NEMCC STUDENTS NAMED TO ALL-MISSISSIPPI TEAM

Rusty Whitten of Corinth (l) and Mark Williams of Booneville (r), both sophomores at Northeast Mississippi Community College, have been named to the 2007 All-Mississippi Academic Team for Community and Junior Colleges.

Whitten, a pre-optometry major, is a graduate of Kossuth High School. At Northeast he is president of the college’s honor society Phi Theta Kappa. Williams, a graduate of Tishomingo County High School is an electrical engineering major. He has served as a treasurer of Northeast’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter for 2006-07.

Fifty Mississippi community and junior college students have been named to the All-Mississippi Academic Team, which recognizes the scholarly achievements and leadership accomplishments of students enrolled in community, technical and junior colleges across the state of Mississippi. Students will be recognized by the Mississippi Legislatureat a luncheon in Jackson March 21..

"By being named to the All-Mississippi Academic Team and having earned membership in Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society, many of these students will receive substantial scholarship offers to attend senior institutions in Mississippi and across the nation," said Rod Risley, executive director of the Jackson-based Phi Theta Kappa honor society.

"Research suggests that these students’ level of academic achievement at the senior college will equal, if not exceed, that earned while attending their community/junior colleges."

Students named to the All-Mississippi First Team compete for placement on the national All-USA Academic Team for Community and Junior Colleges, sponsored by USA TODAY, Phi Theta Kappa, and the American Association of Community Colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa administers the All-State and All-USA Academic Team Programs from its Jackson, Mississippi-based Headquarters. The First All-State Academic Team Program was launched in l994 in Mississippi. This year, 34 states will sponsor All-State Academic Team programs using the All-Mississippi program as a model.



"Selected from among the more than 100,000 students enrolled in Mississippi's Community and Junior Colleges this year, these students through their academic and leadership accomplishments represent the very best of those attending our colleges," Northeast President Johnny Allen said.