The Northeast Texas Community College Honors Program is pleased to announce its Honors Students for the 2018-2019 school year. This includes eight Presidential Scholars and thirteen Honors Scholars.

College trustees, administrators and faculty established Honors Northeast 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 in and out of the college. Each year, NTCC honors students have attended and presented research at the Walter Webb Society of Texas (WWS), the Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) and the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). As listed on the Wall of Honor Page of the NTCC honors website of www.ntcc.edu/honors, NTCC honors students have won eighteen state Caldwell Awards, nine regional Boe Awards, five regional poster awards, and on the national level, eleven Leaders of Promise, thirteen Coca-Cola Awards, three Hites Awards, a Pearson, sixGuistwhite Awards, and nine exclusive Jack Kent Cooke scholarships.  NTCC Scholars also have published fifteen essays in refereed scholarly journals since 2009.  They have featured five feature-length films at national meetings of the National Collegiate Honors Council in the last five years, the only honors program in the nation to feature a collaborative creative project of this nature at the national meeting without fail during this period.

Presidential Scholars are the top scholarship winners who receive usually enough to pay for tuition, books and fees. Honors Scholars receive lesser amounts, but rank can be misleading as the second tier includes students those whose rise to distinction might be both recent and powerful. As the Honors Committee initially had eight Presidential Scholarships to award this year, the timing of a student’s application made a difference. But all scholars participate in all NTCC Honors activities and seminars. The NTCC Honors Committee selects students based on academic performance, a personal essay and letters of recommendation. The program furnishes honors students with high-end laptops and calculators. Since its beginning, generous community sponsors have financed free trips in the spring and fall, amenities, special award opportunities, and graduation gifts.

“Our student body at NTCC is very diverse, and the range of talents impressive,” notes Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director.  “The honors program scholars are at the creative fringe of this student body, publishing essays, winning poetry and poster contests, featuring their own films, appearing on the radio, and making honors and professional presentations each year. Because of the support they receive from donors, faculty and administration, our honors students are very competitive on the national level in terms of awards and scholarships.”

Aside from receiving a scholarship to attend NTCC, Honors and Presidential Scholars will enroll in three, six-seven-hour seminars during their two-year stay at NTCC.  All honors students participate in the fall Northeast Texas Poetry contest, the spring McGraw Hill Poster contest, and submit abstracts, and papers for major state, regional and national presentations, awards and publications.

NTCC’s Scholars of 2018-2019

Presidential Scholars

Rhylie Anderson

Anderson, from Winnsboro, is the President of NTCC’s Alpha Mu Chi, the President of the Honors Student Council, a 2018 Caldwell-Award winner and a 2018 Leader of Promise winner. This fall she will present at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC), and will be the first student in the college’s history to present at a major regional professional history conference: the Western Historical Association.

Madison Blood

Blood, a Big Sandy Valedictorian, and 2018 Leader of Promise on the national level, was the winner of the 2018 Chitsey Award, and the premiere 2018 Northeast Texas Image Award. She presented her work on the history of the horse at the meeting of the Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC) at Oklahoma State last March.

Matthew Chambers

Chambers, from Mount Pleasant, was the winner of the 2018 McGraw Hill Poster contest, two Eckman Awards, and is the first Dr. Jerry Wesson Scholar for conspicuous attainments in his first year of honors.  He will present this fall at a professional conference, at the East Texas Historical Association (ETHA), and be among university juniors and seniors presenting at the NCHC. He has served on leadership roles for two NTCC films.

Hannah Dickson

Dickson, homeschooled in Pittsburg, was a 2018 winner of the Boe Award of the GPHC, a top regional award in scholarship, and now is a candidate for the top student spot of the GPHC—an association of 80 honors colleges, and programs from Nebraska to Texas.She was also the winner of the 2018 Dr. Mary Hood STAR Scholarship in Phi Theta Kappa, as the highest ranked Phi Theta Kappa student in the state of Texas. Her scholarly work on music has also been accepted for inclusion at the NCHC meeting. 

Karla Fuentes

Fuentes won several district and state medals in robotics and athletics before becoming the 2018 Valedictorian of Winnsboro High School.  Already at NTCC she has placed second in the 2018 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest, revitalized NTCC’s sound system as the Director of Audiography for the 2018 film on Barbara Conrad, and she will become the first freshman in the history of the college to present at a professional conference, the ETHA, this fall.

Verania Leyva

Leyva earned a number of blankets and other honors before becoming the 2018 Salutatorian at Mount Pleasant High School (MPHS). She placed second in the 2018 Northeast Texas Image Contest with a photograph of a Mount Pleasant sunset. She has volunteered for Titus County Cares, the Salvation Army, and she played major role as Cindy Chavez, Barbara Conrad’s UT roommate in the recent honors film.

Miguel Paco

Paco, from Mount Pleasant, was chosen by the Honors Committee of NTCC to become the college’s 2018 Cypress Bank Scholar, the eleventh student so chosen in eleven years. He is also the producer of the 2018 Honors film, and will present the trailer this fall at the meeting of the Webb Society in Nacogdoches.

Jordan Whelchel

Whelchel, from Daingerfield, is a 2018 Leader of Promise winner who is scheduled to present this fall at the ETHA and the NCHC.  He presented his work on the “psychological Guillotine of the Texas Revolution” last March at Oklahoma State.  He was named NTCC’s third Texas Heritage National Bank Scholar, and was an actor in the 2017 film on Mary Kay, and the Director of the 2018 film on Barbara Conrad.

Honors Scholars

Shelby Baker

Baker has mentored local elementary students, worked as a nanny, volunteered for Titus County Cares, and maintained a top academic profile at NTCC.  She also plays second base on the Lady Eagles softball team 

Courtney Baldwin

Baldwin, from California, has worked as an advocate for at-risk youth, and has been a team player in several ministries, and non-profits.  She was the winner of a 2014 Martin Luther King Award, she has a perfect academic record at NTCC, and she played a major role as Barbara Conrad’s mother, Jerrie Lee, in the honors film this last summer.

Mercedes Collins

Collins collected several blue ribbons at the State Fair of Texas before ranking number 3 in the 2018 Daingerfield graduating class. Collins traveled to Austin as a film scholar last summer, participated in the making of the Conrad film, and placed third in the 2018 Northeast Texas poetry contest with “A Little South of Oklahoma.”

Hayden Duncan

A homeschooled Eagle Scout, from Pittsburg, Duncan played the role of Texas Indian fighter, Edward Burleson in the 2016 Honors film on the fate of the East Texas Cherokee.  He placed first in the 2018 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest with “That’s Northeast Texas to Me.”

Jazmin Garcia

Garcia, from Mount Pleasant, won a third-place 2018 State of Texas Caldwell Award for her essay on Texas First Lady, Mildred Moody.  She also won a top regional award, the Dr. Mary Hood Scholarship, and will present her work this fall at the NCHC.

Rachel Gildersleeve

Gildersleeve was a top varsity softball player at DuBois High School in Pennsylvania before coming to NTCC and earning a perfect academic score.  She has donated her time to the Special Olympics, Titus County Cares, and the One-by-One mission effort in Jamaica.

Olivia Griffin

Griffin has a perfect academic score thus far at NTCC. She has volunteered for several mission trips. She is the fourth student from “Griffin Academy” to join Honors Northeast. The graduates of this one homeschooled family in Pittsburg have had the impact of a major ISD on the NTCC honors program, winning top regional and national awards.

Dee Hall

Hall is a top 2018 graduate of Daingerfield High School where she played varsity basketball.  She is an excellent welder who competed successfully in Future Farmers of America.

Jacob Lambie

Lambie, homeschooled in Scroggins, was a major force in the creation of the film on Barbara Conrad this past summer.  He served as film scholar, investigating the role of Conrad’s nemesis, University of Texas President, Logan Wilson, played that role in the filming, worked at the Dolph Briscoe Center in Austin, and served as Unit Production Director, sequencing the five days of filming at NTCC and Jefferson.

Daniel Landaverde

While at Mount Pleasant High School, Landaverde, was on the Academic All-State football team.  He placed third in the 2018 Northeast Image Contest with a scene showing the transformation of a Winfield coal mine, and played the role of the panic-stricken Dean McCown in the Barbara Conrad film.

Peyton McClendon

McClendon won several state and national citations in Color Guard while at Mount Pleasant High School. She served as Makeup Director, and Film Scholar in the recent film on Barbara Conrad.

Sanum Shahid

Shahid won several honors, blankets and citations at the state and regional levels at Mount Pleasant High School in UIL, and Health, and Future Business Leaders of America competitions.  Graduating early from MPHS, she already has 42 dual enrollment hours, and a top academic score at NTCC.

Zachary Siemsen

At Winnsboro High School, Siemsen advanced to State in the Quiz Bowl, and Robotics Club competitions. He has volunteered on several occasions for the East Texas Food Bank.