Student, faculty member honored as William Winter Scholars
Senatobia, MS (03/02/2023) — Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomore Samantha McCauley-Swaim and humanities instructor Renee O'Neill were recently honored as William Winter Scholars and attended the 34th Annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration Feb. 23-24 in Natchez. The award, named in honor of former Mississippi Gov. William Winter, is given to outstanding students and faculty members in the humanities from the state's colleges, universities, and community colleges.
McCauley-Swaim served as drum major for the 2022 Northwest Ranger Marching Band and as co-drum major of the 2021 band. Studying general college with a 3.7 GPA, she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Gamma Beta Phi honor societies and is president of the Ranger Book Club. She works as a writing consultant at the Northwest Writing Center, where she helps other students develop and improve their writing skills. She is a 2021 honor graduate from Hernando High School. She plans to transfer to Mississippi State University and major in architecture.
"Samantha has been an outstanding musician and leader this year for the Northwest Ranger Band," said Northwest Director of Bands Timothy Garrett. "She has served the last two years as drum major and has proven herself to be a great communicator to students and staff members in her role. She excels in the classroom and in all facets of campus life. It has been a delight to have her serve the Ranger Band as our most visible leader and role model student. Next year as Samantha moves on to Mississippi State, she will be greatly missed and leaves giant shoes to fill."
O'Neill, an English faculty member on the Oxford campus, has been teaching at Northwest for 19 years. She graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Arts in English and history from The University of Mississippi in 1988 and earned her Master of Education in English from Delta State University in 1989. She is a member of the Two-Year College English Association of Mississippi (TYCAM). She was named the college's HEADWAE faculty honoree in 2015 and received the President's Customer Service Award that same year.
"We were delighted to hear that Renee was selected as a William Winter Scholar," said Dr. Don Jones, dean of the Oxford campus. "Her commitment to education and to her students goes beyond the classroom. She has long understood that education isn't just what happens in the classroom and that it encompasses the whole person. In addition to her heavy involvement in on-campus student activities, she is a tireless advocate for student emotional and mental health support."
William Winter Scholars were recognized as a group during the event's opening ceremony by Copiah-Lincoln Community College President, Dr. Jane Hulon Sims, Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson, and Copiah-Lincoln Natchez Campus Vice President Sandra Barnes.
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Northwest Mississippi Community College sophomore Samantha McCauley-Swaim (left) and English instructor Renee O’Neill were chosen to represent Northwest as William Winter Scholars Feb. 23-24 at the 34th Annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration. Photo by Scarlett Hart/Copiah-Lincoln Community College
Northwest Mississippi Community College
Andrew Dale, Associate Vice President of Community Relations, adale@northwestms.eduShare this Story
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