Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

College News

Jason Don Wilkerson, a 1999 graduate of Smackover High School, has accepted an academic scholarship to the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway beginning this fall.

UCA awards academic scholarships, renewable for four years, based on ACT score and class rank, as well as National Merit and National Achievement competition.

Wilkerson will receive the Trustee Scholarship for tuition, fees, room, board and a $1,000 yearly stipend. He received a $2,000 travel abroad scholarship from the UCA Honor's College. He also received the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship in the amount of $1,500 renewable for four years. This scholarship is given to only 63 graduating high school seniors in the state of Arkansas for academic achievement.

Wilkerson was president of the senior class, a member of the Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Art Club, is a National Merit Commended Student, received the Chamber of Commerce Senior Leadership Award and attended Boys State.

He is the son of Jerry and Lynda Wilkerson of Smackover and the grandson of Pearl Taylor of Prescott.

Wilkerson plans to major in international trade.

Shannon Michelle Morrow, a graduate of Prescott High School, has also accepted an academic scholarship to UCA, beginning with the 1999 fall term.

Morrow will receive the University Scholarship for tuition and fees.

She is the daughter of Mike and Sharon Morrow of Prescott.

She was secretary-treasurer of the National Honor Society, a member of the Student Council, Future Business Leaders of America, Future Homemakers of America, Honor Roll, Key Club, Color Guard and Four States Honor Band, received the Rotary Award and Kiwanis Award, made all-region in band, was chosen an outstanding senior, graduated with highest honors and was a delegate to Girls State.

She plans to major in occupational therapy.

Elizabeth Purtle from Prescott is among 1,436 students enrolled for the summer semester at Oklahoma State University in Okmulgee.

OSU-Okmulgee is the only college in Oklahoma established specifically for technical education. It offers college-level technical and occupational programs of study in 11 major disciplines.

Students graduating from OSU-Okmulgee can earn an associate in applied science degree and be certified by the college's unique graduate performance guarantee.

Purtle is enrolled in legal secretarial technology.

Lindsay Graham, daughter of Sammy and Nancy Graham of Mustang, Okla., has recently graduated high school.

She is the granddaughter of Bobby and Hazel Graham and Florence Cornelius and the late Roy Cornelius of Prescott and great granddaughter of Flosie Childers of Prescott.

Graham maintained a 3.0 GPA in high school. She was a member of the Mustang varsity tennis team, where she played number one singles her senior year.

In the fall she will be attending Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, where she has received over $3,000 in scholarship money.

Richard Derek Helms, a 1999 graduate of Arkadelphia High School, has been awarded the Cargill Scholarship for the 1999-2000 school term. The $1,500 scholarship is given to high school seniors who plan a study in the agriculture sciences.

Helms, who has been awarded the Clark County Fair Board Scholarship and an academic scholarship through Farm Credit Services, is enrolled in Henderson State University this fall, and plans to transfer to the University of Arkansas to complete a degree in animal science.

An active 4-H member for 10 years, Helms has won many awards and was named the 1998 outstanding 4-H boy in Clark County. He has been a member of the Arkadelphia High School band for six years, a member of the AHS jazz band and he is a member of the choir and discovery youth group at Baring Cross Missionary Baptist Church in Arkadelphia.

Helms is the son of Richard and Sandra Helms-Browning of Arkadelphia. His grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hicks of Caney and Mr. and Mrs. Ross Helms of Arkadelphia. His great grandparents are the late Mr. and Mrs. M.H. Hicks and the late Mr. and Mrs. Harl Lee Glass.