Submitted by Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
Sometime after midnight last Friday night the last of three dripping wet vans returned to NTCC with Honors students, completing the 23rd bi-annual culture/reward trip of Honors Northeast.
This year the group went to Starbucks, the Fort Worth Stockyards, tested themselves at the Stockyards Maze, viewed the Fort Worth cattle drive down Exchange Street, shopped and explored Sundance Square, ate at the Reata downtown, went to the Kimbell Art Gallery, and then to a dinner and challenge night with the honors students of Tarrant College. While at the Kimbell, some of the students were able to hear an impromptu classical guitar concert by Nathaniel Earhart, who among other things, explained the virtues of a guitar made of spruce wood.
From left to right, the picture above shows those who came: Hannah Dickson, Miguel Paco, Madison Blood, Karla Fuentes, Jaqueline Fouche, Olivia Griffin, Hannah Fouche, Noemi Deciga (Academic Transfer Coach) Verania Leyva Garcia, Jacob Lambie, Daniel Landaverde, Raegan Davis, Hayden Duncan, Zachary Siemsen, Mercedes Collins, Courtney Baldwin, Dr. Melissa Fulgham, Professor Jim Ward, and Dr. Andrew Yox.
According to Dr. Andrew P. Yox, Honors Director, the generosity of Drs. Jim and Paula Archer, whose Lone Star Ranch straddles Camp and Upshur counties, has made this extraordinary semester-trip series possible. Dr. Jim Archer, a long term chemistry professor at NTCC, and Dr. Paula Archer, a former IBM consultant who has secured grants for NTCC from her former corporation, have enabled these cultural forays for all eleven years of honors here. Other friends of NTCC have also contributed generously to make these trips possible. Tarrant College Cornerstone Honors, led by Director, Dr. Lynn Preston, has graciously hosted the NTCC group for dinner, now for the fourth year.
This year, Cornerstone Honors sponsored a Hawaiian night. The after-dinner challenge with Tarrant College again involved a Jenga Competition. Again, Tarrant College triumphed in a close match, and kept the trophy which each year adorns the winner’s office and reminds both programs of their friendly rivalry. Cornerstone Honors and Honors Northeast also vie each year for Great Plains Honors Council Boe and Poster awards. Verania Leyva, and Olivia Griffin ended the night as NTCC’s best team (below).
The scholars of Honors Northeast have won nine, full-ride Jack-Kent-Cooke transfer scholarships since 2010, and 30 other national awards. The program now is accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year.
