Author: Teresa McCreery

ELLISVILLE – A variety of Paulette Dove’s artwork, featuring rabbit heads on human bodies will be on display at the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery on the Jones College Campus in Ellisville, through December 2. The show, “Paintings by Paulette Dove” is a collection of stories and the decisions people make. This art exhibit is open to the public free of charge. The JC Art Department will be hosting an “Art Talk” with Dove on Wednesday, November 16, at 1:30 p.m. in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery.

Dove’s preferences for creating her artwork include painting in oils, mixed media and clay. However, the rabbit figures and “opportunities” are themes found in all of her artwork currently on display.

“My paintings tell stories that make people question their purpose. An image is not only captured but it also challenges the viewer to seek out an understanding of the painting,” said Dove. “I use rabbit heads on human bodies with red balls as a metaphor placed indiscreetly in the paintings. It’s my way of presenting stories about people and their decisions with the red balls representing ‘opportunities.’”

Dove is currently working from her Side Door Studio in Biloxi. Her work is also on display at the Biloxi Visitors Center, the South Mississippi Art League at the Biloxi Greenhouse, and The Treehouse Gallery in Oxford.

The Biloxi native earned her B.F.A. and M.Ed. from The Mississippi University for Women and William Carey College. Throughout her 30 years as an educator, she has taught in Mississippi and West Virginia, as well as at Louisiana Tech University, Savanna School of Art, and Bascom Center for Visual Arts in North Carolina. Also, she has served as an educator at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.

For more information about the JC art show or to arrange a visit to the gallery call 601-477-8401. The Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., and by appointment only on Wednesdays. The gallery is closed during the holidays. If you want to know more about the Jones College Art Department, go to the JC Art Department’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/JCJCFineArts/ and on Instagram @artatjonescollege.

ELLISVILLE – Ni’Riya Bell of Laurel and Gage Herring of Columbia were recently voted as Mr. & Miss JC by their peers. The sophomores competed for the titles to represent Jones College students and are considered to be the best representation of the student body.

“This honor means that I can represent Jones and that itself is the biggest honor a college can give a student. JC has brought me so many blessings and this is just one of them. I can’t begin to explain how much I love this place and how much this college has impacted my life in the best ways. The memories and friends I have made while I’ve been here have been amazing and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” said Herring.

The electro-mechanical technology major was also selected to represent the Mississippi/Louisiana Region as the Southern District Representative for Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. At West Marion High School, Herring was a member of the State Championship Archery Team. He was also a Mississippi Tech Scholar and a Mississippi Scholar. At Jones College he is a member of the Bobcat Brigade and the Student Spirit Chairman for the Student Government Association. In his spare time, Herring hangs out at the Baptist Student Union. His future plans include continuing his education at Mississippi State University and majoring in industrial technology with the goal of continuing to work with industrial grade robotics. His parents are Toby and Nichole Herring.

Miss JC is a graduate of Northeast Jones High School. She was very active in high school as a member of the Table Tennis Team, Key Club, TARS, Serteens, FBLA, Career and Technical Student Council and Archery. Bell also earned the Most School Spirit Award, Class Favorite, Perfect Attendance, and she graduated on the Principal’s List.  The business management and marketing major is a member of the Student Government Association at Jones College. Her future plans include going to USM and opening an art business. Her parents are Christopher Millsap and Shatara Bell.

“This is a real blessing to me to be named Miss JC,” said Bell.

ELLISVILLE – Several hundred super-heroes, princesses and ghouls came out to have fun at the annual Jones College Treats in the Streets on the JC campus. Kids played games for treats in the booths set up by JC faculty and students as a way to give back to the community. Some children participated in the costume contests for babies through teens, with the winners of the creatively dressed kids receiving a variety of goodies and sweet prizes from the JC Office of Student Affairs.

Jones College students who dressed the best received prizes for their efforts. The Most Original Costume Award went to Isaiah Spradley of Soso who dressed up like the “Dad who Finally Came Home with the Milk.” Winning the Group category were Tristen Gendusa of Laurel and Ailee Byrd of Sandhill who portrayed the “Stepbrothers” from the movie of the same name. The Overall Winner was Gracye Tower of Runnelstown who dressed as “Vision.”

Treats in the Streets is an annual, free, community event hosted by the Jones College with various student organizations and academic and technical divisions setting up games and offering candy gifts.

ELLISVILLE – Hearing the stories about surviving the wilderness from the History Channel’s winner of the 5^th season of, “Alone-Redemption,” Sam Larson proved to be inspirational to students, administration, and guests of Jones College’s Charles Pickering Honors Institute speaker forum. In preparation for classes and realizing the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Dean of the Honors College, John Stockstill remembered watching Larson when he debuted on the first season of the wilderness survival TV series and considered how Larson could inspire his students.

“I wanted to reach out to someone who had been through some very difficult experiences in life, and when at rock bottom they had nothing left to give, they reached into some deep places in their soul to find that inner strength,” said Stockstill.

In his first visit to the South, Larson admitted to feeling uncomfortable on a college campus. As a high school senior, Larson knew the outdoors was where he wanted to spend his life and not in a classroom or traditional job. A search on the Internet led him to the Jack Mountain Bushcraft Mountain School in northern Maine and the adventure of his lifetime began.

“When you’re out in the wilderness, something that appeals to me is you’re dealing with the raw element of nature,” said Larson. “It’s just the natural world and human beings. How do these two go together because there is no social hierarchy; mother nature is not playing favorites. It’s just you and the natural world and whatever you can do with the materials in your surroundings. I absolutely loved it!”

Traveling all over North America, from the Southwest desert to the Canadian Ice Shield, learning from the Northern Quebec Cree Indian, and numerous places in between, Larson learned a variety of survival skills. However, he eventually had to return to Nebraska to work. He began blogging about his adventures in the wilderness and it caught a casting producer’s attention from the History Channel.

“She sent me an email explaining they were exploring survival show ideas as some shows were getting pulled from the networks. She said they were going to take 10 people with 10 survival items and drop them in a remote region where they can’t find each other and whoever lasts the longest wins. They were going to teach them how to use the camera equipment so they would really be alone,” said Larson. “They had an idea that intrigued me. I thought, one, it’s not going to work and two, I have to do this!”

The then 25-year-old Lincoln Nebraska native was invited to appear on the new wilderness survival show for its first season in 2015. His wife Sydney was seven months pregnant with their first child, but he couldn’t pass up the “once in a lifetime” survival challenge. When he learned about the destination, however, he felt under-prepared.

“I’ve traveled to a bunch of places … and I had learned a lot of things at that point, but I didn’t learn or know a lot of the skills really necessary to survive in the coastal British Columbia wilderness. The first thing that caught me off guard, being a kid from Nebraska, was the ocean life.”

Arriving in the Northern British Island of Vancouver, Larson said he felt like he just wasted all his time preparing for something he wasn’t really equipped to do. Adversity hit him hard upon landing on the rainy, stormy coastal island. However, he said he didn’t want to regret not trying or dropping out. Before long, Larson was catching salmon and crabs, trapping rodents, foraging from the sea, and eating limpets from the ocean.

“I kept telling myself, give it all you got, don’t squander this once in a lifetime opportunity-don’t mess up! After seven weeks of that, I called on the satellite phone and I tapped out. I gave it my all and I felt OK about it at the time. Soon after they picked me up, I learned there was only one other guy out there,” said Larson.

After beating eight people, surviving 55 days in an unfamiliar environment, Larson wondered if he had pushed harder, could he have won? Realizing he wouldn’t have another opportunity, he came back to Lincoln and continued working at the Nature Center teaching survivalist skills and leading nature hikes. Amazingly, Larson got another call from the casting director about being on a redemption series of Alone, in 2018, for season 5, of the History Channel show.

“She asked me, ‘How would you like a second, once in a lifetime opportunity?’ I was all over it! I said, ‘Sign me up!’”

When he learned about the new format, bringing back 10 former contestants to Asia, Larson was sure he was going to the jungle or a tropical island. He was surprised to learn the destination was the Kensee Mountains in northeastern Mongolia, 30 miles from Siberia.

“Mongolia and the sheer remoteness of the area, the wildlife, and extreme temperatures made this by far, the most dangerous location,” said Larson. “This will be extremely tough, not just the elements and critters and everything that could get you, but you’re competing against a group of people who are extremely experienced, and a group that’s proven they can stay out in the wilderness a long time.”

When Larson arrived in Mongolia, he said it was like déjà vu, learning all these things that he didn’t know even though he thought he was well prepared. The hardest thing as he arrived was leaving his wife with a 7-day-old baby and a 2-year-old.

“I had this feeling of self-doubt the whole time; Am I doing the right thing by being out here?” said Larson. “The food situation, not to mention the cold was one thing. In August, the winter comes fast out here. The food situation was way worse than British Columbia. It was like there was just nothing to eat.”

During the 60 days in the frozen tundra, Larson survived on Eurasian voles or little rats he trapped, minnows, snails, grasshoppers, ants, and leeches. The food situation was pretty dire, leaving him with only a few options as winter settled in and the snow piled up. Utilizing a survival trick from his mentor, as finding firewood was a day’s task and food was non-existent, Larson managed to find a way to survive.

“The theory was when your body starts to starve, you can compensate for that in some ways by overhydrating it. I got a pot full of water and took whatever I had around, herbs, pine needles, call it ‘tea’ if you like, but there’s no sugar like in the south. It’s hot water.”

Every day for weeks, this was all Larson had and he was thankful. He also had a quote from Winston Churchill that helped him mentally. “Success is failing constantly but moving from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.” Despite his daily failure to find wood and food, that hot cup of water kept him happy enough to get to the medical exam day.

“It was day 60. I remember being really cranky, asking the crew why they were messing with me and my rhythm. They set up a camera and started asking questions and I thought it was weird. ‘Are you eating anything?’ I said, ‘no.’ ‘Are you cold…. happy?’  But after a while, I remembered how dire the situation really was and I started to tear up and began crying,” said Larson. “Out of nowhere, I felt these arms come around me from behind and it was my wife, and she tells me, ‘Sam you just won!’ It was one of the happiest days of my entire life. To go from a totally depraved state to having this warm hug of a loved one, food was on its way and the mission was finally complete.”

Larson shared with the audience that his wife is the unsung hero of the whole experience. Being at home with now, three kids, unable to “tap out” when things got to be too much, was very motivational and inspiring to Larson. Also inspired by the experience, was Jones College sophomore from Runnelstown, Gracye Tower.

“Although he was eating leeches and small bugs and nothing some days, he was happy about being alive. I think a lot of us take being alive for granted. We just expect it to happen every day and it doesn’t. We lose people every day. He was grateful for his hot water. I thought that was very inspirational,” said Tower.

Additionally, Larson advised the audience the best way to prepare is to expect the unexpected and to be gritty. Taking care of business every day, despite the situation, no matter how hard you’re suffering he said, may not mean being tough.

“In Mongolia, in my most vulnerable situation what grit looked like was staring into a cup of hot water day in and day out and deciding not to sulk, but to be thankful for what I had no matter what that thing was, day in and day out. Figure out what you can be thankful for, no matter how small it is or if people think it’s stupid, find the one thing you’re thankful for and focus on that.”

Finally, Larson advised the audience that no matter what we do in life, to find something to care about more. For sophomore Sarah Morgan of Columbia, it reminded her of her top priority in life.

“For me, that translated to my relationship with God. I think that’s what he was hinting at, because that’s how I can apply it in my life. If I don’t get into Physical Therapy school, or I don’t pass the test in the end. It’s not going to ruin me because there’s something more important and to me and it’s God.”

ELLISVILLE – Jones College’s Alumni Association and Foundation expanded its Honor Alumni recognition event to include four new awards at Homecoming celebrations on October 8, 2022. “Rising Stars,” Mason Strickland of Soso, and Ashton Williams of Petal were honored along with “Achievement and Excellence Award” recipients, Cellie Scoggin of Laurel, and Marcus K. Tucker of Brandon. Ann Tucker of Laurel received the “Legacy Award,” and Billy and the late Linda Howard of Laurel were awarded the “Distinguished Service Award.” Also honored as “Outstanding Alumni of the Year” were Sam Britton, a native of Waynesboro and resident of Laurel, and Jerome Harless of Moselle.

“This is a unique year,” said Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith. “We’re beginning a new tradition by recognizing the fabric of who we are as a college and what we are as a college, represented by our alumni. Recognizing alumni who are on their way, just beginning their careers and have had early success to alumni of the year, and the alumni and friends of the college who have impacted the college, their communities, and other lives through distinguished service. All these folks working together make Jones College what it is, the fabric of our community.”

Rising Star recipients are Jones College alumni who have demonstrated success early in their careers and have accomplished professional and personal success throughout the community. Mason Strickland attended Jones in 2015 and graduated in 2017, as a member of the Bobcat Baseball team. As the pitcher in 2016, he helped the Bobcats earn the first National Championship in Baseball. Strickland continued his education and baseball career at the University of Southern Mississippi where he graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies. Currently, he is teaching 7th grade history at South Jones High School and was recently named head baseball coach and FCA sponsor. He and his wife Tiffany have been married for three years and have one daughter and are expecting a baby boy in November.

“JC had a huge impact on my future,” said Strickland. “The coaching staff mentored me to where I wanted to be a coach just like them. The people and players I had the opportunity to be around in those two years are friends that I will have for a lifetime.”

Ashton Williams was at Jones from 2011 through 2013, majoring in accounting and he was a member of the Bobcat Brigade. He continued his education at USM, earning his BSBA and his Master of Professional Accountancy. The licensed C.P.A. is the Controller for Codaray Construction LLC. He is married to Hayley Williams who was a member of the Lady Bobcat Soccer team. They have been married for six years and have two children, four-year-old Jack and 10-month-old Sophie.

“Looking back, going to Jones College was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made. Mr. Bedwell and Mr. Holifield (JC business instructors) provided the best-in-class introductory accounting courses that would eventually be the foundation upon which my whole career was built. The relationships that were formed while at Jones remain the strongest friendships I have to date,” said Williams.

The Achievement and Excellence Award recognizes a graduate of Jones College, who has demonstrated professional and personal success throughout the community who is 40 or younger. Receiving the Achievement and Excellence Award were Cellie Scoggin and Marcus K. Tucker.

Cellie is a 1991 graduate and was involved in the Student Government Association and Baptist Student Union. The USM graduate is the owner of Kids First Education, LLC which is Mississippi’s leading educational consulting firm. She leads a team of 200 educational specialists across Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas while also serving as co-owner of the ice cream shop, Betsy’s on Magnolia, and an Air B & B in Laurel. She and her husband of 30 years, Patrick raised two sons, Patrick Lee Jr. and Tom who are both married and have children. Her parents, David and Cynthia Sheppard are retired Laurel educators.

“My experiences at JC laid the foundation for my academic career. Each of my instructors were consistent in modeling best practices for academic as well as social and emotional learning…connecting with me on a personal level. I have taken those practices and applied them to my educational work across Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, New York, Oklahoma, and Louisiana for the last 29 years,” said Scoggin.

Marcus K. Tucker came to Jones in 2005 and graduated from the Business and Marketing program in 2008. He played defensive back on the football team while also working at Ellisville’s Corner Market. Tucker worked his way up to being the co-manager of the IGA Sunflower in Hattiesburg before being promoted to manager and transferring to the Vicksburg store. He has been the manager of the Jackson store for the last couple of years and was just recently promoted to District Manager of the North/West Region with the Roberts Company, managing stores throughout the state.

When Tucker is not working for the grocery store giant, he’s helping clients as a personal trainer in his business, T-Powered Fitness. As a member of the JC Advisory Committee, the Northeast Jones High School graduate continues to give back to the college by helping current students find their career pathway. Marcus and his JC college sweetheart, Zakkiyya, have two sons, and one daughter and have been married for 15 years and live in Brandon. His parents are Sidney and Victoria Tucker of Laurel.

“I am very grateful for the way Jones College showed me that they cared about my future from the time I stepped on campus. Even after I graduated, my marketing instructor, Ginger Keeton was always willing to help me navigate through any obstacles as I built my career. Jones equipped me with the necessary tools and skills I needed to accomplish challenges not only in my career but in life overall. Thank you, Jones College, for making me feel like family.”

The Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award is awarded to an alumnus of Jones College that recognizes the accomplishments and service of former students who have exhibited exceptional service and brought honor to the College. Outstanding Alumni of the Year honors went to Sam Britton and Jerome Harless.

A Waynesboro native, Sam Britton graduated from Jones County Junior College in 1976 and then earned his business degree at USM. After classes, he worked with his uncle in their pipeline construction business. When the oil business crashed in the 1980’s, Britton returned to school and earned a degree in accounting and his C.P.A. before establishing his own accounting firm.

With 30 years’ experience in finance and accounting, Britton has served in the State Auditor and State Tax Commission’s Offices, as the Public Service Commissioner for the Southern District, and as Treasurer for the Jones College Foundation Board. He was recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2014 as a “Mississippi Leader in Finance.”

Britton’s sister, Katherine Barker of Vicksburg accepted the award on his behalf and shared these comments. “I am humbled and honored to be named one of the Jones College Outstanding Alumni of the Year. In life I have learned, most good things don’t just happen simply by accident or chance. Jones College is the perfect example where good things have happened because of the dedication and hard work of the administration, faculty, staff and students. Also, the contributions of the community cannot be overlooked or underestimated. Jones College not only educates but also enables individuals to build connections that last a lifetime and create success stories. On a larger scale, I believe JC helps to make America great and Jones does it one student at a time. I am grateful for this award and all the other opportunities Jones has afforded me,” wrote Sam who is currently recovering from a medical condition.

Businessman and entrepreneur, Jerome Harless was also named Outstanding Alumni of the Year. He is a 1976 graduate of Jones and went onto own multiple businesses in the oil and gas industry, NASA and other related industries. He has served as deacon of his church and on the JC Foundation Board of Trustees and the Trustmark Bank Board of Trustees. Harless retired after 40 years in business with “more grit in his pinky,” JC President, Dr. Jesse Smith said, as he awarded Harless with the award.

“I enjoyed this great institution when I was here, when Dr. Terrell Tisdale was president and over the last 45 years since then, it has just gotten better as Jesse has taken over. I consider JC to be one of the best schools in Mississippi. I had some great teachers who helped prepare me for my future. I appreciate the honor and look forward to serving in the future,” said Harless.

The Legacy Award spotlights an alumnus of Jones College who has illustrated over the years continued support and has made consistent contributions to honor the College with at least 50 years since graduating from Jones College. The Legacy Award was bestowed upon Ann Tucker whom, the college president said perfectly represents a legacy.

“She has left her mark for over 50 years and has taught many. There is a power in her soul and if you get in her world, you will be hers from then on. She is a powerhouse of a teacher!” said Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith.

Tucker has been teaching English at Northeast Jones High School for 63 years. She graduated from JCJC in 1959 and while in Home Economics classes at JC, she decided to be a Home Economics teacher. She soon realized that was not practical because few jobs were available in that field. After graduating from USM, she and her husband, the current Jones County Beat 3 Constable, Mack Tucker married and have been farming in the Myrick community for 55 years of their 63-year marriage. The two have two daughters who also graduated from JC, and all three grandsons graduated from JC.

“This is a very special time for me,” said Tucker. “I was led to believe by my mother, she was a teacher for many, many years, education is the foundation for life for you to succeed and above that was God. All of my family went to Jones. If you graduate from Jones, then you have a solid ground to stand on and you can go anywhere and do anything you want. I believed my mother. Without Jones, I do not think that I would have been the successful teacher that I have been in the classroom.”

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to a friend of the College who exemplifies a genuine interest in Jones College and embodies the core values of inspiring greatness, leadership, respect, and selfless service to our community.

Billy and Linda Howard were recognized as the recipients of the Distinguished Service Award for the integral part they have played in the community. In 1968, Laurel native Billy Howard left his 13-year career at General Electric as an electrical engineer with a few million dollars to start his own company, Howard Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of distribution transformers. He met his wife Linda a year later, they married, and she helped lead the booming business. With her experience in higher education administration, the Perry, Georgia, native and Billy Howard imparted some wisdom to the new president of Jones College, Dr. Jesse Smith in 2006.

“I told Billy what I wanted to talk about, and Ms. Linda had a complete worksheet. She said here is what you need to do, and how to do it. If you do these things, you’ll be off to a good start. That was two hours of their time they gave me, and I still live by those words today,” said Smith.

Billy and Linda are considered the epitome of success, Smith shared with the audience. The company moved from being 23rd in the nation to a top producer of transformers in the U.S. Now, Howard Industries sells transformers in all 50 states and 130 foreign countries. The couple also started a trucking company, Howard Transportation and in 1994 they established a ballast manufacturing company, manufacturing electronic and HID ballasts for the lighting industry. In 1998, Howard Technology Solutions was developed and in 1999, computers were produced.

“Today, the company is still growing with Michael, my son heading up the 1.2-billion-dollar company. Jones College trained a lot of our people and are still training our welders and so many others,” said Billy Howard. “When I started the company, I had 100 people and Jones trained every one of them and that got us started really well. I’m so appreciative of Jones College.”

The community is also very appreciative of Howard Industries’ investment into every aspect of the couple’s hometown and beyond, Smith said. Helping anyone who asked and doing what they thought was best for the community, they established programs like the Adopt A School Program, co-chaired fundraiser drives for air conditioning for all Laurel city schools, expanded the high school practice field and weight room, upgraded the high school science lab and the elementary school’s language lab, sponsored numerous local youth athletic teams and are contributors to numerous colleges, including the creation of a company policy that pays for books and tuition for any employee to earn a higher ed degree. The Howards have also earned numerous honors and awards locally, from the state, southeastern region and nationally and are members of many boards and committees to help their alma maters, Mississippi State University and Mercer University in Macon Georgia, the industry and economic development and their hometown/region in general. Additionally, the couple have managed to grow their international company to employ 4,150 personnel.

All the honored alumni were recognized with a medallion during half-time of the football game before recognizing the Homecoming Court and Mr. & Miss JC.