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“We had a regularly scheduled administration meeting on that Friday before the storm struck and we did not appear to be in the cone. Just before I left for the day, I checked my email and there was an update detailing a turn to the north, and of course, we know what happened,” Dr. Lewis recalled. “It was devasting to see our campus basically decimated, losing five buildings. The most amazing thing was we had just dedicated our new chapel building on campus and it was basically untouched. We didn’t lose a shingle,” Dr. Lewis said. In 2011, The Ethel Holden Brownstone Center for the Performing Arts was opened. The facility showcases PRCC fine arts programs and provide a state-of-the-art venue for performances by local, regional and national groups. It took four years to settle with the insurance company on the claims filed and approximately eleven years to finally finish the rebuilding process which also included some upgrades. “The silver lining in the storm for PRCC was that it helped us in our efforts to create the most beauti- ful community college campus in the state!,” Dr. Lewis stated. The formation and success of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute has elevated Pearl River to a new level in the eyes of students and academic community on national level. “I believe it was Dr. Becky Askew and I who initially discussed the concept and we kept trying to figure it out, because it would give us an attraction for a high quality of students who were motivated toward academic and career success. In the past, quite often, most of those students were looking for those opportunities at four-year schools and colleges. This would give us something to recruit those students to at Pearl River,” Dr. Lewis shared. “I stayed close to it and I felt it was something we really needed. The challenge was meshing it with the Phi Theta Kappa program, and we finally came to the realization that one could compliment the other, and we could have both programs without either being a distraction.” Dr. Lewis asked Dr. Askew to chair the work with the internal committees and faculty to iron out the process. The results were the formation of a highly recognized Honors Program that is enhancing the academic careers of Pearl River students. “The idea was to connect our students in the program with highly successful people so that they might be inspired to emulate these role models and their careers. That’s where the Honor Symposium came from, and the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation support made it happen. It has turned out real well allowing us to bring in nationally known speakers and ensure there is direct interaction between those speakers and our students.” One of the things Dr. Lewis really is thrilled about was the nationally renowned Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholar- ship recipients at PRCC. “Pearl River became one of the first Mississippi colleges to have its students receive these prestigious scholarship awards. We are talking anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 for the students to continue their education at places like Harvard, Columbia, as well as the Mississippi universities,” he said. “The Honors Program is making a huge difference in the lives of the students who are now electing PRCC as their higher education institution of choice. The commitment of our faculty to this program has been amazing and is changing the lives of the participating students. I am honored to have my name associated with the program.” Lewis also said the success of athletic programs means a lot to him, especially being a former coach. “At Pearl River, we have high achieving, highly motivated, ambitious people, but we always focus on doing it the right way and staying within the boundaries,” Lewis shared. 20 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Winter 2020-2021 Dr Lewis with long-time board member Charles Speed.