By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
Albert Einstein once noted that creative people see what others see, they, however, think differently about it. During the past fall semester, two first-semester Honors Scholars in the NTCC honors program, Honors Northeast, conceptualized and thought their way into preeminence, emerging as fall showcases of achievement at NTCC. Both Andrew Higgins and Estefani Garcia exhibited a level of academic excellence equivalent to the top-tier of the NTCC honors program. The Honors Committee of NTCC, therefore, has recently promoted the two to the rank of Presidential Scholar. With this, their institutional honors scholarship tripled, and their possibility of winning other amenities and awards greatly improved.
The Honors Program at NTCC is composed of two levels, Presidential Scholars, and Honors Scholars. The ten scholars of the former group are now generally winning either a regional or national accolade during their two-year stay at NTCC. For example, the four graduating Presidential Scholars in the spring of 2023—Chapin, Diaz, Fondren, and Sears--had between them an All-USA Team award, a Coca Cola Gold, four presentations of the National Collegiate Honors Council, three East Texas Portia Gordon Awards and a publication. The five graduating Presidential Scholars of the spring 2024—Calderon, McGraw, Perez, Smith and Watkins had between them an All-USA Team, a New Century Award, a Gordon Graham, a Leader of Promise, and two presentations at the NCHC. However, the Honors Scholar-group at NTCC, the second tier, is also composed of a competitive group of rising scholars. This made the accomplishments of Garcia and Higgins doubly significant.
In addition to impressive GPAs which both have cultivated at NTCC, both wrote significant article-length essays in the fall. Higgins’ work on space and religion is a Boe nominee of NTCC for the competition of the Great Plains Honors Council in March. Garcia’s work on Mary Kay and the question of motivation has been submitted for a Caldwell Award that will be announced, 1 March in Houston at the meeting of the Texas State Historical Association.
Honors Director, Dr. Andrew Yox notes that it “was exciting watching the successes and examining the ideas of Garcia and Higgins in research. Both excelled not only in erudition, but in scholarship. They acquired an expertise that gives them something to talk about, and I believe we will be hearing more of what they have to say in the months ahead.”
The parents of Estefani are Rogelio Garcia, and Virginia Vazquez of Mount Pleasant. The parents of Andrew are Ryan and Allison Higgins of Mount Vernon.
Applications to enroll in the coming 2025-26 school year of Honors Northeast can now be made directly at www.ntcc.edu/honors One may also address questions to Dr. Andrew Yox at ayox@ntcc.edu. The due date for honors scholarships is 1 March 2025.
