Marnina Smeltser Receives Honors Invitations for Academic Success at Jackson State Community College
Marnina Smeltser did not know what to expect when she entered Jackson State Community College (JSSC) as a freshman. Being a 2023 homeschool graduate from HomeLife Academy and having received a quality education at home, she had not experienced attending public or private school and learning inside the structure of a classroom. Despite that, she acclimated just fine as a college student and successfully finished her first semester receiving invitations to join honor societies at the college.
Because Marnina finished in the top 10 percent of students on her campus, she was invited to become a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. And based on her “exceptional GPA”, Marnina was invited to join the JSCC Honors Program. She has accepted both invitations that will now be part of her resume as she pursues a career in the field of business administration.
“I am a general studies major at Jackson State Community College and all of my classes are focused on a business degree,” said Marnina, who plans to graduate in 2025. “I look forward to serving Jesus in whatever He may call me to do. I am preparing myself for a specific life plan/career, but it is God who will establish my steps. The grace to accept His will for my life is my only desire.”
She was also awarded a Jackson State International Ambassador Scholarship to study abroad this summer through the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies and will spend that time in Spain. Marnina is amazed and appreciative of the opportunities she has been granted as a student at JSCC.
“Going to community college may be looked upon by some people as a second-rate choice, but my experience at JSCC thus far has been anything but second-rate. Small classes have given me the opportunity to get to know my professors. Scholarships have made it so that I am earning money simply by attending and being a student. And learning in a community environment gives me the ability to network and connect with people who I may be working for/alongside in the future,” said Marnina. “As a JSCC student, I can say I am being well prepared for my future.”
Marnina is thankful for the support she has received from her family in life and in her academic pursuits.
“I want to thank my family, extended and immediate, for celebrating my life with me. They have been so present from the time they cheered me taking my first baby steps until now (and they are still cheering . . . loudly),” said Marnina. “I am so grateful for their example of perseverance, education, and togetherness. I offer a special thank you to my grandmother ‘Gram’ who loves me beyond my comprehension.”
Marnina is the daughter of David and Jennifer Smeltser, and middle sister to brothers Noah and Kaleb.
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