ELLISVILLE – Of the seven honored alumni during Jones College’s Alumni Recognition Program held during Homecoming celebrations, two alumni were named “Rising Stars.” Included in the distinguished group of alumni achieving great success were Cade Cockrell of Magee and Shivum Desai of Hattiesburg.
“Jones alumni who have achieved early success in their career and are already making a meaningful impact both professionally and within their communities are being honored as Rising Stars,” Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith announced at the Homecoming Alumni Luncheon. “Today we have two Rising Stars who are certainly making an impression on their peers, their communities and us. Despite being in very competitive professions, these two are rising to the top.”
Glen Cade Cockrell of Magee is a 2017 Jones College graduate whose career is “rocketing” to the moon. The Senior Systems Engineer at Lockheed Martin Space has more than five years of experience in aerospace and defense. After earning his Associate of Arts degree from Jones College and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Mississippi State University, he is building a career marked by innovation and leadership. Cockrell attributes his success in part to JC instructors Tim Rayner and Mary Boleware.
“The trajectory of my path is due in part to (Mary Boleware’s) impact that she had on me early on in her physics class. She opened my eyes to things that I would never have considered, and I would never have thought that I would have a chance to accomplish. I really appreciate her challenging me,” shared Cockrell. “I always felt like she genuinely cared not just for me, but for all of her students, and to see our development and to see us succeed, to have someone there that genuinely cares and wants to see you succeed is honestly a rare experience throughout college.”
Holding key engineering roles at Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Northrop Grumman Space Systems, and Stark Aerospace, Cockrell has contributed to mission-critical projects and is driving advances in modeling, simulation, automation, and systems performance. Recognized for his technical expertise and his ability to foster collaboration, Cockrell continues to empower teams while delivering solutions that directly impact national defense. He offers this advice for other aspiring engineers.
“Ask more of yourself the things that you think are impossible, the things that you think might be out of reach. Try your best to shoot for those things,” Cockrell said. “Even if you fail, learn something through failure and keep asking more of yourself and push farther and harder. Never give in. Don’t settle for less. If you know what you want, go get it.”
Rising to the top of the medical field, is Shivum Desai, a 2019 graduate of Jones College and summa cum laude graduate of the University of Mississippi. He is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Medicine degree at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, with an expected graduation in 2026. An accomplished researcher, he has contributed to studies in neurology, anesthesiology, pediatrics, and plastic surgery, earning multiple presentations and publications. His research interests include dementia risk, transfusion practices, pediatric cardiac outcomes, and public perceptions of medical specialties.
“Being here at Jones, helped me to develop professionally and allowed me to develop critical skills that I still use to this day. I have become a much better person in terms of time management and I’m more confident in just meeting people and talking to people. These soft skills especially, are what has helped me pretty much go further into my career,” shared Desai.
Beyond academics, Desai serves as Executive Director of Jackson Community Response, leads youth initiatives at the BAPS Jackson Temple, and owns and operates a Baskin-Robbins franchise in Hattiesburg. At Jones College, Desai served as the President of PTK, and he earned the PTK Academic All-Mississippi First Team Honors in addition to being selected as one of four, Gold Scholars on the Coca-Cola 2019 Academic Team. The Oak Grove High School graduate was also named as one of five, Tullos Scholars at JC and he remains dedicated to service, education, and advancing healthcare in Mississippi.
“My advisors in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society helped me get to this stage in life along with the other mentors and my peers involved in PTK. I got involved in many campus activities. I’ve met a lot of people; faculty, staff and administrators, who are still friends today,” Desai said. “Amongst my professors at JC, Dr. Kandula, my physics professor helped me to become more critical in terms of my education. As I apply for residency positions, I hope to be able to return and practice in the community that gave so much to me.”
In addition to the Rising Stars honored during Homecoming celebrations, two alumni, Dr. Robert S. Billingsley of Laurel and Dr. Kaylie B. Wilkerson of Ellisville each received the “Achievement and Excellence Award.” In addition, Judge Stan Sorey of Raleigh was honored as “Outstanding Alumni of the Year,” while Ellisville native, and current Oxford, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia resident, Beverly Young Langford, Ph.D. was bestowed with the Distinguished Service Award and Billy Royce Folkes of Seminary was recognized as the “Legacy Award” recipient.
