Media Contact: Cherie Yurco;
CMYurco@DallasCollege.edu
For immediate release — Aug. 25, 2023
(DALLAS) — Three Dallas College students — Demarkus Forrest, Nomvuyo Makhathini and Remington McCarty — have been selected for
2023 Myers-LeCroy Scholarships based on their personal achievements, community contributions and commitment to serve the less fortunate. Administered by Dallas College Foundation, the Myers-LeCroy Scholarship pays for tuition and books for up to six consecutive semesters at Dallas College.
Dallas business leader Mike A. Myers established the scholarship in 1988 to honor friend and former Dallas College Chancellor Jan LeCroy. After Dr. LeCroy died in 2013, his wife, Nancy LeCroy, partnered with Myers to continue the tradition of mentoring recipients about success through life skills and community service.
“It has been my honor and privilege to have played a small part in influencing the personal and professional growth of so many intelligent, talented and exceptional young people for the last 33 years. Getting to know them and continuing to correspond with so many of them for years and years after they leave Dallas College has been a fulfilling part of my life as their mentor,” said Myers.
The 2023 scholarship recipients are profiled below. Two previous Myers-LeCroy Scholarship recipients —
2021 honoree Johnny Rodriguez and
2022 honoree Ligio Muthemba — continue their studies at Dallas College.
Demarkus Forrest
Demarkus Forrest
Due to an unstable home life in California, Demarkus Forrest dropped out of high school in his senior year and started working. At age 19, he moved in with his godparents and restarted his academic journey, earning his high school diploma and taking on a paid three-month internship with a solar panel installation company where his godfather worked.
Through the hands-on internship, he learned customer service and business etiquette as well as the technical skills involved in installation. “I will forever be grateful for that experience,” he said.
Following the internship, Forrest volunteered with summer youth and afterschool programs, where his passion for STEM grew. “Now that I’m 22, I know exactly what I want to do with my life, and that experience helped shape it,” said Forrest. “I got into coding, and that made me hungry to pursue my bachelor’s degree in computer science.” He would like to eventually move back to California and become a software development engineer, ultimately earning a master’s and doctorate at UC Berkeley.
An honor student in both middle and high school, Forrest joined the Dallas College Honors Program in May 2023 with a 3.67 GPA. He has demonstrated leadership as a youth program director, even creating a club to teach Spanish to children.
“My first thought when I received this scholarship was that I was blessed and grateful,” said Forrest. “This scholarship will help ease the financial stress of taking classes every term and will make completing my degree easier, while the mentorship will help mold me for the professional world.”
Nomvuyo Makhathini
Nomvuyo Makhathini
An international student, Nomvuyo Makhathini comes from a disadvantaged area in Harrismith, South Africa. There were many hardships growing up. Her father died when she was just 5. “My mother did all she could to ensure we had everything we needed to succeed,” she said.
“This Myers-LeCroy scholarship means that I will get the opportunity to perform even better and worry less about my financial responsibilities, and I will receive a degree for myself and my community,” she said. Makhathini plans to earn her associate degree in dental hygiene, but she won’t stop there. After three years of working in the field, she hopes to enroll in Texas A&M College of Dentistry to earn her Doctor of Dental Surgery. “I believe getting hands-on experience [before becoming a dentist] is an advantage and will help me learn a lot more.”
“In less-advanced areas of South Africa, dentistry is not taken seriously; people only go to the dentist when they are in pain,” she said. “Upon completing my education, my plans include annual collaboration with schools and dental offices in South Africa to aid and educate underprivileged communities. I want to be able to educate people about the importance of oral hygiene to help prevent gum disease.”
Back in South Africa, Makhathini mentors three girls, helping them with college applications, resumes and motivation. “As a first-generation college student, helping my community is an accomplishment,” she said.
Makhathini recalls her tears of joy upon learning she would receive the Myers-LeCroy Scholarship. “Besides the financial assistance, this scholarship allows me to connect with knowledgeable and wise individuals dedicated to supporting the success of students like me,” she said. “I am deeply humbled to be one of the recipients. The mentorship program will undoubtedly enhance my leadership skills and boost my confidence, enabling me to contribute even more to my community.”
Among her outstanding academic achievements, Makhathini is in the top 10% at the North Lake Campus, on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll and has a 4.0 GPA.
Remington McCarty
Remington McCarty
A recent graduate of Denton Calvary Academy, Remington McCarty received a “Lion Heart Award” for excellence in academics, volunteerism, leadership and extracurricular activities and graduated with a 4.0 GPA. She was captain of her varsity volleyball team. Enrolled in the Honors Program, she will play volleyball for Brookhaven Campus this Fall.
She plans to earn a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education at Dallas College and become a teacher. McCarty wants to inspire the next generation of young people to become lifelong learners. She breaks that goal into two parts: “First, [I want] to create an encouraging and nurturing environment so a student’s first classroom experience will be positive, building a strong foundation for the rest of their academic endeavors. Second, I strive to teach them how to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.”
McCarty has served as president of Silver Saddle 4-H and Honors Society. She led a six-month community service project that collected over 500 pounds of stretchable plastics in partnership with NexTrex. In return, the group received a bench made from recycled plastic, which was donated to an elementary school playground.
“When I found out I had won the scholarship, I was in a state of disbelief, followed by immense relief and excitement for the numerous opportunities that this scholarship provides,” said McCarty. “The scholarship and mentorship will have life-changing effects. I am overjoyed to know the mentors and other recipients, both past and present.”
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About Dallas College
Dallas College, formerly the Dallas County Community College District, was founded in 1965 and consists of seven campuses: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake, and Richland. Dallas College offers online learning and serves more than 125,000 credit and continuing education students annually. Dallas College also offers dual credit for students in partner high schools and early college high schools throughout Dallas County. Students benefit from partnerships with local business leaders, school districts and four-year universities, and Dallas College offers associate degree and career/technical certificate programs in more than 100 areas of study, as well as a bachelor’s degree in education. Based on annual enrollment, it is the largest community college in Texas.
About Dallas College Foundation
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, Dallas College Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 whose mission is to advance economic mobility for students in our community by channeling the power of philanthropy to help Dallas College rise to new heights of innovation, equity and excellence. Since its creation in 1973, the foundation has raised more than $103 million in private donations and distributed more than $65 million in scholarships and grants to support thousands of students at Dallas College.