Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

College News

Shannon C.Hicks, a senior at Nevada High School, has been awarded a leadership scholarship to Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. To be nominated for a leadership award, students must exhibit exemplary leadership skills, have a 3.0 or better grade point average and score above a 21 on the ACT. The award has a value of over $900 per academic year.

Hicks is the son of Ronnie and Vicky Hicks of Rosston.

Brandi Jester, a senior at Blevins High School, has been awarded a technical scholarship at University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. The scholarship is based upon the ACT and grade point average plus a recommendation from a school official.

Jester is the daughter of James and Susie Jester of Prescott. She will be pursuing a degree in the LPN program.

Charlene McLelland, a senior at Prescott High School has been awarded a technical scholarship at University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. The scholarship is based upon the ACT and grade point average plus a recommendation from a school official.

McLelland is the granddaughter of Maurice and Dorothy McLelland of Prescott. She will be pursuing a pre-bachelor degree in nursing.

James `Jim' Sidney Purtle, son of Charles and Jane Purtle of Prescott, was recently inducted into Beta Bamma Sigma, the national academic honor society for students of business administration. This is the highest national scholastic honor that a student in a school of business can achieve.

At the business administration honors banquet on April 17 he was also recognized as one of the top three finance students for this academic year. He was selected to be a member of a portfolio class during the 1996-97 school year -- which is by invitation only -- that manages a portfolio for the Unviersity of Arkansas that is currently worth over $850,000.

During his college years Purtle has been president of Buchanan-Droke Senate; vice president of Alpha Kappa Psi, a business fraternity; treasurer of Gladson-Ripley Hall Senate; member of Beta Alpha Psi and Golden Key National Honors Society. He participated in the Arthur Andersen Tax Challenge in Kansas City and was on the dean's list for five semesters.

He earned the freshman academic scholarship for four years; the Ethel Harper Phillips scholarship for three years; the Betty Clark Banking Scholarship for one year; and the Arkansas Banker's Association Young Banker's Scholarship for one year.

He will graduate May 10 cum laude with a degree in financial management.

Members of the Prescott-Nevada County class attended the fifth annual Leadership Arkansas Alumni Conference on April 1-2 at the Riverfront Hilton in Little Rock.

Leadership Arkansas was established in 1987. Since then more than 1,500 Arkansans have taken advantage of this unique training program to enhance their leadership skills.

Each April the annual Leadership Alumni Conference brings graduates back together to hear motivational speakers, share successes, network and participate in additional leadership training sessions.

Members also attended the 10th anniversary celebration for Entergy's Teamwork Arkansas luncheon on April 2 at Little Rock's Double Tree Hotel with Gov. Mike Huckabee as the keynote speaker.

Teamwork Arkansas helped attract more than 62,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment in new industries and business expansions in its first 10 years.

"Teamwork Arkansas represented the boldest single economic development effort undertaken by the private sector when we began in 1987," Mike Maulden, director of economic development for Entergy Arkansas, said. "Our agenda for a second decade is equally dynamic. We plan to continue working with allies in business, government and local communities to foster even more significant, positive developments."