EMCC Student Receives Prestigious Scholarship

MAYHEW, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – An East Mississippi Community College student is among a handful of Phi Theta Kappa members worldwide to earn a prestigious scholarship.

Dixie Morgan, a West Point sophomore at the Golden Triangle campus, received the PTK Oberndorf Scholarship at the international honor society’s convention April 7-9 in National Harbor, Maryland, near the nation’s capital.

This year, only eight Phi Theta Kappa students were awarded the $1,000 merit-based scholarships, which are open to part-time, full-time and international PTK students.

“It was kind of unbelievable,” Morgan said. “I remember applying for it and thinking, ‘I am probably not going to get the scholarship. They are probably not going to look two seconds at my profile.’ I couldn’t even believe it when I got called just for an interview.”

The scholarship is named after benefactors Lou and Rosemary Oberndorf. Lou Oberndorf is the founder of METI, a world leader in medical education technology that is now called CAE Healthcare.

“Dixie was actually brought onstage and recognized during the convention, which was really cool,” EMCC science instructor and PTK advisor Eric Ford said.

During the convention, Morgan met Lou Oberndorf.

“He asked explicitly for her,” Ford said.

“I got to tell him my story, just a brief summary,” Morgan said of her meeting with Lou Oberndorf. “We hugged and I almost cried because it was really emotional. It was really cool.”

Morgan plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology from Mississippi University for Women and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mississippi State University.

She was among nine EMCC students who attended the PTK convention, titled NerdNation, which included educational sessions, regional meetings, competitions and educational forums on topics such as resolving conflicts, professional etiquette and online branding.

Other EMCC students who attended included Leah Bentley of Starkville, Emily Coggins of Starkville, Justin Shinn of Montpelier, Anna Dudley of Scooba, Allison Newton of Columbus, Lisa Patel of Scooba, Shelby Richardson of Macon, and Jared Shaw of Columbus.

EMCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner Jr. also attended, as did Associate Dean of Instruction James Rush.

In addition to Ford, other PTK advisors who attended included Janet Briggs and Derrick Conner.

“It was a truly amazing experience,” Dudley said. “There were so many incredible and inspirational speakers. Our entire officer team attended the conference and I speak for all of us when I say, ‘We had a blast.’

“I am truly grateful to be a member of PTK. It has allowed me to grow as a person and a leader. I can’t say enough about the tremendous opportunities this organization has provided me.”