ELLISVILLE – Mississippi’s 42nd State Auditor, Shad White will be returning to his home county to be the keynote speaker at both of Jones College’s Spring Commencement Ceremonies on Friday, May 3. The morning ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. for students whose last names begin with the letters “A” through “L” in the A.B. Howard/Bobcat Gymnasium. The second ceremony will be held at 1:30 p.m. for those students whose last names begin with letters “M” through “Z”. Both ceremonies can be viewed live on the JC web page, http://www.jcjc.edu/, and the Jones College Facebook page. Doors will open in the M.P. Bush Fine Arts Auditorium for overflow seating at 8:45 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. All guests will be screened for safety purposes with the gymnasium doors closing at 9:55 a.m. and 1:25 p.m., or when capacity is reached.
About 670 students will participate in the ceremonies receiving either, an Associate in Arts degree, Associate in Applied Science degree, a Technical Certificate or a Career Certificate.
Graduates and guests will hear from the Sandersville native who was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant to serve as State Auditor, last July. Previously, White has served as Director of Policy to then, Lt. Governor, Phil Bryant in 2011. He later practiced law in the private sector and served as a special prosecutor in Rankin County. While serving as the Director of the Mississippi Justice Institute, White filed and led cases against public officials when they violated Mississippi’s open government and ethics laws. The Jones County native continues to serve the state as State Auditor with the mission of protecting the public’s trust by verifying the funds provided by taxpayers to state and local governments are used in a legal and efficient manner for their intended purpose.
White said he is looking forward to participating in Jones College’s commencement exercises and hopes to inspire students with his speech, “Leading the Way to Mississippi’s Future.”
“I’m thrilled to participate in this important day for the students and families of Jones College. It’s an honor to be invited to share in this milestone in their lives, and I look forward to sharing my thoughts about the future of our state and some lessons I learned on the road from being a college student to becoming State Auditor,” said White.
The Northeast Jones High School graduate continued his education at the University of Mississippi, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science, where he was selected for the prestigious, national, Truman Scholarship. As a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, White earned his Master’s in economic and social history before earning his Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School. Additionally, White has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
White and his wife, Rina and their daughter, Zara live in Rankin County and are members of St. Richard Church.