Shelby County Today

May 21, 2019 - Panola College is proud to announce the names of those students named to the President’s List for the fall 2018 semester. To qualify a student must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours with a grade point average between 3.8 and 4.0. Only courses applying toward an associate degree or certificate are included in the computation.

Louisiana

• Bossier City – Chase Hodges
• Keithville – Yvonne Combs
• Logansport – Kurston Smith
• Mansfield – Jacqueline Files, Kamryn Ford

Texas

• Arlington – Joy Jekayinoluwa
• Avinger – Donna Maples
• Beckville – Ethan Collins, Michael Mize
• Carthage – Shauna Aycock, Christopher Blackmon, Delaina Blackmon, Nash Coultas, Trinity Dayton, Britney Everitt, Krysta Hammock, Esther Hernandez, Kortney Landreneaux, Kristina Mayo, Wayland McLemore, Taylor Mills, Addison Pope, Yareli Salinas Flores, Elva Saucedo, Kaci Williams
• Center – Juan Apolonia, Jonathan Ariza, Kori Bailey-Metcalf, Luz Gomez, Perla Mateos, Jacob Mitchell, Jeniece Moore, Eugene Nunez, Kaylee Parker, Angela Perkins, Nicklaus Powell, Brant Redmon, Sadie Sanchez, Maggie Sims, Mallory Sims, Whitney Thomas
• Cooper – Jacie McGraw
• Cypress – Hayden Collins
• Dallas – Victor Chinaka
• DeBerry – Edward Oden
• Garrison – William Edwards, Shane Iversen, Kirsten Mayfield, Daniel Quetzala
• Gary – Samantha Hay
• Hardin – Ryan Snell
• Henderson – Ezekiel Collins, Reyna Mejia
• Jefferson – Corben Johnston, Lara Padgett
• Joaquin – Sydney Cheshire, Cassie Cox, Milagros Luna, Trista Mustard, Julia Prewitt, Destini Whitehead
• League City – Hannah Floyd
• Marshall – Taylor Clayton, Dominique Espinoza, Somali Fletcher, Robert Kantee, Devin Knighten, Jacob Lambright, Anna Marulli, Leneve Williams
• Midland – Jurnee Williams
• Milam – Brittany Gregory
• Mt. Enterprise – Amber Jones
• Nacogdoches – Emily Hannah, Samantha LaRoche, Mahiko Moreno, Phillip Najvar, Isaac Patterson, Ariel Rodriguez
• Orange – Michael Lee
• Point – Justin Gonzales
• Pollok – Amanda Granger
• Seguin – Michelle Cherry
• Tatum – Macalan Amick, Troy Greene, Lucero Luna
• Tenaha – Christian Ashton, Alan Flores, Katelyn Martinez, Miguel Mendoza, Alayna Scull
• Texarkana – Joe Murray
• Waskom – John Carter, Christy Corliss
• Woodlawn – Cassidy Lonsway

Nigeria

• Lagos – Ibrahim Akande, Boluwatife Babalola, Samiat Fashola

Belarus

• Minsk -- Maryia Adashchyk

Canada

• Mississauga, Ontario – Thomas Grilli

Kenya

• Nairobi – Abigael Joseph

May 14, 2019 - The Panola College Rodeo Team went back into action April 26-27 in Wharton, Texas, and wow was it great!

Panola College Sophomore, Tyler Johnson, dominated the Bareback Riding. Tyler won the event with an 82-point bareback ride. The win just pushed Tyler into more of a commanding lead in the regional standings. Tyler Johnson is the Southern Region Champion Bareback Rider, and will be moving on to the CNFR, in Casper, WY. Coach Collins says “Tyler has worked toward this goal for 2 years. Last year he shattered his leg and was unable to qualify. Tyler will be there and I promise he has done his homework, if you’re going to beat Tyler you better be prepared. He’s definitely on a mission!”

Logan Cook, the 2018 and 2019 All-Around Champion, does it again! Cook won 3rd in the Saddle Bronc Riding were he finished the year in the number 2 position. Logan will be attending his 3rd CNFR, in both the Saddle Bronc Riding and the Tie down Roping. Logan has won both his All-Around titles by competing in 3 events, Tie Down Roping, Saddle Bronc Riding and Team Roping. Jeffrey Collins says “Logan is simply amazing, he can ride, rope and do anything a horseback you ask him to do. He will win a National Title and many more to come. We will miss him when he is gone, and this team is a whole lot better because of his presence here at Panola. I think when you look up the word “cowboy” in the Dictionary there should be a picture of Logan Cook, or as we call him Cookie.”

Jackson Williams took the title home in the Steer Wrestling with a 5.1 second run. Jackson is a Sophomore that will graduate and move on to AUM (Arkansas University at Monticello). Jackson’s win pushed him to 5th position in the Southern Region Standings. Williams weighs about 145 and has been placing in most of his events, and it’s an extremely physical event that is generally dominated by heavy weights.

Macon Murphy, Tie down Roper from Keatchie, La., won 3rd place with a 9.3 second run. Macon has been fighting for a spot in the top three in the regional standings all season. The points he earned at Wharton pushed him into the number 3 position, and he is moving on to the CNFR. Coach Collins says “Macon is a determined hard working young man. His horse is always in good shape and well attended to also. I expect great things from both of them. The great thing is he is just a freshman, and we get him back next year!”

Daylon Swearingen won 3rd in the Bull Riding to clinch a spot at the CNFR as well. Daylon was out first semester with an injury, and had to make up for lost time. Swearingen ended up the season 5th overall in the Bull Riding, enough to qualify as a team member. Daylon is a Sophomore and will be returning next year to compete in all three rough stock events the Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, and the Bull Riding. Daylon also finish 2nd in the Bareback Riding with an 81-point ride. The two placings totaled together helped him to win the All-Around title at that rodeo. 

Campbell Grove, Sophomore moving on to Sam Houston State University, won 3rd in the Girls Barrel Racing. Campbell has been winning on a fairly young horse named P, a 5-year-old. Coach Collins says “Campbell is a great kid that has been a great asset to our program here, we will miss her. I know she has a great future in our sport, and in life. She is an amazing young lady and I am glad we got to be a small part of her life.”

The Panola College Ponies are the 2019 Southern Region Men’s Team Champions! That means 6 men are moving on to the CNFR. Those men are pictured above: Daylon Swearingen - Bull Riding; Logan Cook - Saddle Bronc Riding and Tie Down Roping; Macon Murphy - Tie Down Roping; Ross Freeman - Bull Riding; Tyler Johnson - Bareback Riding; and (not pictured) Clayton Lowry - Team Roping.

Hosted by PBS in Cooperation with the Anne Ray Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

May 10, 2019 - The M.P. Baker Library of Panola College will host an exhibit based on the popular PBS television series, The Great American Read. The program was an eight-part series that aired in fall 2018. It explored and celebrated the power of reading, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved novels as chosen in a national survey. It investigated how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience.

The series was the centerpiece of an ambitious multi-platform digital, educational and community outreach campaign, designed to get the country reading and passionately talking about books. It also launched a book club with accompanying Facebook page and a website devoted to the series that are continuing to reach audience members and book enthusiasts today.

The television series featured entertaining and informative documentary segments, with compelling testimonials from celebrities, authors, notable Americans and book lovers across the country which will be included as part of the exhibit. It was comprised of a two-hour launch episode in which the list of 100 books was revealed, five one-hour theme episodes that examined concepts common to groups of books on the list, and a finale, in which the results of a nationwide vote were announced to reveal America’s best-loved book. The community is encouraged to visit the exhibit to learn America’s choice.

The Library will have the 100 novels on display with accompanying materials from the television series May 13 – August 2, 2019. The exhibit is free and open to the public during the Library’s summer operating hours Monday – Thursday 7:30 am – 5:00 pm, Friday 7:30 am – 12:30 pm. For additional information please call 903-693-2052 or email library@panola.edu.

From left, Darrell Hudson and Dwayne Ferguson were named as the 2018-2019 Faculty of the Year at Panola College.

May 8, 2019 - Dwayne Ferguson and Darrell Hudson were named 2018-2019 Panola College Faculty of the Year at an appreciation dinner on May 2.

Dwayne Ferguson was named Technical Faculty of the Year. In his 27-year career as an instructor at Panola College, he has taught business and computer courses. In addition, he produces the online Panola College Catalog, sponsors an organization for business students, has converted several courses to Open Education Resources, and has worked on the College’s reaffirmation process.

“To his peers, Mr. Ferguson is known as an instructor who goes out of his way to help the students he instructs and advises to ensure their paths to success,” said Natalie Oswalt, Dean of Arts, Sciences and Technology. “He knows the answer to any question other faculty members need help with.”

Darrell Hudson was named Academic Faculty of the Year. Hudson, who teaches biology at Panola, has worked at Panola College for 24 of his more than 30 years in education.

“Mr. Hudson is known as an instructor who always displays a pleasant demeanor, is confident and thorough, patient and kind-hearted, and goes the extra mile before and after class to be sure the students understand the material,” Oswalt said.

Panola College faculty members nominated their peers for the awards, and all faculty members had the opportunity to vote on the nominees.

“Both of these faculty members are passionate about teaching and spend numerous hours throughout the semester to ensure students are successful. Panola College is fortunate to have exceptional faculty members who are centered on student success,” Oswalt said.