PCCUA recognizes 2024 honor graduates, outstanding students
The 2024 honor graduates attending classes on the Helena-West Helena campus of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) were honored during a reception preceding commencement exercises on Friday, May 10. The honor graduates were recognized for their dedication in maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
Among the 2024 honor graduates were: Jackson Arnold, of Poplar Grove; Makia Chisnall, of Lexa; Brittany Floyd, of West Helena; Dylan Hill, of Helena; Vermisha Hillard, of Conway; Katlynn McCoy, of Lexa; Zephaniah Mondy, of Helena; Lanna Pritchett, of Helena; Megan Pruett, of Marvell; Abigail Rhodenizer, of West Helena; Delaney Schwantz, of Poplar Grove; Jacob Soper, of West Helena; Nash Von Kanel, of Marvell; Robrianna Wahls, of West Helena; Kelsey Williams, of West Helena; and Kyron Williams, of West Helena.
Selected Outstanding Students by the faculty for their division were: Britney Box (Lexa) – Division of Allied Health; James Robinson (Poplar Grove) – Division of Applied Technology; Zephaniah Mondy – Division of Arts and Sciences; and Megan Pruett – Division of Business and Information Systems. These students embody the spirit of PCCUA on their campus.
Box was described as an unpretentious nursing student, who got along well with her peers and the nursing faculty. She completed all of the requirements to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing, which is a great accomplishment. During her tenure, she exemplified the four tenets of the role of a student nurse - professionalism, caring, critical thinking, and communication. She often showed enthusiasm when analyzing nursing content and confronted the challenges of her nursing courses and clinical assignments with a positive attitude. Box demonstrated to faculty that she embraced all assignments with empathy and courage, understanding that the knowledge she attained would profoundly impact her nursing career as an intensive care nurse.
Robinson received his Technical Certificate in welding technology and an Associate of Applied Science in general technology. He not only has an outstanding academic record, but also brought with him an outstanding work ethic. On a regular basis, James demonstrated his work ethic by not only attending regular class meetings but also putting in extra time before and after each class. To hone his skills, Robinson took on extra projects and worked on his projects on days when class was not in session. He was truly anexceptional student and will succeed in the workforce.
Mondy earned an Associate of Arts degree in general education and was selected by faculty for his diligence toward his studies, his fellow students, and helping build a sense of community during his time at PCCUA. For example, at a recently sponsored resource fair at PCCUA, he noticed a participant struggling to carry some items. He saw her through the window and rushed out to assist. This was so indicative of his behavior since he began his academic journey. He was a successful Adult Education student and entered PCCUA after completing his GED. He maintained a 3.5 GPA and will be attending Arkansas State University as a general education major.
Pruett is an information systems technology graduate and was recognized for her dedication and commitment to receive an Associate of Applied Science degree with an emphasis in Cyber Security and Programming/Coding. Pruett was an amazing student who brought so much passion for learning to the classroom and excelled in her studies while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in the program curriculum. Instructors noted her hard work, leadership, and determination both in and out of the classroom with her kind, nurturing spirit, and she was always eager to help other students. Pruett was in the first group of students inducted into the Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) Student Organization, which was also the first student chapter established at acommunity college in the State of Arkansas. Pruett overcame many obstacles and challenges but persevered to reach this personal goal to graduate with honors in the information technology field of study. Her next step is to continue her education with the University of Arkansas Grantham to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.
