PRAM Awards $1,500 in Scholarships
Thursday, November 13th, 2008Scholarship Winners Recognized
PRAM-MS Beach recognized its 2008 scholarship recipients during its October meeting.
Carmelita Hanshaw, recipient of the chapter’s $1,000 Thomas V. Fredian Memorial Scholarship, is a graduate student pursuing her master’s degree in public relations at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast campus. Hanshaw earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Dillard University in 2004.
Hanshaw is currently employed as a program officer for Enterprise Corporation of the Delta and HOPE Community Credit Union, where she is responsible for outreach in the lower three coastal counties, developing partners and providing financial literacy. A dedicated volunteer in the community, Hanshaw serves as treasurer for the Biloxi Branch of the NAACP, entertainment committee chair for Coastal Women for Change, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., member of the National Council for Negro Women, Urban Coast Connection and the National Alumni Council.
Jace Ponder, recipient of a $500 scholarship, is a student at the University of Mississippi working toward a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Currently, Ponder serves as a staff reporter and photographer for the Daily Mississippian, the campus newspaper. Among many other accomplishments and activities during his undergraduate years, Ponder is a former AmeriCorps member, completing more than 1,700 community service hours during a 10- month commitment. While serving with AmeriCorps, Ponder handled media relations for the National Civilian Community Corps service group based out of Denver, Colo.
Upon receiving the scholarship, Ponder said “having this scholarship would ease the stress of working long hours part-time to pay rent, tuition and book fees. Money for tuition would allow me to focus on my studies and afford me time to work with the Daily Mississippian.”
“Jace and Carmelita are outstanding examples of the next generation of public relations professionals, and we are pleased that we can support their studies as they pursue degrees in the field,” said Kristie Aylett, APR, chapter president.
The PRAM-MS Beach chapter has awarded scholarships to Southern Miss students since 2001 and established a second scholarship for students attending Mississippi universities and residing in Hancock or Harrison counties in 2006.
The chapter established the USM scholarship in memory of Thomas V. Fredian, a founding member, senior practitioner and chapter president who died in 1999. In honor of the chapter’s 15th anniversary this year, the chapter doubled the amount of the scholarship given in his memory to $1,000.