MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance (MIMA) re-ignited its scholarship fund last week with a very deserving recipient.
Pristell Dogins III, a 26-year-old psychology student at North Central State College, was awarded a $2,000 scholarship from MIMA to North Central on Tuesday. Dogins received his check at the Mansfield Richland County Public Library surrounded representatives from MIMA, the library, NCSC and the city.
“I was pretty amazed,” Dogins said about receiving the scholarship. “I didn’t even put my name in for it, somebody else did. It was a very good blessing, and I love and appreciate everyone that’s involved for it because it means a lot to me; it lets me know people do believe in me and I do have a cause.”
Dogins chose to study psychology because he’s interested in “how people work,” and enjoys having in-depth conversations with people to learn why they think the way they think.
“I’ve also just been a caring person about people, and I want to become a teacher part-time after I graduate and get my masters so not only can I help those with developmental disabilities, but in the long run I can help people like me in school, and I have to thank my psychology teacher for that,” Dogins said.
According to Laurence Rawls, president of MIMA, the organization currently has an endowment of $19,000 raised over the past 10 years. MIMA has been involved in sponsoring the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. service and organizing a college tour each summer for underprivileged youth, but Rawls wanted to get back to awarding scholarships for college.
“We wanted someone who was going to school locally, maintained a good GPA and who was in need of financial assistance,” Rawls said.
Christine Copper, executive director of the North Central State College Foundation, was the one who identified Dogins as an appropriate recipient for the MIMA scholarship.
“Pristell came down to the foundation about two months ago, and it was like the stars aligned,” Copper said. “He was a dynamic young man that fit the bill of the intent of this scholarship. We’re very excited and proud to be a part of your future.”
Rawls said the goal of the scholarship is to award to students who are attending college locally.
“We want to try to encourage them to go to the local college to keep the tuition and the funds in the community, and hopefully they’ll graduate and want to stay in the community,” Rawls said.
Dogins said North Central has been an excellent fit for him due to the intimate environment between students and teachers.
“I felt North Central really cared about me as a student and not just as a number,” he said. “They have really gone the extra mile for me, and that’s why I try to go the extra mile for myself because I felt like a lot of those people believed in me.”
