Pictured (first row, from left): Johnathan Ventura, Emma Mendoza, Araceli Solis, Estefani Garcia. Second row (from left): Alan Garcia, Manuel Ramirez, Hailey Randall, Andrew Higgins, Andrew Perez, and Adam Richards.
By: Dr. Andrew Yox, Honors Director
A recent visit to Google’s Gemini AI noted that NTCC’s honors program “operates like a hyper-focused, varsity academic team.” This unusual formulation would be closer to the mark if it read “scholarly” rather than “academic,” but it does seem to be a testament to the number of times NTCC students are cited for works of research. The 18th McGraw Hill Poster Contest at the Whatley Foyer on 8 May 2026 again attested to the program’s spirit of scholarly competition, and commitment to high-stakes research. Entering the contest, six of the ten participants had already won cash awards for the topics they presented. All except one—the one non-honors student, Alan Garcia, had presented their work previously, and in most cases, in scholarly venues. The contest was greatly aided by judges who over the years have felt right at home with high-speed quizzing, and quests to distinguish what these student scholars have discovered, as opposed to what they may have just learned.
Athena Hayes, NTCC’s Coordinator of Academic Readiness, and an associate faculty member who presided over the contest noted: “The research these students are doing is very impressive for the community college level and rivals some of the work done at four-year universities. It is wonderful we have opportunities like this on our campus to showcase student achievement.”
For the first-time in NTCC’s history, a single student came in first-place, two years in a row. In 2022 and 2023, Skylar Fondren came in first, and then, in her sophomore year, second; in 2018 and 2019, Matthew Chambers came in first, and then, second likewise. But in both 2025, and 2026, the college’s current Gladys Winkle Scholar Emma Mendoza, bested all other contestants. Mendoza, who has already won a Caldwell first-place on the state level, and a Britt Award on the regional level for her work on Texas’ woman on the U.S. Quarter, Jovita Idar, was ready. Her remarkable research, which include readings from Spanish publications late in Idar’s life, questions the official criteria that were used to accord Idar, this honor.
In Second Place, NTCC’s Dr. and Mrs. Bradly Witt Scholar, Estefani Garcia, showed again that the college’s recent research forays in biology have not been in vain. Her work on the relationship between bacteria, dissolved oxygen, and pH in freshwater ponds in Northeast Texas had the perspective of excursions to several regional watercourses. In third place, NTCC’s James and Elizabeth Whatley Scholar, Andrew Higgins examined a succession of brink events which could have turned out slightly differently during the years Texas won its independence and then voted to become annexed by the United States. Finally, Presidential Hailey Randall came in fourth with her work on the contentious relationship between the State of Texas and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In 2018, when the contest was low-scaled to prevent ties, no one received a grade of 11 or 12. This was true as well in 2020, 2021, and 2022. To receive an eleven, a student and their poster must be considered not just exemplary, but a paragon in two of three categories--scholarly originality, persuasiveness and over-all oral and visual impact. three years ago, Alyssa Breann Ochoa wowed the judges with a 11.6 average, the highest score ever recorded. Last year, all the scores fell below 11, but this year, Mendoza achieved an 11.1 one of the highest scores ever achieved.
The particular élan of the contest, and the opportunities presented for student growth arise each year because of the quality of the judges. According to Honors Director, Dr. Andrew Yox, “recruiting judges for this contest is one of the most challenging jobs of my position. Judges need to be widely knowledgeable, acutely smart, unbiased as to which student wins (and this disqualifies all current NTCC faculty), and willing to spend a few hours of a Friday in May making this event possible. This year, Andrea Reyes a member of NTCC’s first, 2007 class of Presidential Scholars—a former Hughes Springs valedictorian, served as adjudicator and judge. This is the 13th time that Reyes has served in this capacity, more than any other judge through the years. Other judges included: Dr. Elaine Beason of Mount Pleasant who taught formerly at Texas A&M, Texarkana, and has judged eight times, Zach Branham, the college’s Community Engagement and CARE center coordinator, and who judged for his first time, Michelle Calderon, a former Gordon Graham Scholar on the national level and NTCC Presidential Scholar, who recently graduated from UT Tyler, and judged for the first time, Lisa Ellermann, long term coordinator at Region 8 Education Service Center of Texas, who has judged ten times, Dr. Chuck Hamilton of Mount Pleasant who also teaches as an online professor at the Texas A&M University of Central Texas, and has judged three times, Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery of Mount Vernon who have been the foremost patrons of the contest through the years, and have judged the contest ten times, and Neida Perez, former member of the All-USA Team on the national level, and NTCC Presidential Scholar who recently graduated from UT-Tyler, who judged the contest for the first time
The awards for this contest have also done much through the years to heighten competition and help those scholars who excel. The McGraw Hill Corporation’s Dubuque office, thanks to officials such as Casy Slaght, and Bill Welsh allowed the contest for many years to offer one of the highest first—place awards for a collegiate poster contest, in the nation. Through most of the series, however, Jerald and Mary Lou Mowery and their circle of friends have made this special merit dynamic possible. The awards, from $400 to first place, to $100 for fourth, currently exceed the combined amount of awards given by the National Collegiate Honors Council, the regional honors councils, the Texas State Historical Association, the Alliance for Texas History, and the Red River Symposium for similar contests.
NTCC professors such as Dr. Andrew Daniel, Dr. Melissa Fulgham, Dr. Chris McAllister, and Dr. Andrew Yox played crucial roles in mentoring and inspiriting the students to prepare for the poster contests this year.
The contest each year is open to all high school and collegiate students in the region. Among the winners, Mendoza and Garcia reside in Mount Pleasant, Higgins in Franklin Couty, and Randall, in Naples.
