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ICC to honor five during Homecoming, Oct. 5

               Itawamba Community College will honor its 2023 Alumnus of the Year, Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, Distinguished Service and Young Alumnus of the Year award recipients during Homecoming activities, Oct. 5, at the Fulton Campus.

 They include Ret. Col. Sheldon Morris of Oxford, Alumnus of the Year; Anthony Brock of North Little Rock, Ark. and David Schumaker of Jacksonville, Ala., Athletic Hall of Fame; Donna Thomas of New Albany, Distinguished Service award; and Mari-leen (Linkie) Marais of Fort, Lauderdale, Fla., Young Alumnus of the Year award.

            Morris, who is the executive vice president for programs at Delta Health Alliance, completed 22 years of honorable service as the Military Deputy Director for the Army Profession and Leadership. He began his career in the 3rd Brigade, 1st calvary Division at Fort Hood, Tex. A 1997 graduate of ICC, he earned the bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and the master’s degree from the U.S. Army’s Command General and Staff College. His activities at ICC included wide receiver for the football team (statistician during his red-shirt year), Fashion Tribe, Baptist Student Union and Gospel Sounds. His honors include multiple awards and distinction from the U.S. Army. In 2010, Morris was named the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient. He served on the Ole Miss Alumni Board of Directors from 2018-20. He and his wife, Chelsea, have two children, Lauren and Dylan.

            Brock earned the associate’s degree from ICC and the bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama. A member of the ICC men’s basketball team, he also played at the University of Alabama. Brock was named National Junior College Athletic Association All-American second team in 2008. His 36 points in a game against Copiah-Lincoln led to ICC’s winning its first state championship in 40 years in the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Tournament. He went 10 of 11 at the free throw line in that win. He was the Region 23 Player of the Year and was selected compete as a member of the North Team in the MACJC All-Star Basketball game. Brock served as head coach and trainer for Team Arkansas, which he also organized.  In addition, he hosts Skills and Drills youth camps. He and his wife, Lora, are the parents of Miyah Brock and baby Brock, who will join the family in November.

            Schumaker, who attended ICC from 2008-10, earned the bachelor’s degree from Atlanta Christian College. His work history includes The Little Tree Preschool and Head Start Preschool. Schumaker played soccer at ICC, where he was nationally ranked (top 2) in goals, assists and points during both years and earned All-Region 23 Player of the Year honors. In 2007, he was first in career assists (as well as four in one match) and career points as well as goals, assists and points in a season. He ranked no. 2 with 31 career goals. Additional honors included top three finish in scoring, points and assists in the nation in his final season at ICC. His team was the first in program history to receive votes in the NJCAA poll, best winning percentage in program history for a season, most wins and fewest losses and a team-record 73 goals and 68 assists. Schumaker was invited to play overseas. He and his wife, Bethany Warren, are the parents of Austin, Abbey and Alexis.

            Marais has been a yacht chef/private chef/travel chef since 2018. She also conducts demos and cooking classes/appearances at high end events around the country and is an influencer for Big Green Egg. Noteworthy events in her career include finalist on Food Network Star season 8, feature in People Magazine, FireMasters Season 3, menus and desserts for Barack Obama and John McCain during the 2008 presidential debate, lunches for Colin Powell, the 8oth birthday cake for Franki Valli and contracts on the yacht of Jack Nicklaus and other high- end customers. Marais earned the associate’s degree from ICC and the bachelor’s degree from MUW. Her ICC activities were Indian Delegation, Dance Line, CenterStage, choir, Miss ICC pageant and the 2004 Homecoming Court. She is engaged to Justin Flanagan.

            Thomas has been a member of the ICC family for more than 50 years, serving as producer of an adult education newspaper, which was distributed throughout Appalachia; continuing education director; journalism instructor; director of media relations; director of public relations and currently, director of communications. She has been the adviser for both the Chieftain, college newspaper, and the Mirror, college yearbook, which have won multiple awards from the Mississippi Press Association. Thomas is secretary of the ICC Alumni Association and treasurer of the College Public Relations of Mississippi, from which she has received numerous awards. She earned the associate’s degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College and the bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi. In May, she was awarded ICC’s first Golden Employee Award.

            The award recipients will be honored during a special ceremony at 4 p.m. at the Davis Event Center and presented during the ICC/Mississippi Delta pregame activities, which begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, email maupton@iccms.edu or call (662) 862-8035.



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