Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: Principal named at Northside, Van Buren Chamber announces scholarships

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro.

TOPPSS Award
Mark Minnick, a psychology teacher at Southside High School in Fort Smith, has been named a recipient of a 2026 American Psychological Associaton’s TOPSS Charles T. Blair-Broeker Excellence in Teaching Award by APA’s Committee of Teachers of Psychology in Secondary Schools (TOPSS).

Minnick has spent 32 years in the classroom, the last 20 years at Southside High School, where he teaches Advanced Placement (AP) psychology and introduction to psychology to more than 200 students each year.  He also serves as the social studies department chair. His work in the classroom has earned prior recognition, including a Yale Educator Award in 2022 and an ArcBest Excellence Award in 2021.

“As a 32-year veteran educator, Minnick is no stranger to how to best use psychology content to impact student learning in his classroom,” APA TOPSS Committee chair Kari Hall said in a statement. “He is a seasoned educator whose commitment to quality education is proven year after year when students excel through his modeling of engaging lessons anchored in psychological principles.”

Principal Move
Fort Smith Public Schools has named Marshal Hurst as the new principal of Northside High School. Hurst has been assistant principal at Northside High School since 2023.

Prior to joining the school’s administrative team, he was a teacher at Northside High School and worked with the Arkansas Department of Education as a Public School Program Advisor in Learning Services.

In addition to his experience in public education, Hurst was assistant director of the Education Renewal Zone at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and taught mathematics and computer science courses at Spiro High School. Hurst earned a Master of Arts degree from Southern Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from East Central University.

“I am deeply honored and incredibly excited to be named the new principal of Northside High School,” Hurst said. “Northside has a rich, storied tradition of excellence and community pride here in Fort Smith. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated educators, students, and families to build upon this strong foundation and continue proving why Northside is the absolute best high school in Arkansas.”

Arkansas Scholars
The Van Buren Chamber of Commerce, through its Arkansas Scholars program, has awarded Mickenzie Barnett and Addyson Moad $1,000 scholarships.

Barnett plans to attend Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus to study for a certificate of health professionals in the physical therapy field. While attending school, Barnett also works part-time and volunteers in her community, including at the Van Buren Ice Rink. She was also recognized with the All A’s Award, the Attendance Award, and an Athletic Leadership Award.

Moad plans to attend the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith where she will major in psychiatric mental health. Her intention is to serve individuals and families who are struggling, and believes mental wellness is an important part of building a community’s workforce and healthy families that drive a healthy economy. An active member of eight clubs and teams, she will also graduate with the High Honors Distinction and has been recognized with Outstanding Pointer Work Ethic.

Technical Award
Karen Donberger was recently awarded a $1,000 scholarship from the National Technical Honor Society in recognition of her pursuit of a business technology degree at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus.

Donberger was one of 275 outstanding NTHS members to receive the Jon H. Poteat Scholarship based on their ability to consistently exemplify the 7 attributes of NTHS – Skill, Honesty, Service, Responsibility, Scholarship, Citizenship, and Leadership, according to a press release.

Since 1984, NTHS has been the honor society for career and technical education (CTE), serving high schools, career centers, community and technical colleges, and universities. In partnership with student leadership organizations and industry partners, NTHS has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships to CTE students.