Excellence in Education

By Staff
August 12, 2004
Kimberly Griffin of Meridian is the recipient of the Mae Carroll Thornton Mother's Day scholarship at Meridian Community College. The $600 award is funded through the MCC Foundation.
Dr. William L. Thornton initiated this scholarship in 1993 as a way to honor his wife.
Griffin graduated from the Respiratory Care Practitioner Program in May 2004. A graduate of Leake Academy, she was a member of the Student Council and Students Against Drunk Drivers.
She also garnered first place in the State Health Occupation Students of America competition. Griffin is married and has 4-month-old daughter, Gracie. Her plans are to pursue a career in respiratory care.
Mary Kathryn Covert and Phillip Martin Swatzfager, both of Meridian, were named to the dean's list for the spring semester at Samford University.
Covert is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Frank Covert. Swatzfager is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Harrison Swartzfager.
Lindley Williams, a student at Poplar Springs Elementary, was recently awarded first place at the Mississippi State Department of Education's Reading Fair in Jackson. To compete at the state level, students must win first place at their school, district and regional levels. Williams was presented with a $50 savings bond and coupons for ice cream.
Megan Merenko of Daleville has been selected to receive the Meridian Exchange Club/Bo Russell Memorial Scholarship at Meridian Community College. She will be returning as the sophomore recipient.
Merenko has completed 29 hours at MCC with a 4.0 grade point average. She was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two- year college students. She was recently accepted into the Physical Therapist Assistant program at MCC.
Jared Benjamin Doner of Bailey was named one of the country's most outstanding campus leaders by Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. He was nominated by Meridian Community College.
The honor is awarded to students who display outstanding achievements in scholarly endeavors and who also participate and exercise leadership in extracurricular activities.
Over the past 38 years, the Who's Who program has honored and rewarded the individual scholastic excellence of outstanding campus leaders. This prestigious award is one of the greatest honors annually conferred by the American academic community.
Doner joins an elite group of students selected from institutions of higher learning throughout the United States. He is the son of Timothy and Janet Doner.