North Florida Community College (NFCC) received seven nominations for the 2016 Jenyethel Merritt Award for Civic Service and will announce the winner at a public award and celebration ceremony on Saturday, June 25 at NFCC. Dr. Walter L. Smith will be the guest speaker at the Award & Scholarship Banquet. The award honors an African-American woman who has made significant contributions within NFCC’s six-county district – Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee and Taylor County.
Nominees are Sarah Higginbotham, Dr. Rosalie “Rose” A. Hill, Keysha Horn, Deloris M. Jones, Elesta Pritchett, Shirley A. Washington and Flora Woodfaulk.
PUBLIC AWARD &
CELEBRATION CEREMONY:
The public is invited to the Jenyethel Merritt Award and Celebration Ceremony at Van H. Priest Auditorium on Saturday, June 25 at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony will recognize all nominees and end with the announcement of the 2016 Jenyethel Merritt Award for Civic Service winner. Light refreshments will be served. All are invited.
AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP BANQUET:
The Jenyethel Merritt Award and Scholarship Banquet will follow in the NFCC Student Center (Bldg. 9) at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 25. The guest speaker is Dr. Walter L. Smith, former FAMU president and author of “The Magnificent Twelve: Florida’s Black Junior Colleges.” Special music will be provided by Dr. Eugene White, retired music educator and former SRJC band director. Tickets to the banquet are $25 each and on sale now in the NFCC College Advancement Office (Bldg. 32); seating is limited. Proceeds will benefit NFCC scholarships.
The award is named in honor of the late Jenyethel Merritt. Merritt was president of Suwannee River Junior College (SWJC), an African-American community college established by the Florida legislature in 1958 and located in Madison. SRJC operated from 1959 until 1966 when it merged with North Florida Community College. Merritt was Florida’s first woman president of a public community college. She was reputed to be a strong leader who promoted positive college-town relations.
The award ceremony and banquet are part of NFCC’s yearlong celebration of SRJC and the 50th anniversary of SRJC’s merger with NFCC. Visit www.nfcc.edu for more information about SRJC’s history and upcoming events and activities NFCC has planned to celebrate SRJC and its alumni in 2016. For more information, contact NFCC College Advancement at (850) 973-1613 or email news@nfcc.edu.