Category: News

ELLISVILLE – When Wilicia McClendon’s parents, Wilbur and Alicia learned about the changes to Jones College’s Commencement Ceremony, they were disappointed their daughter would miss graduation once again. The ceremony was held two weeks later than usual and outdoors for the first time on, Saturday, May 22, at 8 p.m. Wilicia missed her 2020 graduation because the COVID-19 pandemic forced the college to cancel the commencement ceremony. This year, Wilicia could not attend because of her disabilities and the family would be out of the country.

“We learned when Wilicia was one year old, she was profoundly deaf. She now has cochlear implants that help her hear some, but she reads lips very well. When she was 10 years old, we discovered she also had problems with her eyesight. She has night blindness and peripheral vision problems because of a condition called ‘R P’ or Retinitis pigmentosa. There was no way we could attend an outdoor evening ceremony because she is completely blind at night,” said Alicia McClendon.

The McClendon family has dealt with many challenges and disappointments over the years. The family relocated to Laurel from New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina. The Laurel School District’s support of Wilicia turned out to be a blessing and the reason why the family stayed in Laurel. Wilicia graduated from Laurel High School in 2018. Meanwhile, her father earned an associate of arts degree in Criminal Justice from Jones College in 2013, and her brother Joshua attended Jones College in 2015 and 2016, before transferring to USM. Wilicia was excited to follow in their path.

“Wilicia has made the President’s List Honor Roll at Jones just about every semester,” said her mother. “When the college switched to online classes because of the pandemic, Wilicia adapted. She pushes herself to be independent and to not let her disabilities define her.”

Upon hearing about Wilicia and her story, Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith decided to hold a special graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 25, to honor the “girl with grit.”

“She’s very persistent in her studies and she is very passionate about helping children. Wilicia has more grit in her pinky than most people do collectively in their lives and that’s a testament of her will and focus, and her drive to succeed,” said Smith said to an auditorium of administrators, staff and faculty who came back to campus on their off week.

Wilicia McClendon received diplomas for the Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education Technology she earned in 2020, and the Associate of Arts degree she completed this year during a special graduation ceremony at Jones College.

“I am so thankful to everyone who did this for me. It feels so good to graduate,” said Wilicia. “I am famous now!” she chuckled.

Her parents said they were so grateful to Dr. Smith and everyone at Jones for holding the special graduation ceremony that they didn’t get really emotional until they returned home.

“For Jones College and Dr. Smith to do this is overwhelming. Jones really does live out its motto, ‘Inspiring Greatness.’ To see how far Jones was willing to go to make sure students like my daughter are successful has been amazing,” said Wilbur McClendon. “It was a big step for Wilicia to come to Jones College, but she has become more independent and determined to live out her dream.”

Wilicia’s dream includes continuing her education at the University of Southern Mississippi and to open a daycare to help children with hearing and sight impairments like her.

ELLISVILLE – When the Mississippi Department of Education granted the Laurel School District the School of Innovation Designation in April, it opened new doors of opportunity for qualifying Laurel High School juniors with the introduction of “Middle College.”

“The Middle College Program is an excellent opportunity for our students to get a jumpstart to earning an advanced degree or a career technical education. We are thankful to Jones College’s administration for their willingness to see this program to fruition,” said Laurel School District Superintendent, Dr. Toy Watts.

Beginning in August, qualifying Laurel HS students with an ACT composite score of 19, including a 19 on the Math section and a 17 in the English section, who also have a 3.25 GPA may begin working on an Associate of Arts degree from Jones College while also earning their high school diploma. The innovative, Middle College program is one of the programs the Laurel School District was approved to offer as a School of Innovation Designation by the MDE.

“I was blessed to experience the Dual Enrollment program through Jones College while at Laurel High School.  It helped me tremendously and my peers prepare for college and get some of our general courses and electives out of the way,” said Laurel High School 2021 Valedictorian, Jaymar Jackson, II. “This additional program is not only going to better our education system, but it will also change the lives of our students and community. Thank you for expanding the opportunities for the Tornado Family and allowing us to become a part of the Bobcat Nation.”

Jackson completed 30-college credit hours while at Laurel High School. Future Middle College students will have the opportunity to earn twice that many credits upon completion of their Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. Additionally, these students will have no out-of-pocket expenses. Local and federal funds cover the Middle College student’s tuition, fees, books and transportation.

“Our students will have the same opportunities as any other student within the county, state and nation. We are grateful to the research and curriculum unit, or RCU at Mississippi State University, who support the implementation of the MDE’s innovative school initiatives. A special thank you goes to the Jones County Supervisors for their financial support of the Middle College students as they pursue their associate degrees. Many of these students will be first-generation college attendees and their generosity will ease any financial hardship associated with college expenses,” said Laurel High School Principal, Dr. Michael Eubanks.

More than a year ago, the process began to provide what Eubanks calls, the most innovative partnership the district and Jones College have ever embarked on together. It also marks the first high school to offer its students this unique opportunity in the Jones College eight-county district. Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith said he is excited to have the opportunity to work with Laurel School District which is one of only 10 model school districts in the state designated as a School of Innovation.

“The Middle College program is a great model that can be implemented on a grander scale if we do this right. We can set a path in the future where we can have students graduating earlier, on a faster pathway to work or the university. It gives so many more opportunities for the students. The more tools a student has in their educational toolbelt, the better the chances to be able to compete and fulfill their purpose in life,” said Smith.

About 20 Laurel High School students are expected to be in the first group this fall, taking face-to-face, online and hybrid classes on both campuses. Two years later in May 2023, these students are expected to leave Laurel High School with both their High School diplomas and an Associates of Arts degree from Jones College, with no expenses. The only drawback, Jackson said he had about the new Middle College program was personal.

“The Class of 2023 will be one step, actually two steps ahead of other students at the university with the Associate of Arts degree. I know they are excited to be able to get that associate degree out of the way. In fact, they may end up graduating before me, or with me!” said Jackson.

For more information about the Middle College Program contact, Dr. Michael Eubanks by email at meubanks@laurelschools.org

ELLISVILLE – Ten Jones College sophomore art students had the chance to display their art as part of the Sophomore Art Exhibit in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery before graduation, May 22. Sophomore artists who participated in the Sophomore Art Exhibit included Patricia Daughdrill of Prentiss, Jenna Fisher of Petal, Katherine Gomez of Laurel, Hannah Mattison of Sandersville, Solomon Page of Raleigh, Zykerianta Rodgers of Crosby, Josie Russell of Mt. Olive, Brittney Sanderson of Ellisville, Noah Schumann of Laurel and Jacqulyn Smith of Richton. This was the final opportunity for these graduates to show off their talents and set up their display.

“It is a great opportunity for students to showcase the work they’ve done here at Jones over the last two years and this year’s show looks spectacular! We prepare them in all aspects of art from learning technique and the technical aspects of creating art, to learning how to best display their artwork. They have done all the matting and hanging themselves,” said Jones College art instructor, Melanie Eubanks.

The Annual Sophomore Show is a requirement for the Exhibition IV class. This course prepares students to display their artwork in a gallery for future exhibitions. The aspiring artists were also honored for their accomplishments at a reception hosted by the college on May 11.

For more information about the JC art show or to arrange a visit to the gallery contact the gallery office at 601-477-4148.  The Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.  The gallery is closed for lunch daily from 11:30 until noon.  If you want to know more about the JC Fine Arts Department, check out the JC Fine Arts Facebook page at JCFineArts.

ELLISVILLE –Jones College sophomores, Alyssa Adrion of Taylorsville, Raygen Keyes of Taylorsville, Halcyon Morgan of Laurel and Tanner Woolbright of Oak Grove each received Mississippi Engineering Society scholarships to earn their engineering degrees. All four students are planning to attend Mississippi State University to earn their bachelor’s degrees in various engineering fields. For the last 21 years, Jones College’s physics instructor, Mary Boleware has worked with the Southeast Chapter of the Mississippi Engineering Society which has awarded annual scholarships to her students.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the MES because they support our students as they transfer to a University Engineering Program,” said Boleware. “These four students have exhibited exemplary academic performance in one of the most challenging times in education. I wish them all the best as they continue their degree plans at the next level.

Students receiving a scholarship from the MES are required to be members of the Jones College Engineering Society and have a GPA ranging from 3.5 to 4.0.  MES Scholarship Chairman, Steven Parker, explained each student’s GPA, essay and application were reviewed before being selected for the scholarship.

“The four students were awarded a total of $5,000 in scholarships to attend an accredited engineering program in the state,” said Parker. “The Southeast Chapter of the Mississippi Engineering Society promotes and defends the rights of licensed professional engineers. Being an engineer is a prestigious discipline; these students will be the problem solvers of the future.”

Morgan, who is majoring in aerospace/astronautical engineering is a non-traditional student with a technical degree in precision manufacturing and machining. Scholarships which help earn an engineering degree are vital for Morgan in reaching his lofty goals. Growing a company that builds products for space and starting a STEM based extracurricular program for kids are just some of Morgan’s future plans.

“The less mental energy and time I have to spend worrying about how my education is being paid for, the more time I can spend on making use of it. This is a great cycle to be in because the more time I spend doing better in school, the better my opportunity for more scholarships. Standing out academically, will hopefully carry me further into my career,” said Morgan.

Also intrigued by “space” is Woolbright who is working on a degree in astronautical engineering.

“The ultimate goal is to work for a company with relations to space. Space fascinates me and I would really like to be involved in researching and discovering new things,” said Woolbright. “This scholarship helps reduce the financial stress and allows me to focus on my studies.”

Keyes’ dream job is to design launch sites for NASA. Receiving the MES scholarship keeps her focused on achieving her goal.

“I appreciate the support and confidence from my peers and I’m proud that I’ll be able to represent them through my ambitious career path,” said Keyes.

Taking a different path in the field of engineering, Adrion is pursuing a biomedical engineering degree. Her sights are set on developing medical equipment.

“My goal is to be a part of a team that designs and creates the newest and most innovative devices to be used in the medical field. A dream come true would be to create prosthetics,” said Adrion.  “It is an honor to be selected for this scholarship and representing Jones College and future engineers.”

Typically, The Southeast Chapter of the MES invites college and high school students to an annual meeting, exposing them to job opportunities and academic advice during Engineering Week. This year the festivities were canceled because of concerns with COVID-19.  JC’s Engineering Society co-hosts the annual event.

ELLISVILLE- Jones College was thrilled to be able to host WDAM-TV’s annual Top of Class 2021 recognition program with a live event, after canceling the 2020 celebration because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tradition of honoring the Valedictorians and Salutatorians from 45 high schools in the Pine Belt had never been canceled in the 22-year history of Jones College hosting the event, prior to last year. This year, the Top of Class 2021 event was held in two sessions for health and safety purposes.

“This group of seniors has dealt with so much because of the pandemic. Jones College was excited to be able to partner with WDAM-TV to honor the Top of Class 2021 with this special event and recognition program with everyone able to safely gather together,” said Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith.

Students heard from Miss Hospitality Mississippi, McKay Lee Bray who is a sophomore at Jones College, WDAM-TV General Manager & V.P., Tim Walker and Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith. Each student was recognized and received a special, Top of Class Certificate of Achievement, commemorative T-Shirt and participated in a modified version of the traditional, Hat Toss.

Highlights from the event, along with the academic achievements of the Pine Belt’s Top of Class 2021 will be seen daily on WDAM-TV beginning on Monday, May 17. The Valedictorian and Salutatorians from two high schools will be featured in a one-minute segment at 5:58 a.m. before WDAM 7 Sunrise Morning News program, through June 18, 2021. Additionally, the Top of the Class videos can be found on the WDAM-TV web page https://www.wdam.com/topofclass/