Ā鶹ֱ²„ High School Equivalency students meet āReal Worldā
ELLISVILLE ā Ā鶹ֱ²„ās High School Equivalency students learned how well they would survive in the āReal Worldā by experiencing lifeās challenges through the Mississippi State Extension serviceās āWelcome to the Real Worldā program. MSU Extension Agent for Jones County, Kim Hancock passed out a random profession and budget worksheet with details about gross salary, taxes, insurance, and family to each of the 40 students. Then, they visited professionals in 10 stations and were given options on how they could spend their salary. Everyone had to budget and make decisions about childcare, clothing, communications, contributions/donations, extra-curricular activities, entertainment, food, housing/utilities, and transportation for themselves and at least a spouse and one child. Additionally, each student drew a āLife Happensā situation which could benefit or harm their budgets. Without an option to quit life, students were left with the choice of being in debt/going broke, getting a second job or successfully budgeting their monthly salary.
āI started with $3,900 for my family with one 12-year-old and a spouse,ā explained Kris Lee of Hattiesburg. āAfter budgeting for a house and everything, I had $455 I put in savings for future expenses because you never know what will happen in life.ā
The 28-year-old wanted to earn his Smart Start credential and High School Equivalency (HSE) at Ā鶹ֱ²„ to have more options for employment, after earning an Occupational degree in high school. Todayās exercise in money management helped him reinforce what he has learned in class and in life.
HSE student, Katie Barnett of Laurel also has some real-world experience as a mother of four children, but she realized through todayās āReal Worldā event there is always something more to learn.
āI realized today how to make some better decisions, so I wonāt have to struggle so much to make life better for my family. That is why I am getting my HSE and hopefully a college degree. I want to have more options for my family,ā said Barnett.
The MSU extension agency offers this money management training for high school students with the help of volunteer professionals from banking institutions and other professionals in the community. Hancock said the purpose of the program is to plant seeds to help students make wise decisions in the future and help them become better citizens.
Ā鶹ֱ²„ graduates challenged to do work that matters
ELLISVILLE ā At the 96th Commencement Ceremony at Ā鶹ֱ²„, in addition to the nearly 600 Ā鶹ֱ²„ graduates celebrating the completion of their Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Science degree, Technical Certificate or Career Certificate, eight Laurel High School students in the second class of the new Middle College Program at Laurel High School earned both their high school diploma and an associate degree from Ā鶹ֱ²„. These students, Sayuri Majae Barnes, DeāJa Dashawna Baskin, Brianna Evans, Justin Keys, Lamiya Janae Ross, Kena Monique Smith (also JC Hall of Fame) Nia Soul Stephens, and Krishna M Wright, finished their high school requirements simultaneously while attending college courses to complete a two-year degree.
āIām very excited and honored today to also be recognized in the Ā鶹ֱ²„ Hall of Fame,ā said Middle College and Ā鶹ֱ²„ graduate, Kena Smith of Laurel. āI missed a few things in high school, but it has been worth it to earn both degrees simultaneously.ā
Graduates, and the thousands of family and friends attending the outdoor ceremony heard an inspiring message from keynote speaker, Stan Buckley that simply challenged graduates to, āspend their lives doing something that matters.ā The Founder and Executive Director of But God Ministries in Jackson shared a story about Christian singer, Amy Grantās mother encouraging her daughter to sing something that āmatters.ā Buckley said he realized after hearing that story, that he is not a cat. He only has āone shotā at life and he didnāt want to regret anything.
āMy biggest fear is living to be an old man lying on my deathbed and wondering, what if I had gone for it? I plead with you today, do something worthwhile. Make a difference in this world. Make sure your only goal in life is not simply to accumulate things and then die. Thereās more to life than that,ā said the former attorney and senior pastor.
In 2011, when Buckley established But God Ministries, it was on the heels of a devastating earthquake in Haiti which killed 200,000 people and a million people were left homeless. The ministry established a community on an island where nurse practitioner, Tony West operated the medical clinic and served thousands as Jesus would.
āMothes, fathers and children were all blessed by Tonyās love, his compassion and his care while hurting or frustrated or completely exhausted. Tony shared Godās love again and again. Tony West was a man who used his education. He wasnāt a preacher. He was a man who used his education, his training, and his skills as an R.N. and later as a nurse practitioner, to do something that matters. Thanks to Tony and many more, just like him, our efforts in Haiti have resulted in countless changed lives,ā shared Buckley.
He concluded his speech with a story about a Ā鶹ֱ²„ student athlete, Joshua Brown who should also be celebrating commencement but was wrongly accused of a crime and did not finish his courses on time. The JC football player is free today because Buckley and a team of people realized they needed to do the right thing and get involved.
āWhat I saw was wrong because what I saw was unfair and unjust. I could no longer see what was happening and do nothing,ā Buckley explained. āYou see, there comes a time in your life graduates, when you can no longer stand idly by and watch corruption and incompetence and callousness. There comes a time when you have to stand up for what is right. So, graduates go for it. Take a risk. You never know how God might use you in your education here at Ā鶹ֱ²„ to do something extraordinary. The possibilities are endless if youāre willing to exercise a little faith and courage. Remember as Amy Grantās mother would say, spend your life doing something that matters.ā
Some Ā鶹ֱ²„ graduates thanked the teachers that pushed them toward excellence and out of their comfort zone, like Natalie Graves of Laurel. The art major took on the role of College Project Director for Phi Theta Kappa, which earned the Most Distinguished College Project in Regional competition and a Top 10 award internationally.
āMr. Brown definitely gave me a big push here at Jones,ā said Graves. āAt first, I didnāt really want to join PTK Honor Society, but he really pushed me, and itās opened up a lot of doors for me. I received recognition as an artist and a student as a result.ā
Earning Academic Gold Key honors, Jaylynn Conner is one of five graduating sophomores to be selected as a Tullos Scholar, Hall of Fame, and she earned one of three, College Public Relations Association of Mississippi Scholarships. The Waynesboro native finished a stellar two years as a Senior Editor of the yearbook and Editor of the student newspaper and was a Bobcat Broadcast anchor and reporter, as well as a member of the Charles Pickering Honors Institute. She said she is ready to continue her journalism career at the University of Mississippi and will miss being a Bobcat.
āIām a first-generation graduate and Iām graduating with honors. This means the world to me to be able to have this opportunity,ā said Conner. āI didnāt know what to expect but I was met with so much love and attention by my professors, staff and even the president of Ā鶹ֱ²„. Itās kind of sad to be leaving this great place.ā
Also, a first-generation college graduate, Pablo Lopez of Waynesboro is most grateful for all the connections heās made at Ā鶹ֱ²„.
āItās been a wonderful two years of meeting lots of great people,ā said Lopez. āIām very excited to go to MSU because Jones gave me an excellent beginning which is in part because of all my professors and the staff at Jones. They played a huge role in my success, and I want to give them the recognition they deserve.ā
Ā鶹ֱ²„ students earn Gold Key honors
ELLISVILLE ā Four Ā鶹ֱ²„ students were selected by their peers for the special recognition to be named Gold Key recipients. Two students, Kadin Johnston of Waynesboro and Aliyah Watts of Sandy Hook swept both the Merit/Honor Gold Key and the Leadership Gold Key awards. Johnston is majoring in physical therapy and has served as the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society President, and he is a member of the Charles Pickering Honors Institute and SGA. Watts is majoring in Psychology and was elected as Homecoming Queen by her peers. She was also selected to the PTK Academic All-MS 1st Team honors and serves as V. P. of Fellowship and V.P. of the Student Government Association, and she was a member of the Charles Pickering Honors Institute. Both students were selected as Tullos Scholars which is awarded to only five students total from the graduating class.
The female Athletic Gold Key honors went to Lady Bobcat Soccer midfielder and JCās first-ever NJCAA First Team All-American, Rylie Davis of Lucedale who is studying business. Menās golf team member and engineering major, Ty Herrington of Heidelberg received the menās Athletic Gold Key honors.
Ā鶹ֱ²„ sophomores receiving the Academic Gold Key honor because of their 4.0 GPA are, Harleigh Abernathy of Flowood, Dylan Bryant of Raleigh, Jaylynn Conner of Waynesboro, Dawson Kervin of Laurel, Aaron Mason of Raleigh, Nathan Prestage of Morton and Blyne Turner of Laurel.
Ā鶹ֱ²„ās Wayne County Center showcase lineman
ELLISVILLE ā Seven, new utility linemen, Pacen Odom of Richton, Brady Graham of Waynesboro, DeAnthony Barnes-Jones of Laurel, Baylor Williams of Stateline, Donquerious Feazell of Collins, Gabriel Roberts of Columbia, and Jaden McCree of Laurel, are ready to join the workforce following the Utility Lineman Showcase and graduation ceremony held recently at Ā鶹ֱ²„ās Wayne County Center in Waynesboro. After 16 weeks of classroom and hands-on training, these students have earned several credentials including, Utility Lineman, Commercial Driving License, OSHA, NCCER-Core, Forklift/heavy equipment and CPR. Ā Utility Lineman instructor, Mark Patrick explained after students earn their CDL the initial seven weeks, the last nine weeks are spent on classroom instruction with 12 tests they have to pass and then lineman training includes three weeks on the poles. At the Lineman Showcase, these students climbed the poles and demonstrated their technical skills at four different stations in front of friends, family and prospective employers.
āThis 16-week program gives them the basics to work on a line crew. Historically, we have had companies like Mississippi Power and other companies hiring them before they finish. This spring, a downturn in the economy has slowed the hiring demand, but our students have several credentials which makes them employable in different areas, in addition to working as a utility lineman,ā said Patrick.
The next Workforce Lineman Academy begins in May, and the Academic Utility Lineman Academy program begins in August. Check the website, for more information.
Ā鶹ֱ²„ student releases country music single
ELLISVILLE ā Heās a country singer, musician and songwriter and heās about to graduate from Ā鶹ֱ²„ with something maybe a little better than his associate’s degree in Music Industry & Recording Arts. As nearly 600 JC students graduate on Friday, May 3, Eli Carterās first country song, āThese White Linesā will hit the airwaves. The 20-year-old Collins native has been singing and songwriting since he was a teenager and he is on the verge of launching a career in songwriting, with the hope of a career performing in Nashville too.
āItās going to be a pretty wild day!ā said Carter. āI felt like I had to have something before I left Jones, so some friends helped me out. Daniel Baldwin played piano and sang harmony, along with Matt Taylor. We knocked it out in two nights and sent it to Matt McGuffie, our instructor and audio engineer in the Free State of Jones Recording studio on campus. He added the lead guitar to the track, fixed and mastered it in three hours and put it in distribution.ā
The song, āThese White Linesā could be interpreted a couple of ways, according to Carter. However, his intent was that everybody has moments of desperation, and everyone has these times of hopelessness.
āThatās kind of what the song leads with, āGod if you can hear me now, Iām not begging for a miracle.ā Youāre crying out for anything, something to help,ā said Carter.
B95 Country radio stationās morning DJ, Grey Manning, loved the opportunity to be the first radio station to debut the song on Tuesday, April 30, at 8 a.m., before its official release on May 3.
āI think this is awesome to have a new artist that is local, that has a new song coming out, thatās one of the coolest things about radio. When you can play a song before anyone has heard it or before anybody else can buy it or play it. Itās pretty cool!ā Manning said excitedly. āThis song could be interpreted in a few different ways and thatās what makes it an incredible song.ā
Carter shared that singer songwriters like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Tyler Childers, and Jason Isbell have all influenced his, American traditional country style of music. Nonetheless, his favorite is Isbell.
āJason Isabellās writing is insane. I like to say I write bad Jason Isbell songs because Iām trying to imitate his writing but it kind of turns into my writing,ā said Carter.
While Eli Carter has been performing live locally for the last year, his debut singing and playing the guitar was at the Okatoma Festival last May. He will return to Collins on Saturday, May 4, for another performance on the Okatoma stage at 4:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. His first song, āThese White Linesā will be available on Spotify, Pandora, iTunes and just about anywhere you can stream music on Friday, May 3, 2024.