Meet Our Emerging Scholars
Jack Kent Cooke Scholars
Meghan Nguyen of Ocean Springs and Rebecca Davis of Moss Point were the only two students in the state to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship this summer. Both students are from MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus.
Nguyen was also one of only 10 students in the nation to be named a Pearson Scholar in 2018, and one of two students selected as a 2019 Tennessee Valley Authority Scholar.
Both Nguyen and Davis were very active in Phi Theta Kappa and the Honors College at MGCCC and both graduated in May 2019.
The two were selected for the highly competitive Cooke scholarship out of 1,500 applicants nationally. The prestigious award was only offered to 61 students and provides recipients with up to $40,000 annually for a maximum of three years to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar
Brianna Purnell was named a 2019 New Century Workforce Pathway Scholar. She is the only student in Mississippi selected to receive the scholarship. The first of its kind, the scholarship is designed to support students at associate degree-granting institutions who plan to enter the workforce upon completion of a degree or certificate. The program is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation and Phi Theta Kappa.
Purnell of Gautier graduated in May from the 3D Modeling and Design program. She was selected based on her academic accomplishments, leadership, activities and how she extends her intellectual talents beyond the classroom. More than 2,000 students were nominated from more than 1,200 college campuses across the country, with only 50 students receiving the award.
Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholars
Nader Pahlevan and Riley Brown were named Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholar at the University of Mississippi. The scholarship provides up to $120,000 for graduate studies and medical school for those who qualify.
Pahlevan of Biloxi was named a 2018 GEICO Pathway to Completion Associate Degree Scholar. He was one of only two students in the nation selected for the scholarship from the nearly 1,600 students who applied.
Brown of Gautier was also named a 2018 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars receiving a $1,000 scholarship for the 2018-2019 school year. The scholarship provides financial resources to PTK members to help defray educational expenses while students are enrolled in an associate degree program, awarding up to 200 scholarships of $1,000 each.
As members of Phi Theta Kappa, both Pahlevan and Brown also received transfer scholarships worth $16,000.
Biomedical Research Fellows
Six students from Dr. Erin Riggins’ MS-INBRE Biomedical Research I and II classes at the Harrison County Campus received MS-INBRE Research Fellowships this summer. Dylan Tran, Marjorie Lam, Thuy Hien (Rose) Le, Bridget Boehm, Evan Smith, and Thomas Pegoda each received a fellowship award worth $4,500 and were allowed to choose a research topic and location in Mississippi.
Only 25 students in the state were chosen for the prestigious award.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Two-Year Transfer Scholarship
Faith Marshall, a 2019 graduate of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, has received the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Two-Year Transfer Scholarship. She is one of only 25 students nationwide to receive the $5,000 award.
Marshall of Vicksburg plans on majoring in accounting at The University of Mississippi. She will also receive a Phi Theta Kappa transfer scholarship.
Marshall was very active on campus, participating in numerous organizations. She was named to the Who’s Who Among Students at MGCCC, the Perkinston Campus Hall of Fame and Order of the Golden Key, and received the Phi Theta Kappa Appreciation Officer Award.
Leaders of Promise Scholars
Nine sophomore students from the Jackson County Campus were named Leaders of Promise Scholars through Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). The students will receive $1,000 scholarships this year.
The students and their majors are as follows:
- Holly Baryo of Ocean Springs: Pre-Medicine
- Garrett Dobson of Hurley: Chemical Engineering
- Max Greenough of Hurley: Sports Administration
- Haleigh Hawkins of Pascagoula: Pre-Veterinary
- Andrew Hodges of Hurley: Civil Engineering
- Arlene Lopez of Ocean Springs: Biomedical Engineering
- Michael Pugh of Hurley: Mechanical Engineering
- Angel Rivera of Ocean Springs: Biochemistry and Pre-Veterinary
- Katelyn Winstead of Ocean Springs: Business
Recipients were selected by a panel of independent judges from nearly 900 applicants. Selection is based on outstanding academic achievement and demonstrated leadership potential.