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$1 million 2+2 Scholarship Initiative announced
By Darrin Devault
03/08/04
Northwest Mississippi Community College and the University of Mississippi have taken a significant step to ensure more DeSoto County residents an opportunity to earn a college degree without ever leaving the county's borders.
Funds raised from the new 2+2 Scholarship Initiative will benefit DeSoto County's traditional and nontraditional students seeking college degrees through the 2+2 Program at DeSoto Center, an innovative academic collaboration between Northwest and UM.
The goal is to raise $1 million within five years-primarily from businesses and individual donors in DeSoto County-to be shared in two endowments: $250,000 to support the freshman and sophomore years at Northwest and $750,000 to complete the junior and senior years through Ole Miss.
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Northwest Mississippi Community College President David M. Haraway (right) speaks with 1st District Sen. Robert Chamberlin during a gathering of 70 state legislators touring DeSoto Center as part of Legislative Weekend in DeSoto County March 6. Officials announced the 2+2 Scholarship Initiative, a campaign to raise $1 million for scholarships for students enrolled in the 2+2 Program, an educational partnership between Northwest and the University of Mississippi. Photo by Julie Bauer
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A $100,000 gift by the Hernando-based Maddox Foundation serves as a major springboard for the 2+2 Scholarship Initiative announced March 6 by representatives of each institution.
The initiative was announced to some 70 Mississippi legislators who toured DeSoto Center to see the center's expansion progress as part of "Legislative Weekend in DeSoto County."
"This endowment campaign might be a 'first' in the nation between a community college and a four-year university where resources are pooled and the proceeds divided to help both institutions provide scholarships for students," said UM Chancellor Robert C. Khayat.
Northwest President David M. Haraway said the partnership between Northwest and Ole Miss serves as a unique model for other community colleges and universities in Mississippi.
"I think our situation can be viewed as a model for the rest of the state as to how a community college and a university can and should overcome and cast aside 'turf protection' and other obstacles in the interest of pooling resources to serve our constituents in the best way possible," Haraway said. "I'm proud Northwest is a part of this wonderful effort."
Leaders of Northwest and the University of Mississippi aren't waiting until the $1 million fundraising goal is reached to assist deserving students. In fact, the Maddox Foundation gift is already making a difference for Northwest pre-nursing student Terry Nolen of Olive Branch. Nolen, a sophomore with a 3.89 grade point average, is a current recipient of the Maddox Foundation DeSoto Center 2+2 Endowed Scholarship.
Nolen, 43, has long dreamed of a nursing career but an unfortunate accident in 1983 put her plans on hold until last year. Her story is a compelling reason to support funding for higher education.
She and her husband, Lee, had been dating for only a month when they were broad-sided by another vehicle while driving to Florida. The accident left Lee permanently paralyzed from the waist down.
The Nolens married a year later, and Lee became a stay-at-home father to Terry's daughter from a previous marriage. Terry went to work as the family's breadwinner, spending 16 years in church administration before beginning a position as a medical receptionist at Family Cancer Center in Olive Branch.
"We don't have anything extra in our budget," Nolen said. "For us, (the Maddox scholarship has) been a godsend. It's been a relief not to worry about where the extra money will come from."
"It's been a lifelong dream to have a nursing career," Nolen said. "I just got derailed taking care of my husband and raising my daughter. A nursing degree will also help with my husband's long-term needs."
After completing the pre-nursing curriculum at Northwest, Nolen plans to enter the Ole Miss nursing program at DeSoto Center, located at 5197 W.E. Ross Parkway in Southaven.
Furthermore, Nolen already has a nursing job offer waiting with her current employer. "I would love to stay in oncology," she said. "It's a ministry. God has put me in a position to where I can bring a smile to the patients' faces and make what time they've got here enjoyable and a blessing."
Hernando dentist Dr. Bob Seymour, his wife Shirley, and their daughter Holly are serving as co-chairs of the 2+2 Scholarship Initiative. They head a broad-based group of leaders in DeSoto County including County School Superintendent Milton Kuykendall, who co-chairs the committee that will seek contributions from county businesses.
"The DeSoto County School District is the second largest and the fastest-growing school district in the state," Kuykendall said. "We are hiring approximately 150 new teachers a year just to keep up with the growth!"
"This new program will assist our district in providing scholarships to students planning on pursuing a career in education," Kuykendall continued. "We are thrilled to have this opportunity and honored to participate."
Other volunteer leaders include Jerry Pitts of Hernando, business gifts co-chair, Ben and Gail Smith of Southaven, major gifts co-chairs, and Mike and Debra Herrington of Olive Branch, annual gifts co-chairs.
The 2+2 Program at DeSoto Center offers more than a four-year college degree. It offers choice and flexibility, benefiting both recent high school graduates and people who would not be able to pursue a four-year degree through a traditional route.
Working students can choose from an array of morning, afternoon and evening classes. Full-time parents can opt for the numerous online courses offered. People seeking second-career options have a variety of academic and pre-professional majors that are convenient and accessible.
A record-setting 6,538 students enrolled at Northwest last fall, and 35 percent of the college's students (2,314 students) attend classes at DeSoto Center. The University of Mississippi has 622 students enrolled at DeSotoCenter this spring.
For more information about the 2+2 Scholarship Initiative, contact Sybil R. Canon, director of Northwest's Foundation, at (662) 560-1103; Richie Lawson, Northwest-DeSoto Center dean, at (662) 280-6122; or Dr. Bonnie Buntin, director of The University of Mississippi-DeSoto Center, at (662) 342-4765.
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