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\nThe scholars each receive $32,000 for four years of undergraduate study
\nwith a major in international studies. The Croft Institute was created
\nin 1997 through a $60 million gift by the Joseph E. Bancroft Charitable
\nand Educational Fund and ensures that students are prepared for
\nleadership in business, public service, education and other fields with
\na deeper knowledge of an increasingly interdependent world.\n<\/p>\n
\n“This year’s crop is an amazingly bright group of students,” said
\nDirector Kees Gispen. “Every year I marvel at the depth of talent and
\npromise of Croft’s entering cohort. This was another banner year –
\nstudents with grades and test scores that rival those at the top
\nuniversities in the nation.\n<\/p>\n
\n“Some of these young Croft scholars already are accomplished
\nspeakers of Spanish or French even before they enter the program.
\nOthers have tested out of required classes, such as calculus and
\nEnglish, and can go straight into second-year courses at Croft, such as
\neconomics and political science.”\n<\/p>\n
\nThe new Croft Scholars are Michael David Anderson of McComb,
\nJacqueline Grace “Jackie” Boyce of Oxford, Isaac Alan Lichlyter of
\nAlabaster, Ala., Timothy “Sean” Ray of Southaven, Arlissa Nicole Sneed
\nof Pontotoc, twin sisters Alexandria Marie “Lexi” Thoman and Victoria
\nLeigh “Tori” Thoman of Chesterfield, Mo., Anastasia Artiom Varenita of
\nHazelhurst, Charles Scott Woods of Madison and Sarah Katherine Woods of
\nRidgeland.\n<\/p>\n
\nTo complement their international studies major, Croft Scholars
\nchoose a regional concentration and foreign language. Choices for the
\nnew cohort are Spanish for Lexi Thoman, Varenita, Charles Woods and
\nSarah Woods; Russian for Lichlyter and Ray; German and Russian for
\nBoyce; French for Sneed; and German for Anderson. Tori Thoman is
\nstudying in UM’s Flagship Chinese Program, the only college-level
\nChinese program in the state. Also, Anderson and Ray have declared
\npublic policy leadership as a second major.\n<\/p>\n
\nCroft Scholars who are also members of UM’s Sally McDonnell
\nBarksdale Honors College include Boyce, Ray, Lexi Thoman, Tori Thoman,
\nVarenita, Charles Scott Woods and Sara Katherine Woods. Anderson,
\nLichlyter, and Sneed are considering joining the Honors College next
\nyear.\n<\/p>\n
\nAnderson graduated from McComb High School, where he ranked
\nseventh in his class of 174. He was named a Leadership Conference
\nScholar and chosen for Who’s Who for Academics and Who’s Who in America
\nfor both English and science. He received the AP English III,
\nPsychology, Geography and Citizenship awards. An All-American Scholar,
\nhe was granted the Scholastic Achievement Award for State Testing. He
\nparticipated in American Legion Boys State, a Congressional Forum with
\nLead America and the American Legion Boys Nation as one of two state
\nsenators. At MHS, he lettered in varsity soccer and golf and was chosen
\nBest Actor in a Character Role in a musical production. His community
\nservice included helping coach Upward Basketball, participating in
\ncleanup in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, assisting at Camp
\nSunshine for the mentally challenged and working with Operation
\nChristmas Child. He is the son of Henry and Tammy Anderson.\n<\/p>\n
\nBoyce, a graduate of Oxford High School, ranked ninth in her
\nclass of 188. She spent the 2007-08 school year in Germany as a
\nparticipant in the scholarship-based Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange
\nProgram. At OHS, she was a member of the band, debate team, Anchor Club
\nand Delta Epsilon Phi, German national honor society. As a science fair
\nparticipant, she won Best of Fair at the regional level, placed third
\nin the state and served as an alternate at the International Science
\nFair. Active in Girl Scouts for more than a decade, she won Bronze,
\nSilver and Gold awards. A member of the Mayor’s Youth Council, she
\nserved as its co-chair. She participated in the 2007 Oxford-Lafayette
\nJunior Leadership Program and was named outstanding leader of the
\nclass. Her parents are Priscilla Hamric and Steve Boyce; her
\nstep-parents are Ed Koen and Bonnie Wilson.\n<\/p>\n
\nLichlyter graduated from Hope Christian School with a 4.0 GPA.
\nHe participated for five years in the local Speech and Debate Club,
\nwhich is affiliated with the National Christian Forensics and
\nCommunications Association. He competed four years at the NCFCA
\nNational Tournament, winning third place in Team Policy Debate and
\neighth place in Extemporaneous Speaking. In regional debate
\ncompetition, he was twice named both Policy Debate Champion and
\nExtemporaneous Speaking Champion, and once Original Oratory Champion.
\nFor two years, he was a state finalist in the National Geographic
\nSociety Geography Bee. He played on several teams in tennis league
\ncompetition and in singles tennis tournaments. A longtime Boy Scout, he
\nattained the rank of Eagle Scout and served as senior patrol leader. He
\nhas been a volunteer with the National Weather Service Forecast Office
\nin Birmingham and with the local Albert L. Scott Library. He is the son
\nof Phillip and Lisa Lichlyter.\n<\/p>\n
\nRay graduated from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and
\nScience, where he was emissary and Model UN vice president. He was a
\nmember of the school’s Quiz Bowl team that was named the 2009 state
\nchampion. In the United States Institute of Peace National Peace Essay
\nContest, he won first in the state and third in the nation, which
\nearned him a $3,500 scholarship. A member of the National Honor
\nSociety, his other school activities included member of the marching,
\nsymphonic and concert bands, and manager of the soccer team. His club
\nmemberships included those in Science, Foreign Language, Middle Eastern
\nStudies, Classic Rock Appreciation and Chess. His parents are Todd and
\nDonna Ray.\n<\/p>\n
\nSneed graduated first in her class of 106 at North Pontotoc High
\nSchool, where she played on the varsity soccer and softball teams and
\nwas captain of the school’s first cross country team. A member of the
\nNPHS band and the National Honor Society, she belonged to the Beta
\nClub, Science Club and Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society. She
\nserved three years on her school’s Scholar’s Bowl, including two years
\nwhen the team won the championship round in competition at Itawamba
\nCommunity College. A 10-year piano student, she received superior
\nrating by the National Federation of Music Clubs for seven consecutive
\nyears. She represented her school at the American Legion Auxiliary
\nGirls State, where she was elected a top eight official. As a member of
\nthe Pontotoc County Youth Leadership Class, she helped organize a
\ncountywide Clean Sweep for litter collection. She also volunteered with
\nHabitat for Humanity. She is the daughter of Harold and Denita Sneed.\n<\/p>\n
\nLexi Thoman graduated from Lafayette High School in Ballwin,
\nMo., ranked No. 40 in her class of 460. She received the Renaissance
\nAward, which acknowledges one graduate who demonstrates a passion for
\nscholarship, athletics, leadership and excellence in the arts. She
\nbelonged to the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta. A member of
\nthe International Thespian Troupe, she won the Honors Thespian Award.
\nShe belonged to the Lafayette Theater Company and operated the
\ntheatrical lighting for her school’s theater department. A member of
\nthe LHS cross country and varsity track teams, she was a four-year
\nwinner of both the Gold Level Scholar Athlete Award and the Gold Level
\nRenaissance Award. Her community service included volunteering for the
\nSt. Louis Marathon, Project Backpack, and Project Mittens and Gloves.
\nLexi is the daughter of Deborah Lynn Thoman and Philip Edward Thoman.\n<\/p>\n
\nTori Thoman also graduated from Lafayette High School, where she
\nwas an Academic Excellence Honors Scholar and Missouri Bright Flight
\nScholar. Ranked No. 24 in her class of 460 students, she received the
\nGeorge Washington Carver Award, United States President’s Award for
\nAcademic Excellence and AP Scholar with Honor Award. A member of the
\nschool’s cross country and track and field teams, she was a four-year
\nwinner of the Gold Level Scholar\/Athlete Award, Gold Level
\nScholar\/Artist Award and Gold Level Renaissance Award. She was a member
\nof the National Honor Society, Key Club and Lafayette Theater Company.
\nIn community service, she was a volunteer for several projects,
\nincluding Crisis Nursery Diaper Drive, St. Louis ScholarShop, Public
\nBroadcasting Station’s “Arthur in the Park” and Knights of Columbus.
\nTori is the daughter of Deborah Lynn Thoman and Philip Edward Thoman.\n<\/p>\n
\nVarenita was born in Moldova and moved to the United States with
\nher family when she was 11 years old. She graduated No. 1 in her class
\nof 40 at Copiah Academy. In MPSEA State Overall Betterment Competition,
\nshe won first place in world history in both 2007 and 2008, and third
\nplace in English I in 2006. In MPSEA District IV Academic Betterment
\nCompetition, she won first place in English and third place in American
\nHistory in 2006. She placed third in the 2007 Life Changes Literary
\nCompetition at the McClean Fletcher Center in Jackson. At Copiah
\nAcademy, she won Teacher’s Choice Awards in English, video journalism,
\nchemistry, history and algebra, and she was a member of her school’s
\nQuiz Bowl team and chapters of Mu Alpha Theta, Senior Theta and
\nEnvirothon. In 2005, she attended UM’s Trent Lott Leadership Institute
\nfor Rising Ninth Graders. She received a Mississippi Eminent Scholars
\nGrant and Sam Walton Community Scholarship toward college expenses. In
\ncommunity service, she helped with Chautauqua Park Christmas
\nDecoration, Jingle Bell Walk and Flower Beds Project. Her parents are
\nNatalia Tkachenko and William Lowenkamp Jr.\n<\/p>\n
\nCharles Woods graduated from St. Andrews Episcopal School. A
\nmember of the National Honor Society, he was named an AP Scholar with
\nDistinction. He received the Watson Quality Ford Home Team Hero Award
\nand Scholarship, AP Human Geography Book Award, International Relations
\nBook Award and James Parham Evans III Prize for AP U.S. History.
\nLettering four years in both varsity football and baseball, he was
\nnamed All Madison County Team (senior), All District First Team
\n(junior) and All District Second Team (sophomore, senior) in football;
\nand All District First Team (senior) in baseball. He served on his
\nschool’s Honor Council and Student Council, and was a member of the
\nDiversity Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Speech and Debate
\nTeam, and National Forensic League. An Eagle Scout, he logged more than
\n120 hours of community service in various projects throughout high
\nschool. He also went on a mission trip to Honduras and served as a camp
\ncounselor for Operation Hoopstrings. His parents are Tracy and Scott
\nWoods.\n<\/p>\n
\nSarah Woods graduated from Jackson Academy with a 4.0 GPA. She
\nreceived the Speech Award, World History Award and Youth Congress
\nSenator Award. She was chosen Most Effective Attorney in mock trial
\ncompetition for two years. A member of the Cum Laude Society, National
\nHonor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, she participated in the National
\nForensics Competition and ABC Spanish Testing. She was a member and
\nofficer of the Spanish Club, Outdoor Club, Pre-med Club, Mock Trial and
\nForensics. She lettered four years in cross country and one year in
\nsoftball. She participated in Girls State and was a City of Ridgeland
\nJunior Diplomat and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer. She is the
\ndaughter of Andy Woods and Kathy Woods.\n<\/p>\n
\nFor more information about the Croft Institute for International Studies, visit
\nhttp:\/\/www.croft.olemiss.edu\/