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Paris Junior College’s Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology held its spring semester award and recognition ceremony Thursday in the Ray Karrer Theater for students completing jewelry technology, gemology, bench technician, computer aided jewelry design and casting.
Shannon Calloway, TIJT instructor, introduced Megan Thorne as keynote speaker. Thorne, originally from Texarkana, Texas, is a 2004 graduate of PJC’s jewelry program who has had a phenomenal career. Founding her own company in 2007, Megan Thorne Fine Jewels in Fort Worth, Texas, she is both owner and designer.
“It was nine years exactly since I was sitting in these seats when I graduated from PJC in 2004,” Thorne said. “You are getting such a fantastic foundation of understanding for how jewelry is made.”
She explained how many kinds of jobs are open to those getting the different certificates. Whether working at a small or chain jewelry store, large retailer or repair companies, independent design companies, gem sales, wholesale or retail sales, there are a lot of opportunities. CAD companies and laser welding specialty companies need workers. Companies need knowledgeable sales people at shows and technology representatives to visit stores. Watchmaking skills are in high demand at factories.
“It’s an exciting time to be entering the jewelry industry and with so many possibilities for careers you have the opportunity to excel in whatever area that appeals to you, so find out what you love and specialize in just that,” Thorne said. “When you love what you do, when you find joy in challenges and when you really pursue knowledge you’ll become the type of jeweler who will always be able to find a team and a home and a livelihood. With so much uncertainty in the marketplace, having a real skill to work from is a fantastic safety net.”
The Stuller Awards for Excellence given by Stuller, Inc., of Lafayette, La., provides company credits to aid graduates in obtaining needed supplies. Stuller, Inc. is a company supplying tools, findings, and materials needed in the industry. The $500 Platinum Award went to Haley E. Hughes of Quitman. The $300 Gold Award was given to Steven L. Duncan of Houston. The $200 Silver Award was presented to Kerby Daniel Dewbre of Morton. Jesse Melissa Berry of White Wright was awarded the $100 Bronze Award.
Gemology graduates include Shirley Kanton of Greenville; Crystal Spencer of Lubbock; Jessica Whitney Walla of Bedford; Cynthia D. Hill of Hooker, Okla.; and Hannah R. Beaman of Brayton, Iowa.
Jessica Suzanne West of Cooper and Steven L. Duncan of Houston completed the Jewelry Technology program.
Receiving Bench Technician certificates are Cole Mark Love of Talpa and Maria Nelsen of Clearwater, Fla.
Computer Aided Jewelry Design graduates include Brandon Darryl Jones of Paris; Ryan Kathleen Harmon of Dallas; Kerby Daniel Dewbre of Morton; Miranda Marie Wiedenfeld of Nederland; Jesse Marie Berry of White Wright; Hannah E. Pickett of Wylie; Ricardo Ruiz of Duncanville; Angelica L. Guevara of Laredo; Raul Flores, Jr. of San Antonio; and Jorge Cunha of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Casting certificates were presented to Brandon Darryl Jones of Paris; Haley E. Hughes of Quitman; Jessica Suzanne West of Cooper; Ryan Kathleen Harmon of Dallas; Ricardo Ruiz of Duncanville; Crystal Spencer of Lubbock; Jessica Whitney Walla of Bedford; and Josephine Lynn Pavlica of Winterset, Iowa.
The overall winner in the Student Association Design Contest was Steven L. Duncan. Duncan also won first place in Finished Pieces. Hannah Beaman won the Beading contest. First place in Rendering went to Jessica Walla. The Wax Carving winner was Melissa Walden. Cynthia Hill won first place in Lapidary Arts. First place winner in Art Metals was Ryan Harmon. Hannah Pickett won first in in the CAD Finished Piece category. The CAD/CAM winner was Raul Flores, Jr. First place in the Steam Punk category was Ryan Pagoria. Ryan Klimas won first place in the newly added Restoration category.
Following ceremonies the graduates joined family and friends for a reception.
TNSA Appreciation Award winners
Paris Junior College’s Heath Occupations Department held pinning ceremonies and handed out awards to sixty-four students receiving certificates in vocational nursing May 9 in the Hunt Center.
The Hopkins-Nicholas Award for outstanding performance in both classroom and clinical training went to Kimberly Baldwin of Greenville and Misty Pyron of Sulphur Springs. Pyron also received the award for highest grade point average. Matt Cox of Brookston and Kathy Stacey of Greenville were each given the Metamorphosis Award for exhibiting the most growth through the entire vocational program. Two students, Caryn Garnett of Caddo Mills and Amie Thomas of Campbell received the Texas Nursing Students Association appreciation award for outstanding participation.
Perfect attendance awards went to Julia Acosta of Pickton; Karen Boyd of Sulphur Springs; Sandra Cashion of Detroit; Sydney Cunningham of Paris; Kala Jackson of Sulphur Springs; Amanda Janes and Liz Nichols of Paris; Staci Osornio of Sulphur Springs; Misty Pyron of Sulphur Springs; Ashley Reppond and Lance Reppond of Como; Mark Self of Paris; Paul Soccio of Greenville; and Pat Zeigler of Lone Oak.
Clinical achievement awards went to Billie Broge, Briana Brooks, and Christal Thomas of Greenville; Jennifer Dunn of Quinlan; Tara Gross of Cooper; Megan House of Paris; Leslie McMahan of Caddo Mills; Karli Scott of Wylie; and Amie Thomas of Campbell.
Graduate vocational nurses and their hometowns are:
Paris: Bart Benefield, Alejandra Chavez, Sydney Cunningham, Raven Gomez, Megan House, Amanda Janes, Salena LeJeune, Liz Nichols, Mark Self, Isabel Torres, Lacy White
Blossom: Molly Pylant
Bogata: Sam Austin, Greg Sherrill
Brookston: Matt Cox
Caddo Mills: Caryn Garnett, Leslie McMahan
Campbell: Amie Thomas, Jennifer Whitlock
Commerce: Emily Murdock, Cynthia Vaughan
Como: Tiffany Eversole, Ashley Reppond, Lance Reppond
Cooper: Tara Gross
Cumby: Sarah Hall, Juliet Norsworthy
Deport: Kim Combs
Detroit: Sandra Cashion
Greenville: Kim Baldwin, Edna Belcher, Billie Broge, Briana Brooks, Britny Cleveland, Jennifer Dunn, Jennifer Ludford, Paul Soccio, Kathy Stacey, Christal Thomas
Honey Grove: Amy Gaither
Lone Oak: Pat Zeigler
Pickton: Julia Acosta
Quinlan: Stevie Aaron, Laura Duke
Quitman: Julia Syozitaro
Reno: Brittany Enox, Justin Enox, Amber Rhone
Roxton: Marlena Murphy
Sulphur Springs: Karen Boyd, Cassondra Donald, Kathy Froneberger, Jennifer Gleason, Wes Harrington, Carol Hill, Kala Jackson, Amy Morris, Staci Osornio, Misty Pyron, Amy Ridner, Jennifer Stinnett, Tyler Usher
Sumner: Lynnsie Lane
Wylie: Karli Scott
LVN Perfect Attendance Award winners
LVN Clinical Excellence Award winners
LVN Award winners
Forty-seven Paris Junior College associate degree nursing students received pins during ceremonies held at Paris High School Weger Auditorium on May 10.
Louisa Kessel
Louisa Kessel, St. Joseph’s Community Foundation Executive Director, congratulated the PJC associate degree-nursing candidates and presented them with a rose when they received their pins. She did the same at the pinning ceremonies for PJC’s surgical technology, medical records coding and vocational nursing programs held that day.
The Academic Achievement Award for highest grade point average went to Julie Mynatt. The Outstanding Clinical Student Award went to Sarah Pearson.
The Metamorphosis Award for exhibiting the most growth through the entire program went to April Morales. Student Choice Award went to Erin Smith.
Perfect attendance recognition went to Ashley Booker, Yariza Castillo, Brandi Evans, Adriana DeLawso Gonzalez, Rebecca Grantham, Veronica Lambert, Jessica Layton, Diana Marsh, Kay Martin, April Morales, Erin Smith, Jana Warren and Carolyn White.
Representatives of the Texas Nursing Students’ Association presented a special recognition award to their sponsor, PJC nursing instructor Kay Miller, and her husband Steve.
Graduates and their hometowns include:
Paris: NuQuilla Allen, Shandie Blackmon, Kelsey Briscoe, Katie Cannon, Adriana Gonzalez De Lawson, Bobbi Jo Hair, Brandi Johnson, Rachel Keenum, Jessica Layton, Whitney Palmer, Amanda Pruett, Tera Smith, Angel Torres-Carmona, Amy Whitlatch, and Ashley Woodard.
Arlington: Jared Ondieki
Arthur City: Yvonne Morton
Bailey: Kay Martin
Blossom: Erin Smith
Bogata: Jillian Ross
Brashear: Britney Bowen
Brookston: Deborah Sain
Commerce: Diana Marsh
Cooper: Chelsey Tippit
Cumby: Brandi Evans
Cunningham: Jenna Pynes
Deport: Kelti Mowery, Casey Rose
Dike: Jana Warren
Greenville: Ashley Booker, Yariza Castillo, Brandi Cody, Ashley Esquibel, Becky Grantham, Michelle Hebert, Lisa Minchey, Julie Mynatt, Carolyn White
Hugo: Tammy Rangel
Klondike: April Morales
Lake Creek: Sarah Pearson
Melissa: Terry England
Roxton: Joni Wilson
Sulphur Springs: Tammy Gatlin, Veronica Lambert, Jalayne Minter
Yantis: Teresa Starrett
Miller TNSA Appreciation Award Winners
Associate Degree of Nursing Award Winners
Associate Degree of Nursing Perfect Attendance Award Winners
Lamar County Crime Stoppers, Inc., recently made a generous donation of $7,500 to create an endowed scholarship at Paris Junior College.
The Lamar County Crime Stoppers, Inc. scholarship gives preference to local students active in high school Crime Stoppers organizations in Lamar County.
Pictured are (from left): Crime Stoppers executive director Buddy Heuberger, Crime Stoppers treasurer Doreen Ruthart, PJC President Dr. Pamela Anglin, Crime Stoppers board member Rudy Kessel, Crime Stoppers board president Sally Wright, and PJC Institutional Advancement/Alumni Affairs Director Derald Bulls.
Vrba explained that the coding program trained students to take the physician’s diagnosis and turn it into a five-digit code. The code specifies the type of operation or procedure. Those receiving certificates will sit for the national Certified Coding Associate examination.
Graduates of the Coding program (photographed above) and their hometowns are: Kristina Covert and LaTosha Turner of Paris; Kimberly Allen of Blossom; Sandra Edwards of Greenville; Kelly Madrigal of Wolfe City; and Teresa Ogletree of Quinlan.
The Medical Records Coding Program at Paris Junior College is approved by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and is one of only three approved programs in Texas.
AHIMA states: “Medical coding is the transformation of verbal descriptions of diseases, injuries, and procedures into numeric or alphanumeric designations. Delivering quality healthcare depends on capturing accurate and timely medical data. Currently, reimbursement of hospitals and physician claims for Medicare patients depends entirely on the assignment of codes to describe diagnosis, services and procedures provided. Medical coding professionals fulfill the need as key players in the healthcare workplace.”
Graduates of the Surgical Technology program (below) and their hometowns include: Rebecca Dupree and Ronny Hill of Paris; Kelly Ferguson of Blossom; Thomas Murphy of Roxton; Tamra Holmes of Detroit; Carley Vaughn of Deport; Chantelle Brinkley of Cooper, Jordan Stafford of Clarksville; Amanda Fisk and Grace Parker of Cumby.
Gilbert explained that surgical technicians assist doctors and nurses and play an integral role in the operating room. They assure there is a sterile field for patients from entering to leaving surgery. They set up and pass instruments to the surgeons and anticipate what the surgeons will need, and help control patient blood loss.
Those receiving certificates have completed the curriculum accredited by the Council of Allied Heath Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Medical Records Coding cutline: Paris Junior College’s medical records coding program held a pinning ceremony to recognize students receiving their certificates. Shown from left are Kelly Madrigal, Kristina Covert, LaTosha Turner, Kimberly Allen, Sandra Edwards and Teresa Ogletree.
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