Picayune student receives competitive scholarship
Published 7:00 am Saturday, October 15, 2016
Picayune Memorial High School graduate, Danielle LeClercq (center), was one of eight students in the state to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. Picayune School District Superintendent Dean Shaw (left) and Picayune Memorial High School Principal Kent Kirkland (right) presented her with the scholarship on Friday.
Photo by Julia Arenstam.
A Picayune Memorial High School graduate was one of eight students statewide to receive a college scholarship from the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents.
Danielle LeClercq began her first year studying architecture at Mississippi State University with the help of her $1,000 scholarship.
LeClercq said she was honored to receive the scholarship and to have been nominated by her principal, Kent Kirkland.
The architecture program at MSU is the only one like it in the state and one of the top programs in the country, she said.
LeClercq found her passion for architecture during her drafting classes at Picayune Memorial High School, she said.
Kirkland said she was one of the top students in her class, graduating as valedictorian last year.
“She has excellent leadership skills…the choice wasn’t hard,” Kirkland said. “She has all the tangible qualities of a great student.”
LeClercq is the first Maroon Tide student to be awarded this scholarship, Kirkland said.
“It’s an honor for our school,” he said. “She represents our school well.”
Dr. Sam Bounds, executive director at the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, said the scholarship is very competitive, only accepting between four and 10 students a year out of over 130 applicants.
The selection committee reviews a student’s high school transcript, ACT score and a personal essay about their career goals, he said.
“This is the cream of the cream of the crop,” Bounds said. “It makes up extremely proud what our public schools are doing to produce this quality of students.”
The scholarships are awarded to each student once the office receives confirmation from their college or university that they are enrolled, Bounds said.
The students are then issued a check to use at their discretion, for books, computers, tuition or whatever else they need for school, Bounds said.
LeClercq returned to her alma mater this week to receive her scholarship from Kirkland and Picayune School District Superintendent Dean Shaw.
“She is a quality, quality student,” Bounds said.
