A faculty member and student, both representing Northwest Mississippi Community College's Lafayette-Yalobusha Technical Center campus in Oxford, have been named the 2006 HEADWAE honorees. Katherine King, an instructor for the Oxford campus, and Darlene Schultz, a sophomore from Oxford, received the Higher Education Appreciation Day Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) honors for Northwest.

On Feb. 28 the two will join other honorees from the state at the capitol where they will be welcomed by the lieutenant governor and recognized in each chamber of the legislature. At the following luncheon the honorees will be recognized by name before guests, institution leaders, corporate sponsors and legislators.

King, who has been teaching mathematics at Northwest's Oxford campus for 19 years, said receiving this honor achieves a goal for her. "It means that I am fulfilling a goal that I am able to teach and see my students interested in the subject," she said. "I can see the learning process taking place in my students' brains. It is a thrill for me."

King received three degrees from The University of Mississippi—an bachelor's degree in secondary education/math; a masters of education in counseling and a masters of science in mathematics.

Besides teaching at Northwest she is an adjunct instructor for The University of Mississippi.

She has served as youth director at the First United Methodist Church and as area director of the American Heart Association. She is active in civic activities. King volunteered for Katrina victims at the Gulf Coast over the Thanksgiving holiday. She is also a math tutor and a volunteer for the Angel Ranch, in Oxford.

King has two daughters—Katherine Murphy and Carolyn May.

Schultz, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, said she is extremely grateful not only for receiving the award, but also for the fact she was nominated. "Receiving this is such an honor," she said. "I feel so privileged they chose me."

Schultz is a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and peer tutor for Northwest while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She is the recipient of The Oxford Center Endowed Scholarship, established by faculty at LYTC.

She resides in Oxford with her husband Brad and children Emily, 13; and Colin, 10.