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RAYMOND – Oscar Castro, of Crystal Springs, and Stephen Hilliard, of Jackson, have received scholarships to continue their education at ��«Ӱҵ from the Mississippi Recycling Coalition and Mississippi Beverage Association.

Oscar Castro

Castro is studying for a career in a STEM-related field and took part in a service project with the college’s Office of Sustainability dubbed Pearl River Clean Sweep. Students and faculty worked to clean up 2,700 pounds of waste from sites at Pelahatchie Bay and Ross Barnett Reservoir Spillway Dam.

Hilliard, who is studying business administration and economics, is a student worker for the Office of Sustainability and leads recycling initiatives across campus. Among them is providing clean and convenient recycling bins at the college.

Stephen Hilliard

The partnership between the recycling and beverage organizations provides up to 10 scholarships annually to Mississippi public and private college students majoring in areas related to environmental sciences and education and who promote recycling or sustainable practices. Each scholarship is worth $1,000.

“The ��«Ӱҵ Office of Sustainability is largely dependent on student workers and volunteers,” said Jason Pope, director of the office at ��«Ӱҵ. “Stephen and Oscar are both well deserving of the MRC College Scholarship. They have contributed a lot of time to ensuring the continued success of the recycling program at ��«Ӱҵ.”