The «Ƶ Foundation recently received a donation of $10,000 from the Stevenson family of Gilmer. These funds will help the Honors Northeast program continue its legacy of unique special projects, specifically their annual feature-length film. Pictured at the check presentation is (from left): Dr. Andrew Yox, «Ƶ Honors Director, Wlliam Stevenson, David A. Stevenson, David L. Stevenson, and Dr. Ron Clinton, «Ƶ President.
David L. Stevenson was surprised when he learned that «Ƶ Honors students had produced an original film, in 2023 that explored the history of Methodist traveling preachers who came to northeast Texas in the early 19th century. One of the characters in the movie was William Stevenson, who happened to be David’s great-great-great grandfather. The film can be viewed at .
“Not only were we excited to see our ancestor brought to life on screen, but we were also very impressed with the quality of the film. After meeting Dr. Yox and learning more about the Honors program, we really felt led to make a contribution to help make their film projects sustainable into the future,” David L. Stevenson said. Three generations of the Stevenson family were present at the check presentation, an example of how legacies in regional history can matter.
For more than a decade, Honors Northeast has produced annual feature-length films on topics relevant to Texas history. Students are responsible for all aspects of the filmmaking process – from research, to filming and post-production. When completed, a premiere is held at the Whatley Center for the Performing Arts and the movie is published online for public viewing. Past film subjects include Carroll Shelby, Minnie Fisher Cunningham, Bo Pilgrim, Barbara Conrad, and others.
“The annual Honors film is a great example of the types of projects that set our Honors program apart from others. Students are putting into practice lessons from a variety of academic disciplines while producing something tangible that they can be proud of,” Clinton said. “We are very grateful to the Stevenson family for their donation to this worthy cause.”
David L. Stevenson is the President and CEO of Custom Commodities Transport of Gilmer. Custom provides transport and logistics solutions for major corporations throughout the eastern half of the United States.
Honors Northeast offers high-achieving students the opportunity to participate in unique seminars, conduct and present academic research at conferences, engage in special cultural experiences and more. They also offer attractive scholarship packages to remove financial boundaries. Honors Northeast students have transferred to some of the top universities in the nation and have earned millions of dollars in transfer scholarships since the program began in 2007.
To learn more about Honors Northeast, visit or contact Yox at 903-434-8229 or ayox@ntcc.edu. To support Honors Northeast or other «Ƶ programs, visit or contact Dr. Jonathan McCullough, «Ƶ Executive Vice President for Advancement, at 903-434-8115 or jmccullough@ntcc.edu.
