The University of Central Arkansas Honors College presented nearly 50 of its students with scholarships and awards at the college?s annual orientation banquet on Wednesday.
Stacy Hobby, a senior environmental science major from Vilonia, received the Virginia Guffey Scholarship.
The Guffey Fund provides scholarships each year to non-traditional Honors College scholars. Guffey was the Honors College?s Administrative Assistant from 1982, the year the college was founded, to 1994. The scholarship was established to acknowledge her years of service and her dedication to helping non-traditional students.
Three seniors were awarded the Arch Ford Honors College Scholarship, which is named in honor of one of Arkansas? foremost educators and former head of the Arkansas Department of Education. The scholarship recognizes Ford?s valuable contributions to improving public education in the state of Arkansas.
Ford helped establish a system of 23 area vocational-technical schools. He was instrumental in beginning a free high school textbook program, raising the standards for certifying teachers and passing a law requiring equal education programs for disabled children.
Recipients of the scholarship were Diona Honeycutt, an elementary education major from Harrison; Britni Middlebrook, a mathematics education major from Fayetteville; and Jennifer Miller, an English and Spanish major from Harrison.
Two Honors College seniors were awarded the Neal Killion Honors College Service Award. The award is given in honor of the oldest non-traditional student to attend the Honors College, the late Neal Killion. It is a one-time $250 award.
Recipients of this award were Mike Allen, a non-traditional senior from Conway who is majoring in mathematics and computer science; and Jason Vert, a senior English major from Fort Smith.
Forty-three freshmen were awarded the Honors College Outstanding Freshman Award, which is presented to the last year freshmen who maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout two semesters.
Recipients of this award were: Kyle Brian Basham, Tamara Lee Binyon, Blaire M. Butler, Maximiliano Carranza, Jessica Cheatham, Daniella G. D?Amore, Peter Thomas Dippel, Benjamin M. Dobbs, Jennifer L. Duncan, Courtney Elizabeth Duval, Chelsea L. Edwards, Monica L. Fite, Kevin Flannigan, Courtney R. Gentry, John Walker Green, JoAnna K. Gunther, Ashley Brooke Hicks, Dawn Sheree Hughes, Karyna G. Johnson, Kaylynne Marie Keith, Nydia Monique Landa, Kandice Lace Mahan, Evelyn Gissel Martinez, Brandon Scott Mathis, Keisha Alyse Mattox, Kim Thi Thanh Nguyen, Victoria B. O?Bannon, Kathryn J. O?Neal, Aubrey Ann Pangle, Laine E. Perez, Ashley Diane Pullen, Amber L. Purdom, Katie Reynolds, Mary E. Shoemaker, Holly Ann Smith, Merrit Madison Smith, Daryl Craig Spurlock, Tara L. Sterrenberg, Jared Alan Stewart, Brandy N. Summers, Benjamin Seth Thomas, Mark Viegas and Michelle Marie Zablah.
-Jennifer Boyett
