Panola College
May 5, 2020 - The Panola College Foundation announced a second round of direct funding opportunities to students affected by COVID-19. Applications are open now and will remain open until funding runs out.
“The Foundation has disbursed almost $20,000 in aid to over 70 students so far,” said Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Development. “When the relief applications first opened we started seeing a significant need for students to have summer scholarships. They may have been laid off, they no longer have work hours, and many are working in vital health care fields. Some health care programs don’t allow students to skip a semester and require clinicals and other summer classes that are crucial to course completion.”
Originally the Foundation allocated $20,000 to help with student relief and now the Foundation has added an additional $10,000 to assist with summer scholarships. “We can only award funds that we have, and we are inviting the community to help by making tax-deductible donations to the Foundation Student Relief Fund,” she said.
One student expressed her appreciation for the grant, saying, “I just want to say a big thank you. My family is very grateful. I appreciate your urgent response to my appeal. May God bless you and the Foundation. I feel very supported and I’m very touched and thankful that Panola College cares about the welfare of her students beyond academics. I am extremely grateful. Thanks again. This means a lot. It will go a very long way.”
A community member who donated to the fund said, “My daughter will complete her first year at Panola in May 2020. Thank you for looking after her and helping her this year. May the Lord keep us all in His hand.”
To apply for these grants, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online. For detailed information and a link to the application form, visit https://www.panola.edu/public-relations/covid19studentrelief.html.
To make a tax-deductible donation to the Panola College Foundation to assist in this effort, log in to Foundation@panola.edu and complete the form. Donations may be made through PayPal, check or money order. Receipts are automatically generated to donors for their tax records. In addition, all donations to the Panola College Foundation qualify for matching grants from employers.
The CARES Act includes a line item allowing people making a cash donation of up to $300 to claim a tax deduction on their 2020 taxes, even if they do not itemize their taxes. “This above-the-line deduction applies to any donations made to tax deductible donations,” Pace explained.
“The Foundation’s Student Relief Fund goes above and beyond what the CARES Act provides. We recognize that the CARES Act won’t alleviate all obstacles our students are facing as they work to complete their education. The Foundation is able to help because of the support from the Designer Purse Bingo fundraiser, and the generous donations from the Sustainers Group, memorial donations and other general donations,” Pace said.
May 4, 2020 - The sold-out Panola College Foundation Spring 2020 Designer Purse Bingo has been canceled because of the coronavirus. Because of the uncertainty in the current environment, and to follow the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, it is with great regret that the Panola College Foundation announces the cancellation of their 2020 Designer Purse Bingo fundraisers.
As the major fundraising event for the Panola College Foundation, Designer Purse Bingo has brought in money to support multiple scholarships and program grants for the College. The loss of this funding will be a hard hit for the College’s scholarship and grant program. Because of the success of this fundraiser in the past, the Foundation has been able to step up a truly serve Panola College students’ needs during this time. The Foundation created a COVID-19 emergency relief fund and has already devoted $30,000 to direct support to our students. Just this month the Foundation has been able to assist almost 75 students with emergency grants.
“We like to express our sincere thank you to all of our past sponsors and attendees who helped make it possible for the Foundation to provide these emergency relief grants to our students,” said Dr. John Ray, Panola College Foundation Chair.
“We are offering full refunds to our sponsors and ticket holders. We recognize that some of our sponsors are small business owners who may need the refund in this critical time and we want to support our community as they have supported us,” said Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement. “Although we won’t be able to gather our sold-out crowd of 600 in the Carthage Civic Center, we’re planning a fun mail-out as a “non-event” fundraiser. I’m already hearing from sponsors and individuals who say they want to contribute their Bingo sponsorships and ticket costs as 2020 donations to the Panola College Foundation, so we want to let them know how much we appreciate this gesture of support.”
Pace said refunds will be returned through the original payment method, by credit card or check. Sponsors and ticket purchasers who wish to convert their purchases to a tax-deductible donation to the Panola College Foundation may send a message to Foundation@panola.edu.
“Anyone who has ever attended Panola’s Designer Purse Bingo knows it would be impossible to maintain ‘social distancing’ when we have a packed house at the Carthage Civic Center. The event has always been so much fun and has been an awesome way to support the college and allow our citizens to meet our students who helped out with Bingo. Yes, it’s sad to have to cancel, but we look forward to the day when we can once again gather safely together, celebrate Panola College, and yell ‘BINGO’,” said Pace.
April 30, 2020 - Panola College Art Professor Amanda Clements’ watercolor and mixed media artwork, “Evening Wildflowers,” is on display at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport, La., as part of “BLOOM! 2020,” a juried exhibition.
“There were 193 submissions, and only 48 selected for the exhibit, so I was thrilled to be included,” Clements said.
Because of the coronavirus, the venue is closed, but the exhibit is showcased online. The Digital Exhibition Catalogue can be found at http://www.rwnaf.org/events.html while the virtual exhibit video is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxbKTj21TJA&feature=youtu.be.
Before the coronavirus crisis, Panola College had planned a field trip to visit the Norton to see the BLOOM! 2020 exhibit and to view the Norton Gardens. The field trip was funded by a grant from the Panola College Foundation.
“I am heavily disappointed that we had to cancel the field trip, but the Gallery has so wonderfully tried to still allow us artists a little spotlight by creating a virtual tour of the works on display,” she said.
Clements teaches art appreciation, drawing, watercolor, acrylics, oils and ceramics to Panola College students.
For the Norton exhibition entry, she chose to work in cyanotype and watercolor. Cyanotype is a printing process that creates a cyan-blue print. She combined both artistic processes to create a mixed media image.
Clements said she grew up watching her mother paint and, with her mother’s help, began working with clay to complete a history project in junior high. That experience sparked her interest in three-dimensional artwork.
“I created a complete Indian village in clay, and later made a Noah’s ark set with the ark and all the animals. I really liked working with the clay that you shaped and then baked in the oven to harden,” she said.
After high school, she started studying pre-med at Eastfield College in Mesquite where she planned to study sonography or nursing. “I was really stressed out in some of those classes, so my mom encouraged me to take a class just for fun,” she recalls. That’s when she rediscovered her love of art.
“In one of those classes, my professor praised my work and told me I should change my focus and major in art. I said, ‘I’m not going to be a starving artist. I need a degree where I can get a job with a steady income.” Her professor persisted and talked to her about opportunities as an art teacher. Clements completed her bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M Commerce and started teaching at Chapel Hill in Mt. Pleasant.
After a summer retreat for art educators at Stephen F. Austin State University, she signed up to be one of the first students in SFA’s new Art Educator’s Master’s Program and completed her master’s degree.
She was teaching art at Hallsville High School when the art professor’s position opened up at Panola College. “I knew from the beginning that I wanted to ultimately teach at a community college. I wanted to do what that professor had done for me. She opened the door for me to realize that I could find success doing something that I love,” she said.
To create the artwork that was selected for the Norton exhibit, Clements painted the chemicals ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide onto watercolor paper in a dimly lit room. Once dry, she was able to add watercolors to the piece. She enjoys experimenting with new techniques and sharing her knowledge with her students.
“I’m usually so focused on being the art teacher that I don’t focus on being the artist. Right now, I’ve set up a place to work in the corner of our dining room. I want our children to be able to watch me work with my art the way I watched my own mom paint when I was a little girl. They’re getting to watch me create, and they have helped me with the cyanotype process, so we’re having fun,” she said.
April 23, 2020 - Panola College will receive a $1,507,332 federal grant to provide direct emergency cash to students, and to cover school expenses related to the coronavirus and COVID-19. The funding is available through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Half of the funding received will provide direct cash payments to students to help with housing, utilities, food, and other expenses they may have incurred during the coronavirus crisis. The application will be available on the Panola College website from April 27 to May 22, 2020.
Eligibility requirements, set by the U.S. Department of Education, are as follows:
- Be enrolled in at least 3 credit hours at Panola College as of March 13, 2020.
- Be enrolled in at least one face-to-face course as of March 13.
- Be eligible to apply for financial aid through FAFSA. (This excludes international, DACA, and dual credit students.)
- Must NOT be enrolled in high school – dual credit students do not qualify.
- Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Must have a valid Social Security number.
- Male students must be registered with Selective Service.
- Must have a high school diploma, GED or have documentation of completion of high school in an approved home school setting.
The online application will be a simple form asking for name, student ID number, and current mailing address. The form will include boxes for applicants to check indicating what financial needs they have that are related to the coronavirus.
Students will have 30 days to complete and submit the form. Once the applications are verified and grant amounts are determined, the Panola College business office will send the funds directly to the students by debit card, direct deposit or check. Students may indicate their choice of fund delivery by logging into their Campus Connect accounts on the Panola College website.
“With this funding, we will be able to award individual relief grants,” said Dr. Greg Powell, Panola College President. “The CARES Act will not only help our students, but the funding will also assist the College in expanding remote learning programs and identifying technology needs that will help us serve our students in the future.”
Panola College recognized early the potential negative impact on students. On April 1, the Panola College Foundation announced a plan to provide emergency financial relief to students through grants from the Foundation.
“We were fortunate to already have the Panola College Foundation step up to provide the first wave of emergency relief to our students,” said Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement. “Now the CARES Act Student Relief Fund will provide additional grant funds to help us implement a second wave of support to our students.”
April 22, 2020 - The Carthage Walmart has awarded a $1,000 grant to support Panola College scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement, announced the grant and said this is the second year in a row the local Walmart has supported the College through the grant program.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Pace said. “With the economic hardships resulting from the pandemic, our students need additional financial support provided through scholarships.”
Walmart grants support and strengthen the local communities they serve, and Walmart employees enhance the program through local giving, volunteerism, and other philanthropic activities.
“It couldn’t have come at a better time,” Pace said. “With the economic hardships resulting from the pandemic, our students need additional financial support provided through scholarships.”
Walmart grants support and strengthen the local communities they serve, and Walmart employees enhance the program through local giving, volunteerism, and other philanthropic activities.
Panola College students may apply for scholarships offered through fine arts or athletic departments. In addition, 142 scholarships have been endowed by the generosity of alumni and friends of Panola College. Endowed scholarships are awarded annually based on financial need, academic standing, and participation in campus programs.
“There is a misconception about community college funding,” Pace said. “State funding for community colleges has dropped to less than 30 percent of the college budget. We rely on private donations to help students complete their education, strengthen our academic programs, and provide faculty members with additional teaching tools.”
To find out more, contact the Department of Institutional Advancement at Panola College, 903-693-2029.
To find out more, contact the Department of Institutional Advancement at Panola College, 903-693-2029.
April 3, 2020 - The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association announced on Thursday, April 2, that Panola College was named as the Southern Region Rodeo of the Year.
“The season ended short, unfortunately, for Panola,” said Coach Jeff Collins. “We are taking two athletes to the college national finals rodeo – Logan Cook in the saddle bronc riding, and Clayton Lowry in team roping.”
Collins said being named Rodeo of the Year for the Southern Region is quite an honor. “It was voted on by all the NIRA students. Our team did an outstanding job of putting on the rodeo in September, and I am very proud of them for that, and for all their actions this season. I expect great things for next year,” he said.
NIRA Southern Region Rodeo had to cancel the final two rodeos of the season as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Standings for the year will be based on the Texas A&M Rodeo held earlier in the spring.
Panola College 2019-2020 Rodeo Team roster includes Cole Bailey, Marshall; Mckynzie Bush, Center; Trace Clark, Center; Michael Mathis Coley, Ringgold, Ga.; Logan Cook, Alto; Madison Davis, Carthage; Maison Davis, Kilgore; Skylar Dawson, Beckville; Michael Deshotels, Cleveland; Peter Fager, Peculiar, Mo.; Bradford Fisher, Liberty; Hannah Goings, Arlington, Ga.; Garrett Golliher, Stoutland, Mo.; Jadyn Gould, Lufkin; Evan Green, Lufkin; Blake Griffin, Center; Isaac Ingram, Basile, La.; Clayton Lowry, Wills Point; Katherine Mackenzie, Grand Prairie; Mackenzie Moore, Camdenton, Mo.; Abbie Muckelroy, Center; Macon Murphy, Keatchie, La.; Rowdy Murray, Marietta; Chance Pruitt, Jasper, Ark.; Emily Ramsey, Marshall; Chase Runfola, Gainesville, N.Y.; Seth Rustin, Nacogdoches; J.D. Spivey, Haslet; Tanzi Stafford, Gonzales; Abbie Suggs, Kirbyville; Daylon Swearingen, Piffard, N.Y.; Kalie Vaughn, Center; Rylee Vines, Lufkin; Samuel Wigans, Goldfield, Iowa; and Michael Womack, Bastrop, La.
April 2, 2020 - Panola College has announced a financial relief package available to assist students who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Students who are enrolled in the spring 2020 semester or who are enrolling in the May, summer or fall 2020 terms are eligible to apply for assistance.
“The Panola College Foundation has voted to establish a fund that will provide one-time payments to students who need help with expenses to complete this semester,” said Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement. “Awards will range from $100 to $250, with a maximum award of $500.”
For detailed information and a link to the application form visit https://www.panola.edu/public-relations/covid19studentrelief.html.
Panola College staff members will review the applications and contact students to discuss their requests for assistance.
Expenses that may be covered by the relief fund include tuition, books and other essential academic expenses; transportation related to academic needs; food and hygiene items; utilities; medications and other costs related to medical care or safety needs.
“We want to eliminate some of the barriers to success that COVID-19 may have created for our students in their educational journey. The awards may be paid directly to vendors where the expenses are incurred, so students will need to submit supporting documents, such as invoices, receipts, unemployment letters or any documentation that directly applies to their request,” Pace said.
To qualify, the financial hardship must have resulted from COVID-19, the expense must have occurred after April 1, 2020, students must be enrolled for at least six semester credits, all other resources must have been considered and found to be insufficient or unavailable, and all questions on the application form must be complete and include supporting documentation. Applications will first be prioritized by students scheduled to graduate in the spring 2020. After this initial phase, awards will then focus on high priority area of studies (nursing, EMS, Health Sciences), students closest to graduation and the most compelling cases.
“The Panola College Foundation has been such an asset to Panola College, and we appreciate their swift action to set aside funds to help establish relief aid to help students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of students that we will be able to serve will depend on the funds available, and we invite friends and alumni to contribute to the effort. We are dealing with an unprecedented event, and we know many of our students and their families are suffering financial hardships right now,” Pace said.
Donations to the fund may be made through PayPal or credit card on the COVID-19 Student Relief webpage listed above. Funds not dispersed for COVID-19 relief will roll over to the Panola College “Feed the Need” and scholarship programs.
March 25, 2020 - The 2020-2021 Panola College scholarship application is now available through March 31. Visit www.panola.edu to apply. Scholarships are open to students attending Panola College during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jessica Pace, Director of Institutional Advancement, encourages students to apply in order to take advantage of this opportunity. “Last year, Panola College awarded over 120 scholarships because of the generosity of our donors,” she said. “This year, we hope to be able to award even more.”
March 18, 2020 - As Panola College continues to monitor the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) the safety of our students, employees, and community remains our top priority. Therefore, Panola College will extend spring break for students Monday, March 23 to Sunday, March 29, 2020, to allow faculty and staff to prepare for providing classes and services online, and to follow the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines regarding social distancing. Courses will resume with online instruction beginning March 30th. Faculty and staff are working hard to try to ensure a seamless transition. To date, there have been no reported COVID-19 cases impacting our students, faculty or employees.
This means that students should not physically report to class in person; however, all students should continue to monitor their Panola College email and Canvas for additional updates from their instructor(s). At this time, Panola College states that all students will have the opportunity to complete this semesters course work.
Classes where the learning is hands-on (e.g., Welding), students will hear from their specific instructors about how the labs and hands-on components will be conducted with social distancing best practices in place.
All Panola College locations will be closed next week to students and visitors as faculty and staff work to transition courses. Offices will reopen with altered operations and limited staffing on March 30th. While the staff remains ready to assist students in person by appointment only, students are encouraged to conduct business via phone call, zoom meetings, and email. Items needed from the Panola College Store may be purchased online at www.panolacollegestore.com and can be shipped or picked up at the door. The fitness center will be closed for the being.
On-campus housing will reopen to students on March 22nd.. With most course instruction moving online, students will have the option to return to or to remain home for the remainder of the semester. All residences should contact Residence Life Coordinator, Katy Chance by email with their intent to return or check-out. The dining hall will continue to provide grab and go meals for residence hall students only, while Charlie’s Bistro will be closed for the remainder of the semester.
Due to the restrictions on event sizes, Panola College is also canceling all events including intercollegiate athletics, performances, student activities, on-campus community gatherings, and commencement in keeping with federal social distancing standards through May 10, 2020. May 2020 graduates will have the opportunity to participate in-person at the fall ceremony and diplomas will be sent via mail delivery to graduates.
Dr. Greg Powell, president of Panola College, recognizes how these changes and cancellations have created uncertainty and disappointment.
“We understand the impact of these decisions and we did not arrive at them lightly,” said Dr. Powell. “These decisions were made with careful thought and consideration of what is most important – the preservation of health and safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the community. These are unprecedented times, but I am confident that we will get through this with the support of one another.”
Further updates will be made available online at www.panola.edu/public-relations/coronavirus, by email, and on Panola College official social media channels.
March 16, 2020 - Due to concerns surrounding COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and in accordance with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Panola College has decided to cancel all community events hosting groups larger than 50 people through April 15, 2020. This decision is made with our students, faculty, staff, and community in mind. Any determination to reschedule these events will be made at a later date.
These events include:
- Designer Purse Bingo - March 27
- Mock Interviews – March 30
- SRTC Open House & Spring Fling – March 31
- Jazz and Piper Show – April 2
- NJCAA athletic events through April 3
- Ballet Austin II – April 7
- College and Career Fair – April 8
Panola College administration is meeting later this week to make determinations in regards to the remainder of the semester. For more information regarding updates from Panola College, please visit www.panola.edu or follow our Facebook and Instagram channels.
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