MDCC inducts incarcerated students into Mississippi’s first prison-based Phi Theta Kappa chapter

MOORHEAD, Miss. (VDN) — Mississippi Delta Community College marked a historic milestone May 14 at the Mississippi State Penitentiary by inducting incarcerated students into the state’s first Beta Omega Beta chapter, a part of Phi Theta Kappa, composed entirely of inmates.

Speakers at the event included Marcus McClure, superintendent at the Mississippi Department of Corrections; Dr. Ben Cloyd, vice president of effectiveness and enrollment at MDCC; Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council; Yolanda Houston, director at the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison; Kell Smith, executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board; and Dr. Steven Jones, MDCC president.

Dr. Valarie Morgan, MDCC’s vice president of instruction and provost, assisted by Assistant Director of Admissions Valerie Wilbert and MDCC instructors, presented students with certificates recognizing their academic achievements. Carla Falkner, project coordinator for the Mississippi Humanities Council, followed with the presentation of Humanities Council certificates.

Morgan, joined by Wilbert and MDCC English instructor Candy Wheat, led the PTK initiation ceremony. The new Beta Omega Beta chapter inductees were welcomed with remarks from Dr. Ryan Ruckel, who attended with his wife, Dr. Terri Ruckel. The couple serves as PTK regional coordinators for the Mississippi-Louisiana region.

The program also featured remarks from MDOC student representative Domiano Ratliff and Mississippi House Corrections Committee Chair Rep. Becky Currie. Several other state legislators attended, along with Bill Crump, staff member for U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. The event concluded with a closing prayer from Chaplain Reginald Watts.

“MDCC’s Student Achievement Ceremony at the Mississippi State Penitentiary is always a welcome moment for us to gather with key partners and celebrate the hard work of students at Parchman throughout the academic year,” Cloyd said.

“I am incredibly honored to be part of this meaningful work,” Morgan said. “The students we serve at Parchman inspire me with their resilience and commitment to growth. I’m proud of each of them, and of our MDCC team, whose dedication makes this possible. We are also grateful for our partners—the Mississippi Humanities Council, the staff at Parchman, the Department of Corrections, and the Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison—whose support is vital to this initiative.”

“The student achievement ceremony was one of the most rewarding experiences of the semester,” Jones said. “Recognizing the academic accomplishments of our students at Parchman on behalf of our board, faculty, and staff is incredibly meaningful. Many are Phi Theta Kappa members, and they are overcoming challenges with determination.

“I can’t thank our partners enough—MDOC, the Humanities Council, the Consortium for Higher Education in Prison, the Woodward Hines Education Foundation, and the Mississippi Community College Board. We look forward to hosting our first commencement at Parchman this fall, a historic moment as we prepare to celebrate 100 years of service to our communities.”

Carrie Bennett, MDCC history instructor, who has taught at Parchman for six years, said, “It’s a privilege to teach American history and government to our Parchman students. They’re consistently my highest-scoring students. My favorite part of each class is discussion time. Teaching them is a joy—and I’ve learned from them, too.”

Since launching its prison education program in spring 2021, MDCC has remained focused on offering high-quality, transformative education to incarcerated students. This year’s event marked another milestone in that effort.