Diane Burnette of Biloxi graduated with her psychology degree in December 2007. She belongs to the Psi Chi Honor Society and the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. With her degree, Burnette plans to become a substance abuse counselor. Burnette has participated in the American Heart Association Heart Walk, the Gulf Coast Mental Health chili cook-off and a variety of other fundraisers.

Genevieve Caswell of Gulfport is a tourism management major in the Southern Miss College of Business. Before graduating in December 2007, Caswell received the Hospitality Management Coastal Scholar Award and the Rex Distributing Excellence in Business Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in Tourism Management. Following Hurricane Katrina, Caswell assisted Beau Rivage employees for the Voice Foundation.

Blakely Fore of Gulfport graduated in December 2007 with her degree in elementary education. In spring 2007, Fore was awarded Outstanding Senior in the Southern Miss Department of Curriculum Instruction and Special Education. She has been a volunteer with Meals on Wheels, served as a committee member for Blue Ribbon Awareness Day and participated in National Child Safety Awareness Day.

Donna Gibson of Long Beach is working on her master of science degree in adult health nursing. After graduating, Gibson hopes to become a diabetes educator and to continue advancing goals within the nursing profession. Gibson is an active committee member and leader for Boy Scout Troop 205.

Samuel Gill III of Ocean Springs is a double major in both English and geography at Southern Miss. He is the secretary for Gamma Theta Upsilon of the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus. As a geography student, Gill has attended various geography class trips. His journals about the geography excursions are posted on the Southern Miss geography Web page.

Courtney Green of Gautier is an elementary education major expecting to graduate in May 2008. She is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and been named to both the president’s and dean’s lists. When she attended the Southern Miss Hattiesburg campus, Green played intramural sports for the soccer and volleyball teams.

Christopher Hare of Long Beach is a double major at Southern Miss in both history and political science. Along with being named a 2007 Truman Scholarship finalist, Hare was awarded Best Contemporary Commentary for his two articles, “Wind versus Water: Katrina’s Legal Repercussions” and “U.S. v. Booker and its Ramifications on the Use of Federal Sentencing Guidelines in the Criminal Justice System.”

Melissa Herndon of Gulfport is a psychology major who graduated in December 2007. After Herndon returns to school to get her master of science degree in forensics, she hopes to become a crime scene investigator. She belongs to the Golden Key Honor Society and the National Scholars Honor Society. Herndon also tutors at the children’s shelter and has worked with Project Recovery.

Kendrick Kennedy of Biloxi is a management information system major in the Southern Miss College of Business. He has served as president for both the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Student Government Association and the National Federation of the Blind – Gulf Coast chapter. Kennedy has participated with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society in cleaning up after Hurricane Katrina and volunteered at American Red Cross blood drives.

Paula Lee of Saucier graduated in December 2007 with her degree in psychology. She minored in deaf education and is a certified interpreter for the deaf. With her degree, Lee plans to teach special education. Lee belongs to Psi Chi, the national honor society in psychology.

Vivian McLean of Gulfport received her specialist degree in education administration in December 2007. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and has served as a supervisor for the community outreach program Progressive Outreach with Energetic Resolution (P.O.W.E.R).

Justin Miller of Long Beach majors in both history and political science at Southern Miss. Since the fall of 2006, Miller has been placed on the dean’s list each semester. He serves as treasurer for the Student Government Association and has served as president for the College Republicans on the Gulf Coast, for which he is a founding member.

Robert Shiyou of Diamondhead is working on his master of business administration degree. Shiyou has served as an Army Reserve Engineer Officer for 23 years and is a 2002 graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast. Shiyou has volunteered as a coach for youth baseball and served as vice president for the Society of American Military Engineers.

Vickie Tiblier of Ocean Springs graduated in December 2007 with her doctoral degree in philosophy in education. She is currently the principal at Martin Bluff Elementary School in Pascagoula. In February 2007, Tiblier attended The University of Southern Mississippi Leadership Institute. Tiblier is a National Board Certified Counselor, a National Board Certified School Counselor and a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Elizabeth Walter of Ocean Springs is a student in the School of Social Work and expects to graduate in May 2008. She has served as a United Way telephone crisis line volunteer, adult literacy tutor and belongs to the National Association of Social Workers. Walter has been named to the President’s List and the Dean’s List throughout her academic career.

Jennifer Woodruff of Ocean Springs, who majors in educational leadership in the Southern Miss College of Education and Psychology, serves as a statistics tutor for students at the university. Woodruff is a member of Gamma Beta Phi, Phi Kappa Phi and the National Scholars Honor Society. She is also a Sunday school teacher and choir member at First Baptist Church of Gautier.

Crystal Wooten of Gulfport majors in child and family studies. After graduation, she plans to help and teach special needs children and adults. Wooten has volunteered with various organizations, including March of Dimes Walk America, the Humane Society of South Mississippi and as a mentor for AmeriCorps. She belongs to the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, the National Scholars Honor Society and the Golden Key International Honor Society.