SOUTHERN MISS GULF COAST HOSTS
SCHOLARSHIP DONOR- RECIPIENT RECEPTION

LONG BEACH - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast's Office of Development hosted its annual Scholarship Donor-Recipient reception Oct. 23.

The event was a chance for scholarship donors to meet each of the recipients.

"This reception provided a unique opportunity for Southern Miss to say thank you to its many generous donors and for the scholarship recipients to say thank you as well," said David Estorage, development officer for Southern Miss Gulf Coast Office of Development. "Scholarships are critical to attracting and retaining high quality students. Southern Miss has certainly benefited from many generous alumni and friends of the university."

Dr. Shelby Thames, president of Southern Miss and Dr. Jay Grimes, Gulf Coast provost, were two of the speakers on program for the reception.

Other speakers were Estorge, William Peden, donor of the Dr. Rick Peden Memorial Endowment, Amanda Bittle, recipient of that endowment, and John Ferucci, of the Gulf Coast Gaming Association, who presented a $10,000 check in payment to an existing endowment.

There were 41 recipients honored.

The freshman and sophomore scholarship recipients were Michael Brown, Catherine Matlock and James Quigley of Biloxi; Nicole McDonald, James Terrell, Jr., Duon Ladner and Daron Ladner of Pass Christian; Christy Burns, Jonathan Rogers and Kelly Schweitzer of Long Beach; Alejandra Villalta of D'Iberville and Tahirah Crawford of Gulfport.

Crawford also received a scholarship from the Richard H. and Patricia L. Tilley School of Nursing Scholarship Fund.

Recipients of the Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Auxiliary Scholarship were Philip Buckheister and Karen Dolan of Gulfport; Tony Turan of Saucier, Andrea Tate of Long Beach, Jennifer Good of D'Iberville, and Shannon Phillips of Picayune.

Recipients of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Foundation Scholarship were Troy Burton of Gulfport, Lorraine McMuldren of Saucier and Paul Webb of Vancleave.

Five students received scholarships in the culinary field.
Darlene Kimball of Pass Christian, and Sharon Spencer of Gulfport received the Culinary Arts Academy Scholarship; Helena Booker of Gulfport received the Phillip Walker Culinary Scholarship; and Patricia Harris of Pass Christian and Kristina Higuera received a scholarship from the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Mississippi Restaurant Association.

Nicole McDonald of Pass Christian received the Mississippi Freshman Scholarship from Whitney National Bank.

Curtis Farmer of Perkinson was given a scholarship from the Gulfport Scottish Rite Scholarship Fund.

Amanda Bittle of Biloxi was the recipient of the Dr. Rick Peden Memorial Endowment Fund and Brandi Busby of Biloxi was the recipient of the Joe E. Holloway Scholarship.

Jana Plauche of Gulfport received a scholarship from the Gulf Coast Medical/ Tenet Health System Senior Nursing Scholarship Fund.

Melissa O'Rourke of Gautier was the recipient of the Martha H. Gill Memorial Scholarship.

Halima Welch of Gulfport received a scholarship from Gencorp Aerojet.

Jacqueline Walker of Gulfport received the Thomas L. "Joe" Reeves Scholarship.

Parisa Naghshpour of Long Beach received the Freshman Academic and/or Leadership Excellence Scholarship.

Stacie Park of Biloxi received the S.L. and Marguerite Fayard Scholarship.

Sharon Starita of Pass Christian was the recipient of the Roger Poulos Memorial Academic Fund.

Summer Galindo of Gulfport received the James K. and Elsie S. McGehee Scholarship.

Thien Phan of Pass Christian received the O'Keefe Companies Endowment Scholarship.

Juan Segura of Ocean Springs received the Henry Terry Business Administration Endowed Scholarship.

Laura Hendon, of Long Beach, received the Political Science Scholarship.

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