Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has announced three drum majors to lead the 215-member Band of Gold for the 2021-2022 season.  They are Ronnie Hurley of Gulfport, Jayden Jones of Biloxi and Hailey Hudgins of Ocean Springs.

“We had a number of highly qualified students audition for the drum major spots and these three simply rose to the top,” said Dr. James Standland, MGCCC director of Bands. “I am confident they are all excited and prepared to handle the duties of the highest position in the Band of Gold. They are great leaders and, more importantly, students with high standards and impeccable integrity.”

Hurley is a sophomore returning as drum major from last year.  “I am so excited to have the opportunity to do this again and be part of the Band of Gold,” he said. “I learned so much last year working alongside the directors, fellow Drum Majors and peers. I am excited to work with the Band of Gold this year, and I know we are going to accomplish so much and do amazing work as a team.”

He said that last year was very different than he expected after making drum major in the fall. “Last year was quite unusual and not really as much fun because of COVID-19. Despite the quarantines, the Band of Gold went against all odds and we performed our hearts out when and where we could. This year we are getting back to a normal schedule, so I am thrilled to do things like going to away games, competitions, and parades.”

Jones, who is a sophomore, said she hopes to follow in the footsteps of former drum major Jacob Scott and she feels that stepping into his role at MGCCC is a dream come true.

“To be a drum major at MGCC is a feeling like no other,” she said. “I’ve dreamed of being a drum major at this school for a long time because Jacob Scott was my biggest role model when it came to drum majors. To be able to finally fulfill my dream feels amazing, and I thank God for this opportunity.”

She said she knows she has big shoes to fill. “I look forward to being a great role model for the band and to make sure everyone is having a great experience like Jacob and Ronnie and other drum majors did in past years. I am all about working hard and having fun. I am also looking forward to being able to have a real marching season this year.”

Hailey Hudgins is a freshman this year and said she is both nervous and excited about her new role.  “For a while, it didn’t seem real that I was chosen as a drum major for the Band of Gold. Now I’m starting to prepare for my new responsibilities. I look forward to seeing how much I will grow as a person in this position, and I hope that I can make a positive impact in this leadership position.”

For more information on the Band of Gold, visit mgccc.edu/band-of-gold/.

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MGCCC is one of 286 organizations to receive a donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, as announced in her Medium blog post earlier today, “Seeding by Ceding.” The donation of $20 million is the largest gift in the college’s history.

“This generous gift from MacKenzie Scott will have a transformational impact on our college and community,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “Ms. Scott believes ‘higher education is a proven pathway to opportunity.’ At Gulf Coast, we work hard to provide every student with hope for a rich and fulfilling life. It makes me proud that Ms. Scott and other generous Gulf Coast donors and supporters recognize the good work we do, and they trust us to continue that work.”

The college fosters an innovative spirit, which has led to a variety of successful endeavors to promote student learning and success.  In 2020, MGCCC’s Process Operations Technology program was one of only eight programs in the country to win the Excellence and Equity in Community College STEM Award by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Siemens Foundation.

Earlier this year, the college was named the No. 1 Community College in the state, and the Associate Degree Nursing program was ranked as the No. 1 program in the state for the second year in a row. MGCCC was also recognized as the No. 1 Military Friendly School in the large community college category in the nation.

In support of the college’s new Strategic Plan, Excelerate 2030, MGCCC plans to use the generous donation to support its mission and initiatives related to their four institutional commitments: Teaching and Learning, Student Experience, Engagement & Partnerships, and Institutional Excellence.

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Essix Miskel, Process Operations Technology instructor at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus, received a 2021 Award of Excellence from the American Association of Community Colleges at the national convention in May.  Miskel was given the award for Faculty Innovation because he strives for continuous improvement in his teaching methods, including finding ways to make it easier for students to understand challenging material.

“Receiving this award is very humbling,” he said.  “We have so many outstanding instructors at MGCCC and at many other institutions across the nation.  I am just thrilled to have been selected.”

Miskel credits the college’s administration with providing him the support to accomplish the progressive approaches to teaching and learning that he employs. “Our college administration is innovative, and they promote new ideas in classroom strategies that remain student-oriented and have proven success.”

His 30 years of industry experience also provides the knowledge base he needs when finding novel approaches to particularly difficult competencies.  “Most students come to us with a very rudimentary understanding of tools and how things work. For some of them, this may cause challenges to learn the material. We have to find new and inventive ways to approach the various competencies to help students find success.”

Miskel is the only instructor to receive an Award of Excellence out of instructors at the nation’s 1,200 two-year colleges.

AACC’s Awards of Excellence underscores the Association’s priorities and brings national visibility to promising practices among its member colleges. Nominees are judged by a select committee of the AACC Board of Directors.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and the University of South Alabama (USA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 23 at MGCCC’s Bryant Center in Biloxi.  The MOU will offer early acceptance for MGCCC Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students to enroll in USA’s registered nurse to Bachelor of Science Nursing degree program. Through the agreement, the two entities can better leverage resources and more efficiently facilitate the progress of students seeking to further their education through the pursuit of undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees.

“This opportunity will allow our Associate Degree Nursing graduates to continue their education in a well-organized and streamlined manner,” said Dr. Mary Graham, MGCCC president.  “We look forward to working with USA on this and other partnerships in the future.”

Dr. John Smith, Interim President for the University of South Alabama, said, “The University of South Alabama has strong ties to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has enjoyed a collaborative partnership with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. This agreement today is an extension of that partnership and will give students the flexibility of starting their bachelor’s degree in nursing while enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. There is high demand for nurses along the Coast and across the country, and South is proud to work with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to offer educational opportunities in our communities to meet those needs.”

MGCCC’s ADN program was ranked as the No. 1 community college program in the state in 2021, marking the second year in a row the college has received the ranking.  There were 82 ADN and 39 LPN-to-RN graduates in academic year 2020-21.

For more information on MGCCC’s nursing programs, visit mgccc.edu/nursing.

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“One more time!”

“Don’t stop now. You’ve got this!”

At 5 a.m. on a mid-July morning, voices of encouragement could be heard on the soccer fields at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston Campus.  The voices were part of training for the women’s basketball team as they experienced mental and physical challenges unlike any they have encountered before.

During the week of July 19-23, the team found itself in the 27:17 Iron Sharpens Iron Bootcamp, designed to help them discover their weaknesses and strengths and to find ways to complement each other as a team. From 5 – 7 a.m., each morning, they were put through drills of various kinds, testing their physical, mental and teamwork skills. Led by Perkinston Campus Police Chief Emma Baptiste, their drill instructors included members of Perkinston Campus Police, Gulfport Police Department and Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.

“Women’s basketball coach Hope Adams requested a bootcamp for her athletes, and we happily obliged,” Baptiste said. “I understand many bootcamps are what they are – several workout sessions, hard and challenging, no doubt, but just that…workouts. After listening to what Coach Hope wanted this camp to be for her athletes, we took it a step further. We wanted it to have a deeper meaning that would help with team bonding and motivation to successfully launch them into their season.”

Adams said the time was well spent.  “The bootcamp was an excellent opportunity for the team to get to know each other, work on setting individual and team goals, and to kick our year off in the best manner possible,” she said.  “I can tell the difference in each player’s attitude as they have honed their commitment to making this an outstanding season.”

The camp’s name is based on Baptiste’s favorite Bible verse. “Proverbs 27:17 says, ‘As Iron Sharpens Iron, so one person sharpens another.’ When I read that, I see that an iron blade of the spear is just dull iron without another iron blade to sharpen it. So, the athletes were mentally and physically broken down like that dull iron blade and built back up sharper with the premise that they are to not only sharpen themselves, but they must sharpen the other teammate before they can even become that champion team or spear.”

As an added bonus to honing team skills, Baptiste said she also wanted to bridge the gap between students, citizens and law enforcement. “I enlisted the assistance of my campus police officers, two Gulfport Police Department detectives and a Harrison County Sheriff’s Department investigator to function as our camp leaders,” she said.  “They did an outstanding job, and we are grateful for the outside agency partnership and participation.”

Baptiste said she hopes other leadership bootcamps like this one will follow.  “I am excited about the idea that other college and community groups will contact us to conduct these kinds of camps.  It was very successful, and we are thrilled to offer the opportunity to any group or team.”

For more information on the 27:17 Iron Sharpens Iron Bootcamp or other leadership camps, contact Chief Emma Baptiste at emma.baptiste@mgccc.edu.

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Dr. Mary Graham, president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, received two awards of merit from the Mississippi Historical Society. Awards of merit are bestowed on individuals or organizations for their outstanding archival, museum, records management, or media interpretation work.

One award recognized Graham’s work in the development and design of the new state flag by serving on the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag. The bill ratifying the new flag was signed by the governor in January 2021 after Mississippians voted overwhelmingly to approve the flag.

The other award was for the preservation and donation to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History of two collections: the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College C.C. “Tex” Hamill Down South Magazine Collection and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Dixie Press Collection. Both collections have many photographs and contributed research by Charles Sullivan, a former president of the Mississippi Historical Society and professor emeritus at MGCCC.

Brother Rogers, secretary-treasurer of the Mississippi Historical Society, said, “This donation will improve ease of access to the greater research community and will protect these valuable collections from potential weather incidents and loss.”

The Mississippi Historical Society, founded in 1858, encourages outstanding work in interpreting, teaching, and preserving Mississippi history. Membership is open to anyone. For information, visit www.mississippihistory.org.

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Three Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students were among the 207 Phi Theta Kappa members named a 2021 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar nationally. Ethan Estis, Chloe Nguyen, and Lucia Barberena, all students at the Jackson County Campus, will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Estis of Ocean Springs is a business administration major.  A sophomore, he is the treasurer for the Student Government Association, an officer of the Pi Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and a member of the Baptist Student Union. He is the first Collegiate Academy student to become a PTK officer and Honors College member at the Jackson County Campus. During his freshman year, he maintained a 4.0 average in both high school and at MGCCC.

Nguyen of Ocean Springs is a pre-pharmacy major and is president of the Pi Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and vice president of the campus chapter of Circle K International.  She was chosen as an Exceptional Freshman Honors Student and Overall Outstanding Chemistry Student.  Nguyen received the HOSA Joe Tinny & Jean Griffies Scholarship, Circle K Leadership Scholarship and Rex Moak Scholarship.

Barberena of Ocean Springs is a business marketing major.  She is the founder and president of the Hispanic-American Club.  She is secretary of the Student Government Association and is an officer in the Pi Epsilon Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.  She received a Mayoral and Mississippi Senate Proclamation for becoming Mississippi’s first female Eagle Scout and was named the VFW Scout of the Year Award.  Barberena received the United Way Community Game Changer Award and the Hispanic-American Excellence Award.

The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential.

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Dr. Cedric Bradley, vice president of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus, is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2021-22 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship.  The highly selective leadership fellowship is part of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program that prepares the next generation of community college presidents.

Bradley was the only individual chosen from Mississippi.

“I am humbled by the honor of being named to the distinguished Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship,” Bradley said. “I look forward to working with other community college leaders as we explore new and innovative ways to expand access to higher education and enhance student success.”

Bradley graduated from Meridian Community College in 2002 and received degrees from The University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University. He began working at MGCCC in 2014 as dean of Teaching and Learning at the Jackson County Campus and became vice president of the Harrison County Campus, Keesler Center and Naval Construction Battalion Center in 2018.

The Rising Presidents Fellows will embark on the 10-month fellowship beginning in November 2021. Delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, the fellows will be mentored by esteemed current and former community college presidents who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers and will learn strategies to improve student outcomes in and after college, lead internal change, and create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools, four-year colleges, employers, and other partners.

“To become institutions that truly advance social mobility and talent development, community colleges must have presidents with a clear vision for equitable student success,” said Monica Clark, director of Leadership Initiatives at the College Excellence Program. “We have selected these fellows because they share that commitment and are well-positioned to become transformational leaders.”

The Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship responds to the growing need for a new generation of leaders well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Nationally, nearly 80 percent of sitting presidents are expected to retire in the next decade. While the traditional pathway to the presidency has often excluded women and people of color, the incoming class of Aspen Rising Presidents Fellows comprises 68 percent women and 70 percent people of color and represents institutions of varying sizes and locations.

“Dr. Bradley is a strong, visionary leader who provides outstanding guidance to both employees and students at Gulf Coast,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “His desire to help students find success along with his innovative and well-planned strategies for improving his campus and centers make him the perfect candidate for this opportunity. I know he will continue to achieve great things at Gulf Coast and in all his future endeavors.”

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The group exhibit “Tribute—Recreations and Reimaginings of Master Works,” will be on display at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus’s Fine Arts Gallery from August 30 – September 23, 2021. A closing reception will be held on September 23 from noon until 1:00 p.m.

Participating artists are part of a pop-up group started because of a COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

“I wanted to find a way to challenge the artists in our community to do something they may have not tried before–” said founding member Alicia Overton, “to keep us all creative and focused on accomplishing something in a very trying time.”

The first masterpiece show was held in May at the Gulfport Arts Center. It was such a success that the artists wished to have an additional exhibition with several new pieces at the MGCCC Harrison County Campus’s Fine Arts Gallery.

“I challenged everyone to go outside of their comfort zone and paint a copy of an Old Master’s work,” said Overton.  “This practice dates to the 1400s and is still popular today. Painting one of the master’s works was more challenging than most of us thought it would be. We really strove to imitate the original in every way possible: brushstrokes, medium, style and size.   Because the oils and temperas of the old days are no longer available, everyone did their very best to get it right. It sharpens our skills of color, composition and observation to say the least.”

Carol Hutcherson replicated “Sun and Life” by Frida Kahlo after seeing it in the Dallas Museum of Art on recent trip.  “I was immediately drawn to it,” she said. “During the execution of this work, I felt a spiritual connection to this remarkably strong woman.”

Cissy McCabe Quinn recreated “Open Window, Collioure” by Henri Matisse. Looking at her own work, she said, “I became aware of how many times I had used windows in my own paintings. Windows are a viewfinder to the world. The artist has the freedom of seeing the reality or the fantasy of that world.”

MGCCC alumus Anthony Badon reimagined Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” by replacing the central figure with a young man.  “This painting has always intrigued me—Who was this girl, what was her name, what’s her story? I’m a sucker for a good mystery,” he said. “Before approaching this piece I asked myself, ‘how exactly do we know their gender?’ How would the people of 1665 feel if they knew it was never a girl wearing the pearl earring but instead a very androgynous man covered in makeup?”

Becci Rae Edwards painted “The Siesta” from Paul Gauguin’s Tahitian series. “I think most artists dream of painting on an island in an exotic setting with reckless abandon,” she said.

“This has been a great escape for my mind in the time of a pandemic to paint the islands of Tahiti and the South Pacific.  I am transported there daily as I paint which has been a balm for my soul.”

Participating artists include Carol Hutcherson, Judy Jacobsen, Becci Rae Edwards, Cissy McCabe Quinn, Anthony Badon, Alicia Overton, Vielsa Harding, Austin Baldwin, Vanda McCormick, Kay Eaton, Deb Alexander, Anthony DiFatta, George Ann McCullough, Bruce Seabolt, Aline Marbella Villanueva, Cissy McCabe Quin, Benjamin Thomas, Becci Rae Edwards, Beth Ann MacDonald, Russell Hice, Milton Williams, and Kay Eaton.

The exhibit is free and open to the public. The Harrison County Campus is located at 2226 Switzer Rd, Gulfport. The art gallery is located in the Fine Arts building, building D.

Gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Masks are required inside of college buildings.

For more information, contact gallery director Cecily Cummings at cecily.cummings@mgccc.edu or (228) 897-3909.

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MGCCC student Abigail Peltier named a 2021 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholar by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Peltier of Ocean Springs is one of four students from MGCCC’s Jackson County Campus to receive the award this year.

An elementary education major, Peltier serves as a PTK officer and is in the Honors College. She receives the Academic Excellence and Honors College scholarships from MGCCC and was on the President’s List for fall and spring semesters of her freshman year.

The Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship Program helps Phi Theta Kappa members defray educational expenses while enrolled in associate degree programs. Scholars are encouraged to assume leadership roles by participating in Society programs and are selected based on scholastic achievement, community service, and leadership potential.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College received a $1,499,850 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund 115 scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics majors.  In addition, the grant will provide the opportunity to increase STEM degree completion through co-curricular strategies such as cohorts and faculty mentoring combined, peer mentoring, summer bridge programs, co-curricular supports, and early-alert systems.

“We are excited about the opportunities this grant will provide for our students in biological and physical science, mathematics, statistics, computer and information science, engineering, and emerging technology fields,” Dr. Mary Graham, MGCCC president. “Our mission is to provide one-of-a-kind opportunities for student success, and this grant offers us even more ways to make that possible.”

The grant is for six years and supports the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income STEM students with demonstrated financial need.

Amanda Sharrow, science instructor at the Harrison County Campus, is principal investigator for “Excelerate: Inspiring Excellence and Accelerating Achievement through a STEM Scholars Program.”  Co-principal investigators are Dr. Kelly Rouse, science instructor and advising coordinator for the School of Science and Kinesiology at the Harrison County Campus; Dr. Jason Ross, mathematics instructor and chair of the School of Engineering, Mathematics, Data Science and IT at the Perkinston Campus; and John Poelma, electronics instructor and chair of the School of Manufacturing, Maritime, and Transportation at the Jackson County Campus.

For more information about the grant, visit NSF.gov.

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Dr. Jonathan Woodward, executive vice president of Teaching & Learning/Community Campus at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, was recognized on August 13 as a One Coast Community Leader at the 2021 One Coast Awards. The One Coast Awards are presented by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Hancock County Chamber of Commerce, Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce, and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce.

Starting as an instructor at MGCCC in August 2004, Woodward has served as Fine Arts department chair at the college’s Jackson County Campus and vice president of the Harrison County Campus.

Woodward holds a doctorate in higher education administration with an emphasis in instructional technology from The University of Southern Mississippi, including a Community College Leadership Certificate. He also earned his Master of Music Education and Bachelor of Music Education degrees from USM, with a double emphasis in vocal/choral music and classical guitar/instrumental music.

The One Coast Awards are the rebranding of the former Roland Weeks Hall of Fame and were developed to recognize community leaders and to hold them up as examples. The program and awards were reimagined as the One Coast Awards to continue the idea that the Coast has common interests that far outweigh any difference among communities and that what benefits one, ultimately benefits all.

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Summer 2021 President’s List

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College released the President’s List for the summer 2021 semester. Students who earn 12 or more semester hours with a 4.0 grade point average receive this honor.

Summer 2021 Vice Presidents’ List

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College released the vice presidents’ lists for the summer 2021 semester.  Students who earn 12 or more semester hours with 3.30 to 3.99 grade point average receive this honor.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus Fine Arts Gallery is proud to announce the opening of the exhibit “Where You Find It: The Art of Trey Bryan.” The show will open at 12:15 p.m. on September 2 and will run through October 15. There will be an Artist Talk/Q&A in the gallery for the opening.

Trey Bryan is an artist and illustrator living in West Virginia where he paints and draws for galleries and exhibitions.

Bryan received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2009.  Shortly after graduating, he moved to Kansas City where he began an apprenticeship with Mark English, an American illustrator and painter. His drawings and paintings during his time in Kansas City included collaborations with The Kansas City Symphony, The Kansas City Chiefs, and The Lyric Opera. He has published several books of his drawings, including a collection of his work from his tenure as Artist-in-Residence at the historic Hotel Phillips in Kansas City, Missouri. He is also a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York City.

Shortly after making his mark in the Midwest, Bryan moved to New Orleans, to draw the Crescent City architecture and listen to the world’s greatest jazz bands. After bartering drawings in the streets and bars, and selling them at the famed art markets, he met the gallery owner and director of the Elliott Gallery, Catherine Betz. Shortly after, he became the first contemporary artist in the last two decades to join the gallery’s ranks with noticeable artist such as Matisse, Chagall, Dali and Picasso.

In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious Denis Diderot Grant to attend the Artist-in-Residence program at Château d’Orquevaux in France. Joining internationally acclaimed artists, Bryan painted all over the French countryside and was inspired by the breathtaking countryside of the Champagne region.

Still exhibiting in New Orleans, Bryan has now settled his home base in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He has a studio and gallery open to the public, located in the historic downtown on Court Street. He has also accepted an “Artist in Residence” position at Beaverdam Falls, Virginia’s premier nature preserve nestled in the Allegheny Highlands.

Bryan spends much of his time traveling in the direction of his latest painting, creating large scale murals, and filling one sketchbook after another with his writing and drawing. You can find him most days in the mountains painting, or at his studio.

There is no cost for the exhibit and the Jackson County Campus Fine Arts Gallery is open to the public.  Hours for the gallery are Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  Masks are required at MGCCC campuses.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College was named a 2021 Great College to Work For, receiving an Honor Roll designation and recognition in six key areas.  Those areas are Compensation & Benefits; Mission & Pride; Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging; Professional Development; Job Satisfaction & Support; and Supervisor/Department Chair Effectiveness.

“It is exciting to receive this recognition at Gulf Coast because our employees are vital to achieving the college’s mission and giving students so many opportunities for success,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president. “By fostering open lines of interactive communication and ensuring our employees feel a sense of belonging and pride in their workplace, MGCCC empowers each of them to fulfill our mission of inspiring excellence and accelerating achievement.”

MGCCC has been named a Great College to Work For over the past 10 years and has made the Honor Roll four times.

The Great Colleges to Work For® program was designed to recognize colleges that have been successful in creating great workplaces, and to further research and understand the factors, dynamics and influences that have the most impact on organizational culture in higher education. The ranking is based on faculty and staff surveys designed and implemented by ModernThink LLC for The Chronicle of Higher Education. The ModernThink Higher Education Insight Survey measured ten core dimensions, plus a Faculty Experience dimension, reflecting managerial and organizational competencies.

To see the survey results, visit 2021 Great Colleges to Work For.

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The Beta Tau Eta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society received a $1,000 Honors in Action grant award.  The grant will go toward the chapter’s Honors in Action project this year.

“The opportunity that this grant provides us will elevate our current project to a level we could have never anticipated previously,” said Aiden Graves, president of Beta Tau Eta chapter. “Our hope is that this project will not only bring together our local community here in Lucedale, but our student base here at MGCCC as well.”

Through Honors in Action projects, PTK members identify and research an issue on their campus or in their community.  They turn that research into a plan of action by creating a project or event that meets a specific need, and then their work is published in Civic Scholar: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research, which is distributed nationally with support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. It’s the first journal of its kind to feature work solely by community college students.

Honors in Action grants are given to chapters based on need and grant funds can only be used in creating Honors in Action projects. This year, 77 chapters received $73,157 in Honors in Action grants nationally.

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The LPN-to-RN program at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been ranked No. 1 in the nation by AffordableCollegesOnline.org.  Rankings sort schools by affordability, major, program type, and state, and only colleges with multiple online degree options are included.

“We are excited to now add the LPN-to-RN pathway, offered here at Gulf Coast, to a nationally recognized ranking,” said Dr. Karol Purdie, School of Nursing Year II department chair. “Our instructors work very hard providing quality training to all students, preparing each for a successful career as a registered nurse.  Most of our LPNs are currently employed, but the flexibility of the transitional pathways allows other health care disciplines, including respiratory therapists and paramedics, the opportunity to transition into nursing.”

MGCCC’s LPN-to-RN program is offered in hybrid and traditional formats.  Gulf Coast LPN-to-RN nursing students have an 85 percent 1^st write average pass rate on the NCLEX over the past three years, and the transitional pathway boasts a 100 percent job placement rate.

Methodology for the ranking is based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Education such as College Scorecard and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Affordability counts for 60 percent of the ranking decisions, while academic quality counts for 40 percent. Affordability is assessed based on factors such as net tuition rates, annual tuition changes, financial aid statistics, and loan default rates. AffordableCollegesOnline.org measures academic quality by student-to-faculty ratio, graduation and retention rates, and number of programs available.

For more information on MGCCC’s nursing programs, visit mgccc.edu/nursing or call (228) 896-2536.

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Dr. Bonita R. Coleman, superintendent of the Ocean Springs School District, has been named as an at-large member to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Board of Trustees.  Coleman was appointed in July.

Serving as superintendent in Ocean Springs since 2012, Coleman has worked in education her entire professional life.  For more than 20 years, she served as a K-12 teacher and a visiting professor and scholar at several universities. She was the deputy superintendent at Prince George’s County Public Schools (Maryland), the nation’s 18th largest school district.  Coleman also served several years as the associate state superintendent for academics for the Mississippi Department of Education and is currently a member of the State Superintendent of Education’s Superintendents Advisory Council, the Mississippi Superintendents Collaborative, and Mississippi Diverse and Learner Ready Council.

A native of Mississippi, Coleman graduated from Tougaloo College. She holds a master’s degree from The University of Mississippi and a doctorate in educational administration from Jackson State University. She is also a graduate of the Broad Superintendent’s Academy.

MGCCC’s Board of Trustees has 23 members from its four-county district.  Members are selected by each county’s Board of Supervisors.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s registered nursing program has been ranked as the best community college program in Mississippi for the third year in a row by RegisteredNursing.org, a nursing advocacy organization.  MGCCC’s program received a 99.35 out of a possible 100 on the ranking scale, the same score and ranking they received in 2019 and 2020.

MGCCC has nearly 500 nursing students in the Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing and LPN-to-RN transitional programs at the college’s Bryant Center in Biloxi. Gulf Coast nursing students have a 91 percent first write pass rate average on the NCLEX over the past three calendar years, and the programs boast a 100 percent job placement rate.

“We are humbled and honored to receive this recognition from RegisteredNursing.org for the last three consecutive years,” said Dr. Joan Hendrix, associate vice president of the School of Nursing and Health Professions. “Our nursing programs maintain rigorous standards, follow an evidence-based curricula, and include advanced technologies and resources that help ensure positive outcomes. We are very proud of what we do in nursing education and all of our health care programs, particularly at this time as we battle the worst health care crisis of the modern era.”

Twenty-three nursing programs in the state were assessed on several factors which represent how well a program supports students toward licensure and beyond. First-time NCLEX-RN pass-rates were weighted by year, and job placement percentages for the past three years were considered.

For more information on MGCCC’s nursing programs, visit mgccc.edu/nursing.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has increased CARES grant amounts available to students by $500 for those currently enrolled at the college.  Pell Grant eligible students can now receive up to $1,500 per semester and non-Pell eligible students can receive up to $1,250. Students are able to use these grants for tuition as well as non-education related expenses such as child care and transportation.

“With these grant funds available to all students, there has never been a better time to be enrolled in college,” said Dr. Phil Bonfanti, executive vice president of Student Services and Enrollment Management. “For those individuals who have been on the fence about continuing their education and those that want to increase their earning potential, MGCCC has many exciting options available in both traditional and online formats at all of our campuses and centers.

MGCCC has already awarded this fall over $6.2 million to more than 4,400 students, and it is anticipated that grants will be available again this spring. In addition, MGCCC offers several no-cost programs and has awarded more than $5 million in traditional college and Foundation scholarships. Other initiatives include assisting students to clear past educational debt, offering a computer loan program, and providing wrap-around services such as virtual and in-person advising sessions, on-campus day care, and stocked food and clothing pantries to address other important student needs.

Enrollment in fall classes is currently available, with classes starting October 18, November 15 and December 17.  Registration for spring classes will begin in mid-October.  For more information or to apply for classes, visit mgccc.edu/apply.

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