Dr. Ben Burnett receives Community Impact Award

WCU President Ben Burnett received a Community Impact Award during the 20th Annual Martin Luther King Junior Ecumenical and Scholarship Breakfast.

The event was hosted by Mu Gamma Lambda, Hattiesburg’s alumni chapter of the national Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, which focuses its efforts on leadership, service, scholarship initiatives and community development.

“Thank you for this tremendous honor. Alpha Phi Alpha’s legacy of scholarship, service, and leadership reflect Dr. King’s call to make a meaningful difference in our communities,” Burnett said.

“I accept this award with deep gratitude but, the truth is, the Pine Belt community has shaped me far more than I have shaped it. This community’s resilience, generosity, and commitment to one another challenge me to lead with humility and purpose.”

The Jan. 19 event included other award presentations and closed with scholarships to several Pine Belt high school students, including Jemele Moore, who said he plans to use his scholarship when he begins his studies at William Carey University.