• University of Central Arkansas student Greta Hacker has been named a 2020-21 Newman Civic Fellow. Campus Compact, a Boston-based nonprofit organization working to advance the public purposes of higher education, recently announced the 290 students who will make up the organization's 2020-21 cohort of Newman Civic Fellows. The 2020-21 cohort is the largest group of Newman Civic Fellows to date. A native of Jonesboro, Hacker is a rising junior majoring in public administration. Early in her undergraduate career, Hacker engaged with UCA's Center for Community and Economic Development as a Community and Economic Development Fellow and later as an intern. In this role, she played a critical part in planning and executing the center's Community Development Institute, as well as organizing multiple poverty simulation events, the goal of which is to raise participants' awareness of the root causes of poverty and provide a platform for discussion. She was recently named Intern of the Year for her work at the center.
• The Mahoney Family Foundation is a Bentonville-based 501c3 organization that provides scholarships to teachers and nurses pursuing advanced degrees. Since its inception in December 2017, it has awarded close to $200,000 to students. The 2020 Summer Semester Scholarship Arkansas recipients, their places of employment and the schools they are attending are: Maghan Evans, Lonoke Primary School, Lonoke, Arkansas Tech University; Angela Holmberg, Bentonville Public Schools, Bentonville, Harding University; Jaime Miller, Springdale Public Schools, Springdale, Arkansas State University; and Sarah Henry, Lowell Elementary, Rogers, Arkansas State University
• Will Wesson was named the recipient of the White County Master Gardener Scholarship in the amount of $2,000. Wesson is the son of Sherri and Kyle Sanders and Jeremy Wesson of Searcy. He is a senior at Searcy High School and is president of the Searcy FFA Chapter. He is a member of the Searcy Leading Edge Trap Shooting Team. He will be attending Arkansas Tech University where he plans to begin work toward an agriculture law degree.
• Mary Katherine McKenzie, a student at Henderson State University, has been awarded the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences Award for a freshman with Outstanding Academic Achievement. McKenzie is a Pre-Health Sciences major. She was nominated by the faculty of the chemistry and biochemistry Department in recognition of her achievements in academics, service and leadership. She is the daughter of Marcy and Jeff McKenzie of Heber Springs.
• The Arkansas State Golf Association and the First Tee of Central Arkansas have announced the winners of the newly established Arnold Palmer Scholarship. The recipients and their colleges of choice are: Max Bell, Benton High School, Arkansas State University; Sydney Czanstkowski, Mountain Home High School, Lyon College; William Monroe, Catholic High School in Little Rock, University of Arkansas; and Brooklyn Waller, Bryant High School, University of Arkansas. After the 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup matches held at The Alotian Club in Roland, the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, together with four members of The Alotian Club, established a scholarship program for recipients to be selected by the Arkansas State Golf Association and the First Tee of Central Arkansas.
• Seth Orvin, son of Clint and Kara Orvin and a junior at Conway High School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. Fewer than half of 1% of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2019, only 4,879 out of nearly 1.8 million students who took the ACT earned the top composite score of 36. The ACT tests in English, mathematics, reading and science, each scored on a scale of 1-36. A student's composite score is the average of the four test scores. The score for the ACT's optional writing test is reported separately and is not included in the ACT composite score. In a letter to the student recognizing this achievement, ACT CEO Marten Roorda stated: "Your achievement on the ACT is significant and rare. Your exceptional scores will provide any college or university with ample evidence of your readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead." The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school.
• The Rotary Club of Sherwood has awarded college scholarships to the following Sherwood seniors: Blakely Baker, Sylvan Hills High School, attending Arkansas Tech University, majoring in biology, pre-vet; Jordan Bentley, North Little Rock High School, attending University of Central Arkansas, majoring in criminal justice; Taylor Bentley, North Little Rock High School, attending University of Central Arkansas, majoring in exercise science, pre-PT; Julianna Smith, North Little Rock High School, attending University of Arkansas at Little Rock, majoring in animal science, equine management; Paeton Tucker, Sylvan Hills High School, attending Lyon College, majoring in education; Brandon Donahue, Sylvan Hills High School, attending University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, majoring in mathematics; Jasmeet Ghotra, North Little Rock High School, attending University of Central Arkansas, majoring in finance; Caleb Morris, Sylvan Hills High School, attending University of Arkansas, majoring in mechanical engineering; and Adams Smith, North Little Rock High School, attending University of Arkansas, majoring in computer science, software development.
• Isabel Farnsworth and Dina Patel, seniors graduating from Central High School in Little Rock, are recipients of Little Rock Civitan's Lewis Starling Memorial Scholarships for 2020. Patel, president of the Central High School Junior Civitan Club for 2019-20, plans to attend the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Farnsworth, vice president, plans to attend Rhodes College at Memphis in the fall. The students were selected in recognition of their leadership in the Junior Civitan service club and dedication to the Civitan focus of providing services to citizens with physical and intellectual disabilities. The Little Rock Central High School Junior Civitan Club, with more than 200 members, is one of the largest junior clubs in Civitan International.
Arkansas Achievers is an opportunity to give recognition to Arkansans for their achievements.
Civilian and military achievements are accepted.
Please follow these guidelines:
Achiever(s):
1) Must be an Arkansan or have graduated from a school in Arkansas.
2) Received an award, scholarship, medal or promotion.
Pageants, deans' lists, graduations or military enlistments are not accepted.
No photographs please.
To submit an Achiever email us at news@arkansasonline.com with the words "Arkansas Achievers" in the subject line.
SundayMonday on 05/24/2020