Spinks, Taylor named EMCC HEADWAE recipients
By Staff
special to The Star
Feb. 13, 2003
SCOOBA East Mississippi Community College sophomore George Spinks has been chosen as the HEADWAE recipient, and EMCC English and reading instructor Martha Rogers Taylor has been chosen HEADWAE instructor for 2002-2003.
Each year, HEADWAE honors an outstanding faculty member and student from each participating member institution of the Mississippi Association of Colleges.
Higher Education Appreciation Day – Working for Academic Excellence, better known as HEADWAE, is a program of the Mississippi Legislature sponsored by the state's corporate community and coordinated by the Mississippi Association of Colleges.
Spinks and Taylor, along with other HEADWAE recipients, will be honored at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
Spinks, a native of DeKalb, is an English major. He is an officer in the Student Government Association; president of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society; and editor of the college yearbook, The Lion.
He also is a member of the All-USA Academic Team; a writer for the college newspaper, the Collegian; and a member of Who's Who Among American Community College Students.
Taylor, a native of Carthage, received her associate's degree in English from Coahoma Community College and a bachelor's degree in English from Alcorn State University.
Taylor also received a master's degree from Mississippi State University.
Before coming to EMCC, she taught English at the former East Kemper High School where she received the Star Teacher Award.
Taylor has been an English and reading instructor at EMCC for 21 years. She is active in professional affiliations, including previously serving as chairperson for the Faculty Welfare Committee and secretary for EMCC Faculty Association.
She presently serves as a sponsor of Syzygy (literary magazine) and a member of the Beauty and Beau Pageant Committee, Homecoming Committee, and Pine Grove Committee.
She is a member of Union Baptist Church in Scooba, where she sings in the choir, participates on the Program Committee, and is the assistant Sunday School teacher.
She is also secretary of the OES Lodge No. 66-A.
Taylor is married to William Taylor, who is the director of the Physical Plant and Support Services for Kemper County Schools.
They have two children: Darren of Columbus and Chaundra of Birmingham. Darren and Chaundra are both graduates of EMCC. The Taylors have two grandchildren, Mark and Jerrel, who are the children of Darren.
