DSA nominations signal busy PJC graduation week

Published or Revised May 01, 2014

Nominees for the highest student award at Paris Junior College have been selected, just ahead of the busiest week at the College. The winner will be announced during commencement ceremonies at Noyes Stadium at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 9. The four outstanding sophomore nominees include Elizabeth Flick of Blossom, Austen Naron of Paris, Diana Ramirez of Sulphur Springs and Andrew Woods of Paris. Flick is a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and won first place for short story and argumentative/informative essay, and third for narrative in PJC’s Swingers of Birches writing contest. She was on the fall 2013 President's List and nominated to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and as 2014 Miss PJC. She volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, tutors students in Spanish and English, donates blood and works full time at the Vein Neurology and Pain Care Center. After PJC she plans to transfer to a four-year university pursuing her degree in English and Spanish. She has been accepted to Cornell College in Iowa with a scholarship and has also applied to the University of Houston. She plans to study abroad in either Costa Rica or Spain. Her goal is to obtain a Ph.D. in English and work as a professor. She enjoys writing and hopes to publish short stories in the interim. Naron is president of Delta Psi Omega, the two-year college theatre honor fraternity, and very active in community service activities such as painting faces for the Zombie Walk to raise money and coordinating UIL activities. He is heavily involved in PJC’s choir and musical theatre, as well as being very active in the local community theatre. He was named as Outstanding Musical Theatre student for the 2013-2014 school year, and has been accepted to the University of Tulsa as a musical theatre major with a full scholarship. Ramirez is president of the Blend Club at the PJC-Sulphur Springs Center, a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, member of the Student Government Association, and has been nominated to Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. She also volunteered at the PJC service day to paint Noyes Stadium. She is very active in community work through canned food/diaper drives, fundraisers for families in crisis situations, toy drives, cultural awareness events, and went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. She was on the spring 2013 Dean's List and was nominated for both Homecoming 2013 and Miss PJC 2014. She is a first generation college graduate and plans to attend Stephen F. Austin State University as a biology/pre-med student to pursue a medical degree. Woods serves as a tutor in the math center, and was named to the fall 2012 and spring 2013 Dean's List. After PJC he plans to attend the University of Texas-Arlington to pursue his Master's degree in engineering, and then his Ph.D. in mathematics. He would like to teach math in high school. The announcement of DSA nominees always precedes one of the busiest weeks of the year at PJC. Next week several pinning, recognition and graduation ceremonies will be held. First up is the GED Graduation on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. in the Hunt Center. Thursday, May 8, has several events starting with the Jewelry Recognition Ceremony in the Ray Karrer Theater at 10 a.m. The speaker will be Jeff Turner, owner of Jeff’s Jewelry in Conroe, Texas. He is a 1980-82 graduate of PJC’s Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, and began his business in his mother’s garage. His daughter, one of several of his children in the family business, was a jewelry design CAD graduate in the fall of 2013. A pinning ceremony for those receiving certificates in Surgical Technology and Medical Records Coding will take place at 1 p.m. on Thursday in the Workforce Training Center Room 1202. At 5 p.m., Associate Degree Nursing holds a pinning ceremony at Paris Junior High School, and at 7 p.m. Vocational Nursing awards pins at the Hunt Center. PJC Commencement caps the week on Friday at 7 p.m. at Noyes Stadium if the weather is clear or in the Hunt Center if it is rainy.