The Northeast Texas Community College Honors Program is pleased to announce its Honors Students for the 2016-2017 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†16†state Caldwell Awards,†seven†regional Boe Awards,†and†five poster awards of the Great Plains Honors Council.†On the national level since 2010 they have won†nine†Coca Cola Awards,†a†Hites,†seven†Jack Kent Cooke scholarships,†five†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 $1,100 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 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 we brace ourselves for a possible letdown, but this year?s group is as good as ever. We have some top writers, academicians, musicians, dancers, and quite a few scholars who have the alacrity to surprise us in any number of endeavors,?† Andrew Yox, NTCC 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. Honors Northeast students for the 2016-2017 academic year include:
Presidential Scholars
Aubry Buchanan is a physics major who spent an entire summer as a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club.††He was on the forefront of cross-country and University Interscholastic League (UIL) successes at Union Hill High School.
Cailee Davidson was the winner of the 2015 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest.††She came in fourth in the 2015 McGraw Hill Poster Competition, and will present work at the coming meeting of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) in Seattle.††She lives in Upshur County and is a Math Tutor at the College.
Chesney Davis was third in the 2016 class at Pittsburg, and became the 2016 Cypress Bank Scholar of Honors Northeast obtaining the use of a new laptop.††He has coached extensively in baseball and has won a number of awards in math and science.††Davis aspires to become an engineer.
Brenda Godoy was the 2016 Salutatorian of Mount Pleasant High School. She was a long-term member of the Mount Pleasant Goin Gold Band, and an officer of the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and the National Technical Honor Society. Godoy is a biology major.
William Jones was the winner of the 2015 Chitsey Award for the freshman honors student who most exceeded expectations and was cited for Academic Excellence, having the highest Freshman honors GPA.††He won the poster award of the Great Plains Honors Council for freshmen and sophomores in the social sciences at the 2015 meeting at John Brown University.††An editorial board of Texas professors accepted his article on†Quasi-Criminality†for publication. A history major, Jones plays the lead role of Sam Houston in the 2016-17 Honors film.
Presley McClendon was the Director of the 2016-2017 Honors film on Sam Houston and the end of the Texas Cherokee and has helped direct the Color Guard of Mount Pleasant High School for the past two summers.††She came in fourth place in the 2015 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest, and consistently has come to the forefront in Honors GPA and other local contests.
Kenzie Messer was a top graduate of Mount Pleasant High School whose work with UIL journalism helped propel her team to regionals.††She was active also in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), the National Honors Society (NHS), the golf team, and the National Technical Honors Society.
Melody Mott is the first scholar in the history of NTCC to win a State of Texas Smallwood Award. Her pioneering essay on Japanese-Texan relations also won a second-place Caldwell Award. Reviewers have awarded her essay a spot in the 2017 edition of†Touchstone, published by the Texas State Historical Association, and alongside other top student presenters at the NCHC.
Adriana Rodriguez graduated fourth at Mount Pleasant High School in 2016 and was active in the Color Guard, Goin Gold Band, and the HOSA.††She served as co-cinematographer in the 2016-17 Honors film, and appears as Diana Rogers, Sam Houston?s Cherokee wife.
Emmalea Shaw, a Texas Heritage National Bank Scholar, is the first student in the history of Northeast Texas Community College to have her way in college paid by a private donor. She came in third in the 2015 Northeast Texas Poetry Contest, and third in the State of Texas Caldwell competition.† Her paper on racial integration in Northeast Texas has been accepted for publication, and for a presentation at the 2016 meeting of the NCHC. She was the Prop Director of the Honors Film effort, and played Eliza Allen, Houston?s first wife.
Honors Scholars
Alicia Cantrell was an award-winning captain of the Color Guard, Winter Guard, and the Flag Rifle teams of Mount Vernon.†Her team placed first in a national competition in Fort Worth. She was the winner of a Rotary Scholarship, an Interact Club president, and a member of the Student Council.† She plays the role of the Cherokee maiden, Hialeah, in the upcoming honors film.
Yezenia Cedillo was a top graduate and majorette at Pittsburg High School. She was a member of the band, the Student Council, DECA, Interact, the Dance Club, and the cross-country team.
Chelsea Chalk was a top graduate of Daingerfield High School, and aspires to become a nurse. She was a member of the Future Farmers of America, the NHS, and the Spanish Club.
William Fox was homeschooled in Mount Pleasant and is in the last stages of Eagle Scout certification.††A history major, he was one of the four-main student researchers of the 2016-17 NTCC film, and played the part of the famous, last-stand Cherokee Chief Bowles.
Samantha Hammonds was a varsity cheerleader and cheer captain. She was crowned Miss Pittsburg High School in 2015-2016, and was named ?Best All Around Girl? by her peers. She was a participant of the Interact Club and Skills USA.
Tanner Jones is a sophomore business major who was a top 2015 graduate of Pittsburg High School.††As a Life Scout, he has been active in the Boy Scouts of America.
Rachel Jordan made state in UIL Tennis, and was active also on the Student Council, and the NHS of Ore City High School. A winner of the Hatfield Scholarship, she worked as a co-cinematographer and actress in the recent film production of Honors Northeast.
Kassandra Martinez was the premiere winner of the 2016 Bonnie Spencer Award for essays in history. Her work on a preeminent Northeast Texas populist, Cyclone Davis, appears as part of the program of the upcoming NCHC meeting in Seattle. She also presented this work at the 2016 meeting of the GPHC. Active in her church, she sings, and serves as a certified Sunday School Teacher.††Also certified as a cosmetologist, she served as Makeup Artist for the 2016 Honors film.
Ryan-Rose Mendoza was homeschooled in Mount Pleasant and helped lead NTCC?s Phi Theta Kappa chapter to a state award for chapter yearbooks. She is a Title V tutor at the college, and has served as Unit Production Director in the 2016-17 honors film. She also was one of the key researchers for the film, and plays the role of Jennie Due, head wife of the ill-fated Texas Cherokee Chief Bowles. She is an officer in the Student Government Association and Spanish Club.
Kason Newman is a sophomore nursing student who was a top 2015 graduate and baseball player at Pittsburg High School.
Anahi Rodriguez was a top graduate of Mount Pleasant High School who was active in UIL spelling, and an award-winner on the district and regional levels.††She was also a member of HOSA and NHS.
Anayeli Rodriguez was a top graduate of Mount Pleasant High School who participated in UIL spelling, and HOSA competitions. She was a member of the NHS.
Alecia Spurlin is a sophomore from Winnsboro who served as Costume Director in the 2016-17 Honors Film, and played the role of Oveta Culp Hobby in the 2015 film.††She has devoted hundreds of hours to community service at health agencies and through her church youth group, and aspires to be a pediatric nurse.
Cassidy Watkins was the 2016 Salutatorian of Daingerfield High School.††She was cited as a Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen, an Ideal Student, and served as Miss Daingerfield. She was a member of NHS, UIL, the Spanish Club, and sings in her church choir. Watkins is the Producer of the upcoming Honors film.
Leivy Zuniga was involved in UIL, the Junior Chamber Association, NHS, and FBLA at Mount Pleasant High School.††Active in community projects such as the Salvation Army, she also participated in summer of 2016 encounters of Honors Northeast with the Texas Shakespeare Festival, funded by Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery.
September 9, 2016
