Dr. Preston Lee and his wife, Elise Hayles Lee, recently established at the University of Mississippi.

Recipients of the $1,000 scholarships are Patrick Jenkins, a history major from Coldwater, who received the Lee Family Dentistry Scholarship in recognition of the Tate County community, where Lee has a clinic; Herman Story, a computer science major from Oxford, who received the Lisa Jacob Hayles Scholarship in honor of Lee’s mother-in-law; and Avery Duke, a biology major from Oxford, who received the Karen Crocker Lee Scholarship in honor of Lee’s mother who graduated from Ole Miss in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in education.

Dr. Lee, a 2004 UM School of Business Administration graduate, who owns Lee Family & Cosmetic Dentistry in Oxford and Senatobia, said he believes education plays a critical role in ensuring a better future for Mississippi.

“We are committed to our state and to the communities in it, especially to the great people of Lafayette, Yalobusha and Tate counties,” he said. “We want to help break down any barriers that might prevent our youth from furthering their education. We always want to support and encourage the next generation.

“Elise and I both depended on scholarships to ease the financial burden of college tuition and expenses, so we know first-hand how important contributions are for students,” he continued. “We look forward to meeting the recipients each year and following their stories. I can’t wait to see all that Avery, Herman and Patrick accomplish.”