Panola College
June 13, 2022 - Panola College is proud to announce Chelsea Hudson as the head coach of the women’s basketball team beginning in Fall 2022. Hudson returns to the College after serving as assistant coach from 2017 to 2019.
Hudson is set to head the program following a successful season as an assistant coach at Tyler Junior College, where the team won a national title. Along with the title, coaching the tournament MVP and NJCAA All-American, Hudson was named the 2022 Texas Association of Basketball Coaches assistant coach of the year.
From July 2019 to 2021, Hudson coached two years at the NCAA Division I level as an assistant coach at Tennessee State University. Hudson, who played four seasons at Tennessee State from 2011 to 2015, is the program’s 11th all-time leading scorer. She also led Tennessee State to an OVC championship and NCAA berth in 2015.
A 2019 WBCA Thirty Under 30 honoree, Hudson went to Tennessee State following two years as an assistant coach at Panola College. In her first year with Panola, the Fillies were the Region XIV regular season champions and earned an NJCAA National Tournament at-large bid. Panola also ranked 19th in the nation during the 2017-2018 season.
Prior to joining the Panola staff, Hudson had a successful stint with Pearl Cohn High School in Nashville, Tenn. Hudson helped lead the girl’s basketball team to a 25-5 record in 2016-2017 while clinching a TSSAA Class AA State appearance for only the second time in school history. Hudson was named District 10-AA assistant coach of the year after coaching the Lady Firebirds to TSSAA Class AA State Runner Up, Region 5-AA Runner Up, District 10-AA Tournament Champions, and District 10-AA Regular Season Champions.
As an undergrad with the TSU women’s basketball team, Hudson’s accolades included All-OVC Tournament team, two-time All-OVC second-team, BoxtoRow All-American and two-time BoxtoRow National Player of the Week. Hudson was also nominated for the NCAA Woman of the Year award and was named the TSU female athlete of the year in 2015, and as of late OVC 2019 legend.
A native of Midland, Texas, Hudson graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Tennessee State in 2013 before earning a Master’s in Education in 2015.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to serve at Panola College, a place I consider home,” said Hudson. “I believe we have the community, facilities, and talent to be successful. I would like to thank the Board of Trustees and all of those I have worked with or under who have helped prepare me for this moment.”
June 9, 2022 - Panola College is in partnership with Shelby County 4-H to offer Culinary and Craft Camp. Classes will be held at the Shelby Regional Training Center.
The camp dates are July 18-21, 2022, from 8am until 12 noon. All participants must be entering 3rd through 7th grades. The cost of the camp is $50.
Students will make their own creative snacks and participate in a variety of activities! Thank you, Center Walmart Community Grant for sponsoring our camp supplies this year!
For more information and to register, contact Shelby Regional Training Center at 936-591-9075 or email ccutsinger@panola.edu.
May 24, 2022 - Panola College is proud to announce the Academic Excellence Award recipients for the 2021-2022 academic year.
The Academic Excellence Awards were created by Charles Moore, a math professor at Panola College for many years. Moore’s goal was to acknowledge students who excelled academically and recognize them with an award for their accomplishments.
Each department or field of study nominates two students who meet select criteria. The student must have, or be completing, 30 hours of coursework and be enrolled in two courses relating to the field in which they are nominated.
The recipients of the 2021-2022 Academic Excellence Awards are listed below, followed by the town they are from, the field of study in which they are nominated, and their professor.
- Austin Adkison, Garrison, Music, Sandra Bauer
- Tayton Best, Henderson, Electrical & Instrumentation, Daniel Hall
- Donna Box, Nacogdoches, Health Information Technology, Lynn Hanson
- Taylor Burch, Center, Occupational Therapy, Terrie King
- Destiny Burton, Mansfield, La., History, Bill Offer
- Jaycee Campbell, Timpson, Biology, Kevin Rutherford
- Dalton Collinsworth, Carthage, Math, Emily Zabcik
- Brandi Creech, Carthage, Office Professional, Dwayne Ferguson
- Abigail Garcia, Carthage, Occupational Therapy, Terrie King
- Levi Grubbs, Carthage, Psychology, Don Cocklin
- Jackelyn Hernandez-Cervantes, Center, Business Administration, Dwayne Ferguson
- Raeann Hernandez, Alvin, Criminal Justice, Mark Dickerson
- Carli Morton, Nacogdoches, Drama, Karen King
- Ashlynn Poland, College Station, Government, Brian Naples
- Jeremy Puckett, Shreveport, La., General Business, Dwayne Ferguson
- Anthony Pugh, Carthage, Electrical & Instrumentation, Daniel Hall
- Abigail Smith, Tatum, Biology, Darrell Hudson
- Lindsey Solis, Beckville, Nursing, Christine Gish
- Blaine Thomas, Allen, English, Jaynellen Wylie
- Tracey Tindall, Waskom, English, Jaynellen Wylie
- Emily Wheeler, Etoile, Drama, Karen King
- Chelsea Whiteman, Haughton, La., Nursing, Joslyn Sullen
May 17, 2022 - Panola College is proud to announce Mike Nesbitt as the head coach of the men’s basketball team beginning in Fall 2022. Nesbitt, who has multiple years of experience at both the NCAA Division I and junior college levels, served as the assistant coach at Panola College during the 2018-2019 season and returns following two seasons at Bradley University.
During his time at Bradley University, Nesbitt held the positions of coordinator of player development and video operations in 2020-2021 and director of basketball operations in 2021-2022. The Bradley Braves enjoyed success on and off the court during Nesbitt’s tenure, finishing the 2021-2022 season with 11 conference victories – tied for its most in the last 21 seasons – while also posting its highest NET ranking in 13 years.
Nesbitt worked with three all-conference performers, one league newcomer of the year, and two all-rookie team selections while at Bradley. The Braves also added six MVC scholar-athlete honorees in his two seasons on campus, the most of any school in the conference during that span.
Prior to joining Bradley, Nesbitt spent the previous two seasons at Panola College and New Mexico Junior College. While at Panola College, he assisted in leading the Panola Ponies to a 23-9 record and a second place Region XIV finish. He served as the offensive coordinator and academic coordinator, while also overseeing the strength and conditioning program and leading the guards in skill development. During his two seasons at the junior college level, Nesbitt coached and recruited seven student athletes that signed with Division I programs.
A native of Evansville, Ind., Nesbitt first entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant at New Mexico in 2016 before spending a year at Southern Utah University. During the 2017-2018 campaign with the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Nesbitt was part of a staff that nearly tripled its Division I win total from the previous season and appeared in the Big Sky Tournament semifinal, a first for the school.
Prior to his coaching career, Nesbitt played three seasons at Missouri S&T before transferring to New Mexico for his final season of eligibility. He started his prep career at Evansville Memorial High School, where he was a second team all-area selection as a sophomore and first team all-conference as a junior.
“I would like to thank Dr. Powell, Coach Don Clinton, and the Board of Trustees. I am very fortunate to have been chosen for this position,” said Nesbitt. “Panola College is a special place and offers a great opportunity for student athletes at the junior college level. I look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence displayed by the previous coaches.”
May 12, 2022 - Panola College’s Shelby Regional Training Center (SRTC) is hosting College Night on Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 5pm until 7pm.
Whether you are returning to learning or a graduating senior you won’t want to miss out on this fun and informative night!
- Assistance with Apply Texas
- Help with Financial Aid applications
- Set an appointment with the advisor
- Schedule TSI testing
- Not sure? Help with career exploration
- Tour Shelby Regional Training Center
- Meet Shelby County instructors
- Learn about programs on all campuses
Snacks and door prizes will be available! Shelby Regional Training Center is located at 678 Roughrider Drive, Center, Texas 75935 or call 936-591-9075 for more information.
Help us be ready for you! While an RSVP is not required, we would appreciate your taking the time to complete a form to let us know of your intention to attend College Night. (https://www.jotform.com/221093751043145)
May 4, 2022 - Panola College hosted its annual ‘Women in Energy’ event on Wednesday, April 27, bringing to campus junior and senior female students from Beckville, Center, Gary, Shelbyville, and Timpson Independent School Districts. The event was an opportunity for students to learn about the energy industry and the possible career paths available to them.
“It was great to see all of these students on campus and learning about what the energy industry has to offer,” said Natalie Oswalt, Dean of Arts, Sciences, & Technology at Panola College. “We hope the students left the event with the knowledge that this path is an option available to them as they look toward their futures after high school.”
Students had the opportunity to interact with female representatives from a number of companies, including Eastman, Estis, Holt Cat, JW Power, Texas Floor, and Yellowjacket. In addition to meeting the representatives, students were guided on a tour of the Panola College campus and took part in activities in the School of Energy’s lab.
Panola College and the School of Energy would like to thank each industry partner as well as the high schools that brought students to the event.
May 3, 2022 - Panola College, at our Shelby College location in Center, is offering Grant Informational Sessions, Tuesday, May 17th at 10am or 1pm for Certified Nurse Aide classes beginning June 6th - July 28th. This class will offer Grant and Self-Pay opportunities. For more information and to register, contact the Shelby College Center at 936-598-9543 or email: tmccann@panola.edu.
May 3, 2022 - Panola College will host a college night at Shelby Regional Training Center (SRTC) on Thursday, May 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to anyone who would like to learn more about what Panola College offers. Those who attend will have the opportunity to win one of three scholarships, which will be given out at random in the amounts of $1,000 and $500.
“Whether you are thinking about beginning your college journey or returning to college after taking a break, you won’t want to miss this fun and informative night,” said Cancee Lester, Director of Shelby County Operations at Panola College.
Those who attend will have the opportunity to learn about the many programs offered in Center, request help with the application process, learn about financial aid opportunities, schedule an appointment with an academic advisor, tour the facility in Center, learn about career opportunities, and much more.
If you plan to attend the event, please complete the short online form at bit.ly/srtccollegenight. Snacks and door prizes will also be given out. Those with questions may contact SRTC directly by calling 936-591-9075. SRTC is located at 678 Roughrider Drive in Center, Texas.
May 2, 2022 - The Panola College Alumni Association is proud to announce Mark Brandenburg, a 1990 graduate of Panola College, as the 2022 Alumnus of the Year. While attending Panola College, Brandenburg was a member of the Panola Ponies baseball team and earned the 1990 all-conference MVP honor along with the Buddy Lowery award. He was also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was involved in the Baptist Student Union on campus.
After graduating from Panola College with an associate’s degree, Brandenburg transferred to Texas Tech University. Upon graduation, he played baseball professionally in both the minor leagues and the MLB over eight seasons with the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox.
Brandenburg grew up in Humble, Texas, and currently resides in Coppell, Texas, with his wife Cristy, where they have lived for their 23 years of marriage. They have four children, Peyton, Ryan Kate, Clay, and Kylee. All four of Brandenburg’s children are active in various sports and activities, and he has enjoyed coaching and attending his children’s many events and activities throughout the years. They are members of Irving Bible Church and are involved with various other local organizations.
Professionally, Brandenburg is a senior managing director in the Dallas office of JLL Capital Markets. He has been involved in commercial real estate since 2000 and his primary areas of responsibility at JLL involve capitalizing commercial real estate with various finance solutions, such as senior mortgages, subordinate debt, and joint ventures.
When asked about his favorite memories while at Panola College, Brandenburg recalled the simple routine of campus life: the help and encouragement received as a student; the smiles received in the cafeteria lines each day from the staff; the excitement of getting a letter from family when notified by the College Store that he had mail; the pizza each Wednesday at the Baptist Student Union; and lastly, most fondly, all of the hours spent with his baseball teammates and coaches.
Today, Brandenburg focuses on his faith and putting it into action in his home life, profession, and through community involvement.
“My time at Panola College was special and helped shape my future during some very formative years as a student away from home for the first time,” said Brandenburg. “Carthage, and Panola College specifically, is a very special place.”
Dr. Berri O’Neal, Panola College Alumni Association chair, will honor Brandenburg with an award on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at the spring commencement ceremony.
April 13, 2022 - The Panola College chapter of Phi Theta Kappa held its spring induction ceremony on April 7 in the Frances B. Ross Ballroom of the Charles C. Matthews Foundation Student Center. The ceremony featured a performance by the Panola Pipers singing group, along with a speech from Sharon Roberson-Jones, the executive director of Excellent Teen Choice.
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society serves to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through honors, leadership, and service programming. To be eligible for PTK membership, students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or above and have completed a minimum of 12 transferable hours through Panola College.
Pictured are the students who participated in the induction ceremony. From left to right, front to back: Krystle Perkins, Gerardo Salgado, Julius Robert Johnson, Mary Wyatt, Emma Rice, Ruth Rodriguez Martinez, Angela Sanchez, Britany Vargas, Andrea Horton, Zachary La Grone, Abby Mercer, Alexander Wohllaib, Ariana Wells, Ashlynn Poland, Ty Ransom, and Tracey Tindall
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