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Northwest announces 2018 HEADWAE honorees

Senatobia, MS (02/15/2018) — Northwest Mississippi Community College recently announced its 2018 HEADWAE honorees. The HEADWAE student is sophomore Gavin Brown, who attends Northwest's DeSoto Center, and the HEADWAE faculty member is Sarah Holt, science instructor at DeSoto Center.

HEADWAE stands for "Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence." The award was established by Mississippi Legislative Resolution No.88 in 1987 to annually honor academically talented students and faculty members of Mississippi's higher education institutions who have made outstanding contributions in promoting academic excellence. Brown and Holt were honored at the 30th annual HEADWAE program in Jackson on Feb. 21.

Brown, who is studying computer science at Northwest, lives in Olive Branch. Brown graduated with honors from Lewisburg High School in 2016 and received a Presidential Scholarship to Northwest. During high school he received awards in several art competitions. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. Brown is the son of Darrell Keith Brown. He is planning to become a computer programmer and software developer.

Corinth native Sarah Mattox Holt is in her eighth year as an instructor at DeSoto Center. Holt received her Associate of Arts in biological sciences from Northeast Mississippi Community College, her Bachelor of Science in secondary education, biology and Master of Science in secondary education, biology from Mississippi State University, where she was a graduate assistant in 2002.

Holt's teaching career began as an instructor at Itawamba Community College (ICC) where she taught science classes from 2003-2006. She served as an online ICC instructor for the Mississippi Virtual College from 2004-2012. Prior to coming to Northwest, she worked as an associate clinical research specialist, training and development manager at Medtronic Spinal and Biologics. She was a recipient of the Medtronic "Pat on the Back" award and a Medtronic Circle of Excellence nominee. Holt taught science classes at Southaven High School from 2009-2010. In 2010, she began teaching science classes at DeSoto Center. She began teaching online classes for Northwest in 2012. She is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, the Mississippi Science Teachers Association, and the Society for College Science Teachers. Holt is a PTK adviser at DeSoto Center.

Holt is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education from the University of Mississippi. She and her husband Lee reside in Nesbit. She is involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and animal rescue.

For more information about Northwest DeSoto Center, call 662-342-1570 or visit www.northwestms.edu.

Pictured: Northwest Mississippi Community College's 2018 HEADWAE teacher Sarah Holt, DeSoto Center biology instructor (left) and student Gavin Brown, a sophomore studying computer science at DeSoto Center (right) were honored on Feb. 20 in Jackson. HEADWAE (Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence) was established by Mississippi Legislative Resolution No. 88 in 1987 to annually honor academically talented students and faculty members of Mississippi's higher education institutions who have made outstanding contributions in promoting academic excellence. (Photo by Carroll Huebner)

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