awards, and a Pearson Scholarship. †NTCC†Scholars also have published numerous essays in Texas†journals.
Presidential Scholars are the top†scholarship winners who receive tuition, fees, and textbooks. Honors Scholars†receive $1,000 scholarships†and are identified as ?rising stars.?†They participate in all NTCC Honors activities and seminars. Students are†selected by the NTCC Honors†Committee based upon academic†performance, a personal essay and letters of recommendation. The program†furnishes all honors students†with high-end laptops. Since its†beginning, generous community sponsors have financed free trips in the spring†and fall, special award†opportunities, and graduation gifts.
?Each year I am astonished at the level†of academic excellence our students are achieving. These scholars not only†enrich our campus, but†they continue to make a name for Honors Northeast on the†regional and national stages,? Andrew Yox, Honors Director, said.
Aside from receiving a scholarship to attend†NTCC, entering scholars will enroll in two special six-hour seminars, one in†the fall and one in†the spring. All honors students participate in the fall†Northeast Texas Poetry contest, the spring McGraw Hill Poster contest, and†submit†papers for major state, regional and national awards and publications.
The Honors Northeast class of 2015-2016 includes:
Presidential Scholars
Isaac Burris
Burris was recently awarded the Pearson Prize, a premiere citation given†only to ten†community college students nation-wide. A graduate of Mount†Pleasant High School (MPHS),†his paper on the ?Varangian Option? for slaves in†Texas won fourth place in the state-wide†Caldwell competition. He presented†work at the Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) on South†Padre Island in April,†and he has won an invitation to present at the 2015 meeting of the†National†Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). He won third Place and $200 at the 2015†McGraw†Hill Poster contest, and he was elected Vice President for District III†of Phi Theta Kappa of†Texas, during the national PTK meeting in San Antonio.
Morgan Capps
Capps was the 2014 Valedictorian at Jefferson Christian Academy. She won†$100 and fourth†place at the 2014 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest, $200 with the†Elizabeth Chitsey Prize for†2015, and second place and a $300 state Caldwell†Award for her path-breaking paper on†Texas governors, Ma and Pa Ferguson.††She received the latter in Corpus Christi at†the State†Webb Society, the student auxiliary of the Texas State Historical†Association (TSHA). Capp?s†essay is the source of the 2016 Honors Film.††Capps also presented work at the GPHC. Her†work has been accepted for a presentation at the 50th-anniversary†meeting of the NCHC in†Chicago.
Cailee Davidson
Davidson was a top 2015 graduate and athlete of Harmony High School, and†represents a family that†has now had two generations of A students attend NTCC.†At Harmony, Davidson played†varsity volleyball, basketball, and softball†advancing to the playoffs in each sport.††She was a†member of the student council, a National Honor Society (NHS)†treasurer, and a winner of†an All-American Scholar Award.
Angelica Fuentes
A graduate of MPHS,†Fuentes became a secretary of the NTCC Honors Student Council, and†president of†the BioChem Pre-Professionals.††Her paper†on ?Constructing the Selena Legend?†has set a precedent for NTCC.††After her spirited presentation at the GPHC,†Fuentes? work†was included in the fall meeting of the East Texas Historical†Association, a conference usually†reserved for professors and graduate†students.††Fuentes also won and†participated in an REU†research fellowship.††Her work concerned the ?Synthesis of†Ammonium Ionic Liquid†Supported Ligands and their Application in Michael†Reaction."
Elizabeth Griffin
Griffin is the oldest daughter and student of†the ?Griffin Academy,? a now renowned†homeschooled family in Pittsburg whose†children have won many notable regional and†national awards at NTCC.††As a high school student, Griffin won Presidential†and Horizon†Awards from the NTCC Faculty Senate. She has played important roles†in several productions†of Theatre Northeast.††She has also been the most active participant in the film culture of†Honors Northeast in its history, acting in the films of 2012 to 2014, working†as the primary†make-up artist, writing much of the script of the coming 2016†film, and appearing in a†central role as Ouida Ferguson.
Cruz Gallegos
Gallegos was the 2015 Valedictorian of†Daingerfield High School (DHS). He ran varsity cross†country three years,†played in the band, ran varsity track, and was the NHS and senior class†president.††He also belonged to the†National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS).††This†past summer he was elected as the 2015†Cypress Bank Scholar, and with the new laptop†that was assigned to him will be†the producer of the 2016 honors film on the Fergusons of†Texas.
Presley McClendon
McClendon left a mark at MPHS as a color guard†expert and top student writer.††She was a†winner of the Titus Country Fair Scholarship, and the Martha Laird Good†Citizenship Award.††She served as secretary†of the Health Organization of Students of America.
Melody Mott
Mott, a graduate of MPHS, is half†Japanese, and is familiar with several languages.††She was†the winner of the Texas Music Scholar†Award, a Rotary Club Student of the Month for April,†and several other scholarships.††She was a member of the Texas Music Educators†Association, the All Region mixed choir (twice), the NHS, the Mount Pleasant†Belle Canto†Varsity Choir, Future Business Leaders of America, and other†associations.
Cassia Rose
A graduate of Winnsboro High School, Rose has starred in leading†regional roles, as Bonnie†in†Bonnie and†Clyde†at the Winnsboro Arts Center, as the Northeast Texas heroine, Harriet†Potter Ames, in the 2015 honors film, as "Annelle" in the Theatre†Northeast production of†Steel Magnolias†at NTCC, and she will appear as ?Ma Ferguson? in the 2016 film of Honors†Northeast.††Rose will present her work on†regional film culture at the NCHC.††Her†work on†?legendary housewives? of Northeast Texas brought her $100 in the 2015†McGraw Hill poster†contest, a presentation over K-Lake radio, and presentations†before the Native Plant Society†of Texas, the Texas Webb Society, and the GPHC.
Jessica Velazquez
Velazquez graduated third in her class at Mount Vernon (MVHS).††Her essay on mechanized†depopulation in Texas†agriculture was accepted for inclusion in 2016, in the journal,†Touchstone,†published by the Texas State†Historical Society.††She presented work†at the†2015 GPHC meeting, and will present twice at the NCHC.††In 2015, she played ?Sophia†Mayfield? in the†Honors film on Harriet Potter, and presented her character in the 2014 Fall†Meeting of the Native Plant Society of Texas.††Jessica is the Director of the coming 2016 film†on Ma and Pa Ferguson.
Honors Scholars
Jennifer Bass
Bass†was a graduate of the Mount Pleasant Christian Academy.††After a stint raising children,†she has†attained a perfect GPA at NTCC.††She has†given many hours working with†handicapped and disabled people.
Marisol Bautista
Bautista,†a MPHS graduate, was active in several charitable initiatives such as the†community†health fair, Adopt an Angel, and canned food drives.††At NTCC her involvement with the†Student†Government Association (SGA) has made her an honors intermediary for charitable†endeavors, architectural discussions, and SGA events.
Nathan Johnson
Johnson was part of the MVHS troupe†that won the state championship in One-Act Plays in†2014. He has won several†Rotary Awards--for leadership, as Student of the Month, and†scholarships.††He was the Outstanding Tennis Player of 2014,†a member of NHS, and the†NSHSS.††Johnson†co-stars in the upcoming 2016 Honors film as Governor Jim (Pa) Ferguson.
Tanner Jones
Jones†graduated from Pittsburg High School (PHS) where he was a member of the NHS,†the†band, and a squad leader of the Symphonic Band.††He is one step away from becoming an†Eagle†Scout.
William Jones
Jones†has been homeschooled in Mount Pleasant.††He plays the violin, has run in several 5ks,†and half-marathons, and was†part of the research team that traveled to Austin last May to†research the†Ferguson film.
Laney Jordan
Jordan†graduated as the salutatorian at†Ore†City High School.††She played varsity†softball,†worked on the Student Council, and qualified for several state UIL†events.
Kason Newman
Newman†graduated from Pittsburg High School.††He was a member of†the NHS and the baseball team.
Gabriela Quezada
Quezada was 2014†Cypress Bank Scholar of Honors Northeast. She has studied art at the†University†of Maryland. At NTCC as the program?s all-time premiere artist, she has†designed†the logo and sign of Honors Northeast.
Genesis Quezada
Is†a native of El Salvador who emigrated with her sister, Gabriela (above), to Maryland, learned†English†rapidly, and still ranked in the top five percent of a prestigious high†school,†Northwestern, in a†suburb of†Washington, DC.
Emmalea Shaw
Shaw was the 2015 Salutatorian of Fruitvale†High School.††She was a regional†medalist, and district†champion in U.I.L. events, in math, literature and†acting. She played varsity basketball,†volleyball, track and softball, and made†state in volleyball.††She was on the†Student Council,†the NHS, and served in several charitable projects.
Jacob Smith
Smith was the top student of the†Christian Learning Center in Daingerfield, and has one of†the highest ACT†scores at NTCC.††He won the President?s Academic award from†the NTCC†faculty senate.
Alecia Spurlin
Spurlin†recently came to Winnsboro with her family from Tennessee.††She was active in One†Act Play, and invested†hundreds of hours in community service projects as a volunteer for†Trinity†Mother Francis, the East Texas Child Advocacy Center, and Beta Club food†drives.
Steven Vaught
A graduate of DHS, Vaught won $300 and†second place in the 2015 McGraw Hill Poster†Contest for his study on the†relation of math and music.
William Villalobos
Villalobos,†a Winnsboro graduate, produced the 2015 Honors film, and featured it at the†meeting of the GPHC.
Hector Zuniga
Zuniga†is a MPHS graduate with a perfect GPA at NTCC.††He was on the research team†that†gathered the material for the script of the 2016 honors film.
