The Sky is the Limit

MADISONMAY 2015 C O U N T Y

THE SKY IS THE LIMITCongratulations Class of 2015

A FINAL FAREWELL

DORM ROOM DECOR

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2 | MADISON COUNTY MAGAZINE

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On the Cover:St. Andrew’s Class of 2014 seniors celebrate the right of passage ritual

throwing their caps after their graduation ceremony.

MADISONMAY 2015 C O U N T Y

THE SKY IS THE LIMITCongratulations Class of 2015

A FINAL FAREWELL

DORM ROOM DECOR

36 ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL Lindsey Funderburg

Grant LaFluer

27 TRI-COUNTY ACADEMYTori Luke

Hayes Shepherd

26 VELMA JACKSON HIGH SCHOOL Kayla Beamon

Anfernee Brown

41 THE VERITAS SCHOOL Mary Katherine Miller

Charles B. Caston, Junior

FEATURES

MAY2015

32 CANTON ACADEMY Sarah Thomason

Tanner Tate

30 CANTON HIGH SCHOOL Adriana Ware

Michael Greenwood

31 GERMANTOWN HIGH SCHOOL Sydney Shell Charlie King

28 JACKSON ACADEMYMary Brooks Thigpen

William Bell

34 JACKSON PREPARATORY SCHOOL Kennady Galloway

Alex Russell

40 MADISON CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL Katie SimpsonKeenan Barnes

38 MADISON-RIDGELAND ACADEMYBrennan Steed

Ben Milam

24 RIDGELAND HIGH SCHOOL Erriona Browder

Justin Necaise

42 ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL James Zheng

Isabelle Speed

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Tori Luke & Hayes Shepherd, graduates of Tri-County Academy, have grown up together for many years. Even though life-long friendships, such as this, move in different directions, roots in Madison County are never forgotten.


Congratulations to FPDS Alumni, the sixth grade class of 2009, graduating from high schools across Madison County!

Anna Jordan Butts | Austin Scott | Brecken Reeves | Caroline Russell | Carruth Smith | Chance Cotton | Elizabeth Jones | Erin Pittman | Farrah Jones | Griffin Clark | Hayley Proctor | Jackson Scott | Karl Hatten | Mary Katherine Miller | Max Hardeman | Meghan Whitlow | Olivia Husband | Sam Heidelberg | Sarah Thomas | Walker Carter | William Young

www.fpds.org • (601) 355-1731

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DEPARTMENTS

LIFE OF LEISURE

11 Shopping Gifts for Your Grad

13 HomesAn Elegant Home Away from Home

16 Food A Local’s Delight

21 Music Bill & Temperance

SOUTH BOUND

18 At Home in the JungleSurviving Vanuatu

A SOUTHERLY COMFORT

47 A Final Farewell Reminiscing with the Class of 2009

IN EVERY ISSUE

9 Editor’s Letter

44 Events Listing

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Belhaven University International Studies major, Gary Lemottee, high in the clouds hiking to the top of an active volcano while completing a required semester abroad in the islands of Vanuatu. See At Home in the Jungle page 18


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EDITOR’S LETTERMAY 2015

PUBLISHED BY The Madison County Journal

PUBLISHERJames E. Prince III

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & PUBLISHERMichael Simmons

EDITORPrice Rosson

LAYOUT & DESIGNRachel Browning

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

David Wiggins

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSDuncan Dent

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Alexandra Anthony [email protected]

(601) 853-4222

ADVERTISING DESIGNGodfrey Jones

Madison County Magazine is a monthly supplement to the Madison County Journal designed to promote Madison County in an informative and positive

manner. We welcome contributions of articles and photos; however, they will be subject to editing

and availability of space and subject matter. Photographs, comments, questions, subscription requests and ad placement inquiries are invited!

Return envelopes and postage must accompany all labeled materials submitted if a return is requested. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The

opinions expressed in Madison County Magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products of services herein. We reserve the rift to refuse any

and all advertising. Subscribe to the magazine by subscribing to the Journal,

mymcj.com, or call the office at (601) 853-4222 © 2010 Madison County Publishing Company.

MADISONC O U N T Y

Your final year in high school has come and

gone, seniors. As you pre-pare for new beginnings you can’t help but cling on to the last of every memory and moment that has brought you to where you are today. The former UAB instructor in me and each year added on to my life, makes me feel obligated to once again pass on a little encouragement for all that is yet to come.

Last year, I offered a list of five simple things to remember that I still firmly believe in. Go to class, build relationships with every stranger, pick your passion, mind your time (because its only yours to share), and, most importantly, have fun! It will fly by.

Tom Brokaw once said, “You are educated. Your certification is your de-gree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”

Don’t get me wrong, you are definitely on the way to “the good life” but I just challenge each of you to at the same time, change the world. Make the world a better place. You are good people, you come from good people, you will always be good people. I know because I come from the same people here at home in Mississippi.

You are armed with the knowledge of good values. Don’t forget them! Even more so, share them with others and be a reflection of hope and faith that others will also do the same.

You may feel grown, but you are not. Entering the last year of my 20’s, I have finally realized that I am still not grown and have something new to learn, a new way to grow and inner light to share each and every day that I live and breathe. The sooner you learn this, the better off you will be.

Make your impact and make someone proud. You literally have the world at your fingertips. Don’t give up the hope that leads to a dream. At times it may seem hard to reach that light at the end of the winding road but always try the alternate path to accomplish a feat you never thought possible.

Always call your parents. Without fail, stick close at heart—a little physical distance never killed anyone—and remember where you came from.

Again and of utmost importance, HAVE FUN and be safe. It is now your time to fly and the sky is the limit. You have a long way to go but no doubt you are well on your way.

Congrats, grad! Keep up the good work.


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SHOPPING

give-AWAY

Dop Kit & Make up BagThey can’t leave home without them! These are great to personalize for keeping all toiletries separate from the mix in the dorm. Field and Stream Dop Kit $25 + $8 for MonogramPolysilk Quilted Cosmetic Case $24 + $6 for monogramAbbye Grey

ENO HI FI Speaker CaseThe ENO speaker allows your grad to always share music on the go. Super durable with protection from moisture and impact is the perfect addition to a backpack or purse. $24.99Buffalo Peak

“You Are Loved” SignSend them with a simple reminder. On those days they don’t call, they will always have your words for comfort and care reminding them of home. $14.25Abbye Grey

Eagle Creek Pack It Keep it clean and neat (or it can’t hurt to try) with this “Pack It” for parties and travels on the road. $24Buffalo Peak

2016 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring SUV Fresh from the factory, keep your grad safe and in style while on the road. With great gas mileage and all the bells and whistles, the Mazda CX-3 will always get them home safe and sound. Mazda of Ridgeland

Graduation Gift BasketsThis year gear up your grad with these personalized gift baskets from College Corner. Pick the price and spirited combo that goes inside to send your grad off with all the necessities to cheer on their team. starting at $75College Corner

Endless Leather BraceletsExtensive in variety and combination options, these leather bands are stackable and can be individually personalized with charms for each personality. Precious pops of color and style to build on through the years.Leather Bands, starting at $60Charms, varying pricesSollberger Jewelry

May Giveaway! Like our giveaway photo on Facebook to win this Rechargable on-the-go phone charger in your choice of a school from College Corner!


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Dorm adriane’s

Roomdecor

Creating an Elegant Home Away from Home

story and photos by Price Rosson

An elegant mix of new and old, repainted and repurposed, funky and fine, combined to create a fabulous home away from home.

LIFE OF LEISURE | HOMES


When Adriane Anglin, graduate of Canton Academy, was deciding where to go to col-lege the decision came easy. Born and raised a Bulldog there was no doubt that she would attend Mississippi State University. With her mother, Pam Anglin, owner of

Antique Shops of Jackson, as the brains behind the design, Adriane, Pam, father Dent and Velvet Interiors booth owner and friend LauraBeth Rosson put their heads together to come up with the perfect home away from home.

Growing up in the antique and design world, when planning the dorm room the team wanted first and foremost for it to be beautiful. At the same time, they definitely threw in as many practical elements because after all it was a freshman’s dorm room.

“Every young girl should be inspired,” says Pam. “A dorm room can be pretty, affordable and within all university stipulations. It just takes a little thinking outside of the box.”

Adriane’s only non-negotiable was the Tiffany blue color that accents the entire room. It was the first decision made and the rest fell in place. LauraBeth then added the coral Trina Turk pillows to complement the Tiffany blue creating the jovial color combination.

The headboards and futon were hand-me-downs from good friends’ time in college. The next stop was finding the coral bedding combination to add an additional pop of color.

Artist and friend, Jana Bell perfectly matched the custom artwork that hung on the walls with 3M Command Strips. Per university regulations everything was hung with 3M Com-mand Strips and not one nail went into the wall.

A new coat of gold paint and white pleather upholstery create a fresh, first-class, yet practical, addition to the girls’ room.

Custom-made by father, Dent, the cur-tains help to hide the mess and menagerie.

Tiffany blue and coral pops on a white pal-

lette create a classicly chic color scheme for

this dorm room.

Repurposed and repainted sconces are an elegant touch to light the night.

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The white shag rug and mirrored coffee table along with many other elements of decor in the room were purchased at Home Goods.

Pam and LauraBeth then took it to the An-tique Shops of Jackson warehouse for a few final yet quintessential touches to making this home away from home an elegant place for Adriane to call her own. The mirror was old and broken so the duo added a new mirror to it and painted the frame white. The Aidan Gray sconces had been broken in a shipment, but a new coat of the Tiffany blue and gold made them look as good as new. Finally, the desk chairs were old, red and shoved in a corner. Pam and LauraBeth had them repainted to the matching gold accent color and recovered with white pleather fabric at The Linen Shop in Gluckstadt.

Contrary to what appears, the mirror and sconce combo were mounted on a piece of ply-wood and, again, attached to the wall by the use of 3M Command Strips.

In concurrence with additional university regulations, nothing was removed from the room, just resourcefully hidden. Either un-derneath the raised dorm bed or behind the curtains of the custom-made “cabinet” father Dent built to hide the TV, refrigerator and pantry cabinets. Built out of plywood and a metal rod, with the measurements sent by the university, the mess and madness were con-cealed with the sliding of a curtain.

It may not hurt to have a mother that owns an antique shop and deals in the design busi-ness on a daily basis, but with a little resource-fulness and thinking outside of the box every young woman starting on her own can start her new life in a room as elegant and alluring as this one.

Don’t be afraid to push the limits and have a little fun designing your little girl’s new digs. But just as Pam says, she is out! Her dorm room design days are done. LauraBeth Ros-son of Velvet Interiors is just beginning, how-ever, and looks forward to helping all girls become inspired making dorm room dreams come true.

Every girl

should be inspired!

~Pam Anglin


Richard Shapley opened the doors to Ely’s Restaurant & Bar in 2008 with a commitment to serving

“mouth watering cuts of beef and fresh seafood, in a contemporary, upscale at-mosphere.” Seven years of devotion to Madison County, Ely’s word still stands strong and the promise to its neighbor-hood and home is only growing stronger.

Locally owned and operated, Richard says, “Our service and friendships go hand in hand. It simply comes naturally because we love serving our friends and neighbors.”

The love of the job is apparent as every-one on the service staff has been employed for at least a year-and-a-half to two years and some upwards of seven years.

“We know your name when you come in. We are truly an establishment for the locals,” Richard adds.

Recently, Ely’s has added new and con-temporary elements of style to help am-plify the modern feel of the restaurant.

The white table cloths have been re-placed with new modern, sleek tables and the new bar stools accentuate the comfort of the atmosphere.

Ely’s intentionally appeals to anyone and everyone.

“Our clientele spans generations, which we love,” says Richard.

The atmosphere and ambiance are great for a special night out or watching the game on Saturday, good for cocktails with the ladies and you will often find businessmen finishing out the day.

“We are comfortable, not casual,” Rich-ard adds.

The additions to comfort within the restaurant can also be found in the way of food. Ely’s is now serving a new bar menu between 4:00 p.m and 6:00 p.m. The new bar menu includes small plates of tenderloin sliders and fried oysters, but also still available are everyone’s favorite tenderloin tips and fries, yellow fin tuna and hummus.

On any given day the doors are open, you will find a good crowd having good conversation over terrific food and drink at the bar.

The drinks are just as first-rate as the food. A superb wine list and many spe-cialty cocktails which include the Pineap-ple Ely, Old (Towne) Fashioned and The Carousel, which is a tip of the hat to the bar on Bourbon Street, are guaranteed to raise your spirits.

by Price Rosson

A LOCAL’S DELIGHTEly’s Serves First-Class Fare

in a Comfortable Environment

LIFE OF LEISURE | FOOD

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Richard Shapley, Owner of Ely’s Restaurant & Bar

Beef Tenderloin Sliders Steak Salad

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“What is most important is that you will al-ways find top notch food and service but never a stuffy atmosphere,” Richard concludes.

A tried and true local establishment, headed by a man with roots in the history of Mississippi’s melting pot of food and culture, Ely’s Restaurant & Bar will never fail to serve first-class fare in comfortable environment.

Sautéed Crab Claws

Gary Lemottee, soon-to-be Belhaven alum, Mis-sissippi transplant from the Baja Peninsula in Mexico by way of Texas, was born and raised

with an inherent interest in linguistics. His mother has her Masters in the subject and is fluent in Spanish, Ger-man, English, French, Italian and Portuguese. This deep-rooted love of languages has taken Gary to places many would never dream of. Quick to say, everyone should not be afraid to step outside of their comfort zone, Gary did just that, and landed himself in the villages and jungles of Vanuatu for a required Study Abroad his Junior year at Belhaven University.

Growing up, if Gary made mention of being “bored” his mother would give him a French dictionary to read. Spanish, his native language and also a romance language, made it easy for him to pick up. These beginnings as rem-edies for boredom fostered what Gary now aspires to make his life’s work.

“Did you know it is said that there are not enough years in our lifetime to translate all the unknown languages of the world,” Gary states. “And those are the ones we know about.

by Price Rosson

A BELHAVEN STUDENT’S LIFE LESSONS LEARNED WHILE

SURVIVING VANUATU

clockwise from top left: Gary on campus at Bel-haven University.; Swimming through underwater caves; Atop a small cargo ship or “rust bucket” Gary took from one island to another on a 23-hour boat ride.; Talking with the kids in Rambwe Village which is a village in Ambrym where he stayed with one of the tribes learning to speak their language.; Gary representing his university next to the world’s only underwater post office.

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SOUTH BOUND

Everywhere Gary traveled in the jungle his “life bag” was in tow. The people of the tribe gave him the name “Vianten Neyelan” meaning “white man that walks a lot.” Gary absorbed each moment wanting to explore and see everything.

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On the island of Vanuatu alone, there are an estimated 111 languages and 60 have yet to be translated.”

Gary made his way to Mississippi when a friend from Texas at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts recommended he look at Belhaven because it was similar to his high school. At Belhaven he met Dr. Ken Nehrbass, former Head of the International Studies department, who had recently spent 10 years in Vanuatu translating the Christian Bible to the islands native language. Gary, an International Studies major, was required to do a semester abroad to graduate. Not interested in Europe, in lieu of stepping outside of the comfort zone, and under Dr. Nehrbass’ recommendation and guidance, Gary began planning his adventure a couple of years in advance.

Fall semester of his Senior year, Gary headed out to the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu. He spent part of this semester completing his project of recording a translation of the Christian Allegory “Pilgrim’s Prog-ress” in an electronic program for the native people. While not at work, he spent his time immersing himself in the local “city” visiting markets and picking up on as much of the language as he could.

While Gary enjoyed his time in the “city” he really felt at home and where he needed to be in the jungle amongst the tribes. Each day was spent fishing, gardening and exploring with the natives in the infinite beauty of the islands. The solidarity helped him to grow as a person and realize what he hopes to do with his education.

The boundless beauty of nature also came with a couple of close calls out on adventures. Exploring an active volcano, Gary took a spill and was safe solely due to the walking stick that he continually found comfort in having. Traveling from island to island by canoe with no communica-tion other than “look for the ‘white man’ to show up at this time,” Gary flipped the canoe in shark infested water. A long way from the island, Gary had to make the decision to drop his backpack and sole lifeline to the jungle or keep on swimming with the extra weight. Calm, cool and collected Gary made the right decision and made it to the island several hours after expected.

Gary encourages all college students to study abroad. No matter the major, there are opportunities for everyone.

“Do not be intimidated by the cost, there are affordable ways to make it happen. It might not be easy, but the memories are irreplaceable and the connections made are good for a lifetime,” Gary concludes.

Gary’s next adventure will take him to a Master’s program at Flori-da International University. He then hopes and plans to do more time in the jungle, leaving his footsteps and translating the unknown lan-guages of the world.

A true testament to “stepping outside of the comfort zone,” life in the jungle may not be every college student’s path down the winding road of “finding yourself.” Nonetheless, take note and, remember, some-times it is best to take the road less traveled.

left: Masing (in back) handmade this canoe which carried them to hot springs on a 4-hour canoe trip.; below: Taking a break from gathering fire wood and eating a fresh coconut.; Swim-ming in the blue lagoons of crystal clear fresh water.; A tradi-tional tribal dance called a “Rom” dance. In the picture are chiefs of different tribes which symbolize strength and power protecting their people from evil which are the masked figures.


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Already established musicians in their own right, the Bill and Temperance Trio have built a loyal following of lovers of

Americana music in the Metro Jackson Area.Bill Ellison, acoustic guitar, and Temper-

ance Babcock, violin, built their distinctive sound on the classic combination of fiddle, bass and acoustic guitar. Well-known bassist and vocalist Jeff Perkins joined Bill and Tem-perance about four years ago.

Their vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements cover the musical spectrum from Bill Monroe to the Everly Brothers to Old Crow Medicine Show, but their material extends to other genres including jazz and classical music. “We are usually identified as a bluegrass band, but we do a lot of different things. I would say we are more Americana,” Ellison said. “Temperance is a classically trained violinist, so we even work a classical piece by Vivaldi into our act.”

Ellison and Babcock have played together since they were introduced to do a children’s music show for PBS called Lomax the Hound of Music. Ellison said they really clicked and he invited her to join him on a solo gig he had booked.

“We had jammed once before, but when we were practicing for the show we found we liked the same kinds of music and could play together,” Ellison said.

That was seven years ago. Ellison said it snowballed from there.

Perkins said he was honored to join their “sweet little sound.”

When they brought me on they had a sweet little sound,” Perkins said. “But it was missing

by Duncan Dent

something and I’m proud that I get to help fill in the sound sonically and do vocal harmo-nies with them.”

Perkins said he likes that they play a “vari-ety of stuff and are not pigeonholed.”

“It is not something I tire of,” Perkins said.Ellison mentions they have a rich following

that they are thankful for. It pushes them to really change up their act and bring a fresh experience every time they play.

“We try to keep it fresh. We are lucky enough to have a good-sized following in the area so we have people that see us a lot,” El-lison said.

Ellison said they try to add a new song every month so that their set changes significantly over a course of six months.

The whole band lives in either Jackson or Madison and they have a tight following. They are an odd crew sure, Temperance is younger than both Perkins’ and Ellison’s daughters, but they are part of a warm and dedicated community.

“Some people joke that we are two old guys with a temper,” Perkins said, playing on their names.

Ellison has been a mainstay in Mississip-pi’s acoustic music scene, both as a performer and as host of Mississippi Public Broadcast-ing’s “Grassroots.”

Babcock, a classically trained violinist and former member of the Mississippi Symphony, has studied under Felicia Moye and has re-corded with members of Ricky Skaggs’s band “Kentucky Thunder.”

BILL & TEMPERANCE

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LIFE OF LEISURE | MUSIC

“Two old guys playing with a temper.”


MAY 2015 | 23

CLASS OF 2015

Through the years, these bright, well-rounded young minds have studied, kicked, laughed, putted and passed and grown as a product of Madison County. We now send them off into the world to represent the next gen-eration. Celebrate with us as we bid adieu to the Class

of 2015 and congratulate them on a job well done.

Congratulationsphotos by David Wiggins

FEATURE

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Football (2011-2015), Boys Powerlifting (2012-2015), Mu Alpha Theta (2012-2015), Future Busi-ness Leaders of America (2012-2015), Na-tional Honor Society (2013-2015), Ridge-land Chamber of Commerce Jr. Diplomats (2013-2015), National Society of High School Scholars (2013-2015), Correia’s Guitar En-semble (2009-2011), Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Top 10 percentile of 2015 Class, Bank Plus Student 360 (2014), Academic Ex-cellence: Chemistry, Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry. FBLA Business Presentation - 4th place at State (2013), FBLA Business Math - 1st place at District (2014), FBLA Business Calculations - 2nd at District and State (2015), DAR Good Citizenship award (2013), A-B Honor roll (2012-2014), Three-time Student of the Month, FCA Leadership Team (2012-2013), MαƟ Mississippi-District 3 Governor (2014-2015), NHS Secretary (2014-2015), FBLA Treasurer (2014-2015) and the position of Laborer at Ridgeland Recreation and Parks (2013-present) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Winning rivalry and playoff games are great memories that I will never forget. My favorite memory, however, involves a sport that I did not play. My junior year, I was making up a Chem-istry test. My Chemistry teacher was also a basketball coach. A few players short Coach Davidson gathered a few of us that were in the gym to run a few basic pick plays and cuts to the hoop. Shockingly, I pulled up and sunk a three. The memory of the disbelief on the Coach’s face that not only had I taken a shot but I had actually made it will never leave my mind. He just shook his head, said, “Nice shot,” and continued coaching his team. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COL-LEGE AND WHY? San Diego State Uni-versity to pursue a career in Engineering. I chose SDSU for its comparable engineering program to other top schools in the southeast along with its location. I previously spent ten years of my life in San Diego, and while I spent more than three unforgettable years of high school in Madison County, my heart never truly left. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? David Wilbanks, my Math teacher,

probably influenced me to excelling as a student the most. My skills in math have grown exponentially. Through an atmo-sphere that celebrates correct answers and high scores and corrects wrong an-swers with tremendous patience, Mr. Wil-banks not only cemented my interest in math, but truly built it. Random tangents unrelated to the subject or explanations of basic knowledge don’t phase him in the slightest. Mr. Wilbanks is always eager to expand upon any student’s knowledge. Those random questions culminated in a 35 Mathematics sub-score on the ACT. Without Mr. Wilbanks’ constant inter-est in his students’ knowledge, I may not have the future I am eagerly awaiting this coming fall. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… I really hoped to become a NFL quarter-back when I was little. I still remember dramatically directing my friends and slinging the pigskin to them all over the playground in elementary school. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Push yourself. Life can fall into a predictable routine without a personal drive. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Get involved! You are sur-rounded by the best sponsors and teachers in the state, don’t be shy to apply for clubs and extracurriculars. Plus it’s a great way to fill out your resume! | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? The pace of life. People in Madison are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met and a huge part of that is that they actually take the time to smile and say hello to you. It may seem like a small thing, but that 30 seconds can really make my day. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself overseeing power distribution as an executive at a major energy company. Hopefully, I can also maintain research and testing for ma-chines and technology that can lessen our human footprint.

JUSTIN NECAISE Ridgeland High School SON OF CAROL AND

JARROD NECAISE

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS National Achievement Finalist, Speech and Debate Team President, Mu Al-pha Theta, National Latin Honor Society, National Honor Society, Key Club, Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce Junior Diplomat, RHS Singers | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? I don’t have a sin-gle favorite high school memory. The four years I have spent at Ridgeland have been four of the best years of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Mississippi State University; My grandparents went there, my parents met each other there, and nowhere else that I’ve visited has ever felt quite like home to me. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My entire family inspires me. My mother, father, and grandparents not only push me to be a better student, but also they have set an outstanding example for me. If I’m lucky, I’ll become half the person that the women in my life are. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… 6 years old. I didn’t decide what I really wanted to do until middle school. As a young child, I enjoyed life one Barbie doll at a time. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I believe that everyone and every situation has something to offer. Therefore, I treat everything that I do and everyone that come into contact with as an opportunity to learn some-thing new or to pass on some knowledge. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? I would let them know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and to persevere because the possibilities that come with getting an education are endless. I would also encourage them not to take for granted the time that they have now to essentially be a kid, because the next four years of their lives are about to fly by. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? The people. I have built so many valuable friend-ships with the people of Madison County. I will miss the kindness of everyone as well. I always say that Madison County is a close-knit community and every-one that you meet treats you like their neighbor. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself settled down with a family practic-ing law and making plans to open my own firm.

ERRIONA BROWDER Ridgeland High School

DAUGHTER OF ERRON BROWDER AND KRISTI BROWDER


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Cheer Captain, Yearbook Editor, Student Leadership Co-alition, Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD), National Honor Society, Principal’s Leadership Award, Mississippi Star Student | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite high school memory is the night that I was crowned as homecoming queen. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COL-LEGE AND WHY? I will be going to college at Xavier University of Louisiana. I chose this school because of its profound reputation for enforcing academics, and also because it is a historically black university. It is located in the heart of New Orleans, which provides beautiful scenery and the intriguing culture of the city. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? Both of my grandmothers have inspired me the most. They were both faced with numerous challenges in life, but they never gave up their fight. They both have inspired me to be the best student that I can be in my efforts to make them proud. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a teacher. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind – 2 Timothy 1:7 | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? The key to having a successful high school journey is to focus on the innumerable positive things occurring in your life. There will be obstacles, and you may have days that bring you to your lowest moods. Just continue to keep positivity, the driv-ing force. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I live in a very rural area of Madison County, a town named Camden. I will miss the country air, and the peacefulness of Madison County. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? In 10 years, I see myself as an accom-plished young pharmacist enjoying my career and life.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Winning three State Basketball Championships is unforgettable. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COL-LEGE AND WHY? Copiah Lincoln Commu-nity College because I love the campus and it specializes in the medical field. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My parents because they are both hard workers and they instilled that in me at a very young age. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a NFL player. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” Mark 5:36 | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? High School is differ-ent and fast. You have to be sharp and aware of all the things going on and keep up. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss the peace and quiet the most. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Established and successful.

KAYLA BEAMONVelma Jackson High School DAUGHTER OF CARLTON AND VALENCIA BEAMON

ANFERNEE BROWNVelma Jackson High School

SON OF LAVONDIA BROWN AND CHARLES PARKER

MAY 2015 | 27

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Mu Alpha Theta (2014-2015), Rebel Ambassadors (2014-2015), Most Talented (2014-2015), Homecoming Queen 2014, Crown Club 2014, Basketball: (2011-2014); District All-Tournament Team (2013); North State All-Tournament Team (2013); All-Conference (2014), Cheerleading (2014); Softball: (2010-2014), MVP All-Conference (2009-2014), Tennis (2014), Track (2011-2013), Athletic Training: 2010-2013; Basketball Statistics (2012-2014) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite memory is when our team won the softball state championship. Being the only senior on the team, I was named the team leader. In becoming the team leader, I was able to bond with my team and become close with each and every one of the girls. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Northwest Community College to play softball. I then plan to pursue Nurs-ing at University of Mississippi Medical School. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My pitching coach for soft-ball, Malorie Hambrick. She always pushed me to be the best I could possibly be. Not only is she a great coach she is such a strong Christian woman. What I love most about Malorie is that no matter what she will always make me laugh. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a col-lege softball player, and now I am truly getting to experience it. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Things will always work out in the end. Some-times you have to stop worrying and just have faith that God will take care of things. It might not always be how you planned, but it will be what they are supposed to be. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Be yourself and be sure to make a difference in some way before you graduate and enjoy everyday you have left in high school. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? One thing that I will miss in particular is Flora. I have lived in this town my whole life and love where I come from. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself back in Flora as a nurse at Baptist Hospital. I’m hopeful by this point in my life mar-ried and thinking about starting a family. And if that is not God’s plan for me I hope I can be obedient to what He is telling me.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity football, basketball & tennis, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Team, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, 2015 MS Science and Math Tournament participant, 2015 Academic Betterment Competition participant, Senior Class President, Madison County student panel for Madison County Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Tri-County Academy 2015, 2015 MAIS All-Star football team, 2015 MAIS Defensive MVP of conference, 2015 MAIS All-Conference football, Yazoo County DAR Good Citizen of the Year | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Without a doubt, my favorite high school memory is winning two state football championships with my team. It has been an honor and a privilege to play the game that I’m most passionate about with my brother and closest friends. The memories made will never be forgotten. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? I will be attending East MS Community College and have received a full academic scholarship. I am enrolled in the honors college, and will attend MS State University after complet-ing two years at EMCC. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My mother has inspired me most as a student. She has always stressed how important it is for me to have the best grades possible and for me give nothing less than my very best in every aspect of my life. Both of my parents always instilled in me a “nothing is impossible” attitude, and taught me that giving up on something that you truly want is not an option. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… an NFL player. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? “Life is good!” | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOM-ING FRESHMAN CLASS? If you really want to be successful at something, don’t look for an easy out. Put in the time and effort and it will pay off. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss being close to all of my good friends and those I’ve grown up with in my hometown of Flora. However, I know that most of them will be my lifelong friends, and I’m looking for-ward to meeting new people in college. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? In 10 years I see myself running a successful business or holding a senior position in a large company. I also hope that in this I will keep God at the center of my life, allowing Him to work through me. Whatever career He leads me to, I want it to bring glory to Him.

HAYES SHEPHERDTri-County AcademySON OF WALT AND BETH SHEPHERD

TORI LUKE Tri-County Academy

DAUGHTER OF KEITH AND LISA LUKE


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS /HONORS Varsity Volleyball, Cross Country, Track, Var-sity Basketball Manager, Images Magazine Contributing Writer, Book Club- President, Pre-Med Society- President, Quidditch/ Harry Potter Club- Ravenclaw Prefect, Out-door Club, Service Club, SAAD Club, Latin Club, Habitat for Humanity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Retreat Leader- 10th grade Girls, 5th and 6th grade Boys Volley-ball Coach, Mississippi Blues Marathon Volunteer, Nation-al Merit Finalist, Academy Honor Roll, DAR Citizenship Award (s)- 7th, 9th grades, Honors English Award 2013, Chi Alpha Mu (Mathematics Honors), Mu Alpha Theta (Mathematics Honors), National Honor Society, Missis-sippi School of Math and Science Competition Team Quiz Bowl Team, Academic Betterment Competition- English; 3rd in district and state 2013; English 2nd in district 2014, National Junior Classical League Society, Cum Laude So-ciety, DYW Academic Award, DYW Be Your Best Self Es-say Winner, Susan Byers Collins Scholarship, Honors Latin III Award, Girls State Scholarship, Jackson troop, National Honor Society Vice President, Most Friendliest of the Class of 2015, Most Intellectual of the Class of 2015 | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? This year, my volleyball team achieved the greatest feat possible in a high school sport — we won the state championship. As amazing as the experience was, winning the big game was not my favorite memory of high school. The best memo-ries I have are getting ready for school after early morning practices. While everyone was always scrambling around, trying to look and smell decent for school, we all got to know one another really well. Getting to spend time with my teammates every morning, regardless of the sweat, will al-ways be a favorite memory of mine. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? I will be attending the University of Mississippi in the fall. For the longest time, I could not decide where I wanted to go to school next year. Ole Miss stood out in the end, not only because of their Honors College, but because of their friendly atmosphere. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STU-DENT AND WHY? My sister, who is just a year older than me, has always inspired me to be a better student. She always excelled academically, and I continue to look up to her. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a kindergarten teacher. My classroom was a literal little, red schoolhouse, and my teachers were wonderful. I wanted to be just like them when I grew up. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Glorify God and enjoy Him forever. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Strive to do your best in everything. Your best might not be the best, but set goals for yourself and work to accomplish them. You never know how far you can go until you work your hardest to get there. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will definitely miss being able to live in such a beautiful area. Madison County has wonderful people and beautiful places to relax with your friends. Shopping at Renaissance, hanging out at Liberty Park, and going to see a movie at Malco are some of my favorite things to do outside of school. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Generally, I hope to be either finished with graduate school or finishing up medical school. I see my-self being able to impact others on a day to day basis, and hopefully helping others in some way. Specifically, I want to be finishing my residency in pediatrics, and be actively involved in my community and church.

MARY BROOKS THIGPENJackson Academy

DAUGHTER OF SABRINA AND JEFF THIGPEN

MAY 2015 | 29

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Mu Alpha Theta, Cum Laude Society, National Honor Society, National Society of High School Scholars, Cross Country, History Club, Quiz Bowl, Spanish Club, Junior Engineering Technologi-cal Society, Student Pilot, Outdoor Club, Awarded the Presidential Scholarship by the University of Alabama, Xerox Award for In-novation and Information Technology, First Place in Department of Transportation’s National Bridge Building Competition, Short Story Honorable Mention Scholastic Art and Writing Competi-tion, AP US History Award, Spanish 3 Award, National Merit, Commendation for PSAT score, Jackson Academy Scholar of the Week (October, 2014) | | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? All the outdoor trips I have been on over the past three years, in a way, come together to form my favorite high school memory. I have made so many great friendships and gone on so many adventures thanks to Mr. Sumrall, the Outdoor Club’s brave leader. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COL-LEGE AND WHY? I am going to the University of Alabama. I was very impressed by the opportunities provided by its Honors College. Also, I plan to major in Physics, and I found the Physics professors to be very personable as well as knowledgeable. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? Albert Einstein has always inspired me to truly think and to be naturally curious about the world around me. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… an astronaut because as-tronauts are the coolest guys in the solar system in the eyes of a 5-year-old. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Question everything, especially what you believe you are absolutely sure of. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Get to know your teachers. They are people just like you, and understanding them will make your life much easier. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I'll miss the nice scenery on the drive home everyday. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I will hopefully be finished with graduate school and working on the research of my choice.

WILLIAM BELL Jackson Academy

SON OF WILLIAM BELL JR. AND ANGIE BELL


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS National Honor Society, Beta Club (President), Principal Scholar, Honor Roll, Student of the Month, Band Section Leader (Trum-pet) 10th-12th grade, Class President (9th & 11th), Upsilon Phi Upsilon Fraternity, Inc. Community Service Honoree, Little Mir-acles Daycare Community Service Honoree | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? When I became a member of the Canton High School Band and we participated in the "Flo Show" season. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Jackson State University because the school has a home feel and I am very familiar with it. Also my love for this college has been ongoing since I was a very little girl. My scholarship just put the icing on the cake. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My grandmother inspired me most because she always sees the best in me. Even when everyone else was disappointed in me, she understood. Her love and understanding is what keeps me go-ing. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… A dancer and teacher. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Persevere to succeed and push yourself beyond everyone's expec-tations to become what was once impossible in everyone's eyes... including your own. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Never get too hung up on unnecessary desires, but be-come greatly desired to be successful. Always be the best everyone thought you could not be. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? My closest peers and teachers, those that believed in me and always pushed me harder to be on top. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Pursuing my goal of becoming a pediatrician.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Superintendent Scholar, President’s List Scholar, Student of the Month (2010), Class Scholar (2014), Canton High School Mississippi Scholar (2014), Honoree of the Superintendent’s Excellence Award (2014-2015) WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite high school memory is attending my senior and junior proms. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Mississippi State University to receive a quality education while gaining a great college experi-ence. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? I have been most inspired by Barack Obama because he is very intelligent and has made U.S. history. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a doctor. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Live everyday as if it were the last. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Take your classes very seriously. Do your ab-solute best in all of them because they will help you in the long run. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss the community and culture. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself as a civil en-gineer with a wife and kids.

MICHAEL GREENWOODCanton High School

SON OF MICHAEL AND CHRIS-TINE GREENWOOD

ADRIANA WARE Canton High School

DAUGHTER OF LAKISHA WATKINS & SELWYN WARE

MAY 2015 | 31

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS 3rd in Mississippi High School State Swim Meet, 400 Freestyle Re-lay (2012), Class Favorite (11th), Citizenship Award (11th), Speech & Debate Team MVP (11th), GHS Student of the Month (October 2014) , GHS Most School Spirited (2015), GHS Prom King (2015), Mr. Germantown High School (2015) | WHAT IS YOUR FA-VORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Escorting Super Mav Kate Morris for the Homecoming Parade | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Delta State because it is close to home and is a small enough University to know everyone. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My parents, especially my mother, who went to law school when I was in the 5th Grade to achieve her life long dream of be-coming a lawyer. I watched her incredible work ethic and wanted to mimic it in my own life. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a fireman. Not only did they get to use giant hoses, but also they got to wear those cool helmets. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? The Golden Rule, treat others the way you would like to be treated. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Be careful pulling out a pack of gum in class, un-less you would like to pick favorites. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? The calm Friday nights after a football game, relaxing with my friends, and all of the people I have met in this truly special place. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I will hopefully be retired from the Air National Guard, a representative for the State in which I will be living, however always representing the State of Mississippi with pride and dignity; on track to further my political career, a news anchor, and a voice actor as a hobby on the side. I hopefully will be married and will have a place I can call my home.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Volleyball (9th-12th), Varsity Soft-ball (9th-12th), Varsity Basketball (9th & 10th), “Chargers” Club Volleyball (11th), “Curve” tournament fast-pitch soft-ball (9th-11th), SGA Vice President (9th-11th), SGA Co-President (12th), FCA Leader (9th-12th), Interact Club (9th), MADD (Mavs Against Destructive Decisions) Core Mem-ber | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite high school memory is playing in the first varsity volleyball, basketball and fast pitch softball in my school’s history. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Mississippi State University be-cause my Dad played football there and I grew up following MSU athletics. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My teachers coaches and ad-ministration at Germantown High School have all inspired me to be the best that I can be, and I will carry that with me to college. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a nurse just like my mom. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Live each day with a purpose. Every day you wake up, is another opportunity to impact others, and use the time you have wisely because these next four years will be gone before you know it. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss many things about Madison County including my friends, school, family and Broadmoor Baptist Church. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself married with a job in nursing.

SYDNEY SHELL Germantown High School

DAUGHTER OF TONY AND CINDY SHELL

CHARLIE KING Germantown High School SON OF VERNON KING

AND SUSAN FLOYD KING


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Honor Society, Secretary of the Honor Society, Student Coun-cil member 9 - 12 grades, Vice President Student Council, Edi-tor in Chief of Yearbook, Involved in Youth Group at Grace Crossing Church, Volunteer at Webster Animal Shelter, Par-ticipant in Summer College for High School Students at the University of Mississippi, Senior Maid Homecoming Court, First Place District Science Fair 2013 | WHAT IS YOUR FA-VORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite High School memory was the day my first article was published in the school newspaper. Since then people continue to ask me how they can be in the school paper, giving me a great sense of pride. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? I plan to attend the University of Mississippi. After I spent a summer in Oxford taking classes I fell in love with the people, town, and school. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My yearbook advisor, Mrs. Allison Martin, has inspired me the most as a student because she helped me prove to myself that once you believe you can achieve your goals, there is nothing to hold you back. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a veterinarian. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? "Have courage and be kind" Cinderella | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Enjoy it while you can because it’s over before you know it. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss the shopping and entertainment available in Madi-son County | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself establishing myself in the business world.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS A-B Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Beta Club, All District Football, North All-Star Team Football, District 2 AA Football Champions, Best Offensive Back Football, 100m Gold – North State 2014, 4x1 and 4x2 Gold State 2014 | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Beating Leake Academy in football my Senior year and going on to be District Champs and then being selected to play in the All-Star game for the North. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Holmes Community College because both my Mom and sister received their nursing de-grees from there and I want to be a nurse also. I can receive a degree from Holmes then finish my degree elsewhere before becoming a Nurse Anesthetist. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? Ms. Diane Cauthen. She has taught me 3 math classes including Geometry, Algebra II and Trig/Pre-Cal. She is a good teacher and I enjoy her class. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a construction worker like my Dad. | What is your motto in life? “Normal won’t make you #1” | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Never give up, always do your best, show respect and it will be shown back. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will be staying here for a while but when I do leave I will miss everything, mostly the convenience of having anything I need nearby. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Working at UMC on the trauma unit as a Nurse Anesthetist.

TANNER TATECanton Academy

SON OF TAMMY TATE-BUFKIN AND DANNY TATE

SARAH THOMASONCanton Academy

DAUGHTER OF KIMBERLY AND ANTHONY THOMASON

MAY 2015 | 33


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Track (8th-12th), Varsity Cross Country (7th-12th), Ten-nis (7th-12th), Piano (1st-12th), Pacer Dance Team (11th & 12th), Magna Cum Laud (11, 12), Gold Medalist on National Spanish Exam (9, 10), Academic Excellence 95 or Above Overall Average (7th-11th), Service Club Distinctive Service (10th-11th), Presi-dential Community Service Bronze Level (50-74 hours) (10th-11th), American Legion Award (9th), Homecoming Court (12th), Miss Senior Class (12th), Bronze Medalist on Na-tional Spanish Exam (11th), MAIS Overall Academic Betterment Competition (9th), Biol-ogy - 5th in MS, Ninth Grade Principal's List Leadership in Academics and Behavior (9th), Honors English Award (9th), Science Merit Award 95 or Above in Science (9th), English Merit Award 95 or Above in English (9th), Track: MAIS AAA 3200m 2nd in State (10th-11th); 3rd in State (9th), MAIS AAA 1600m 3rd in State(8th,10th,11th); 4th in State (9th), MAIS AAA 800m 4th in State (8th), Varsity Most Valuable Distance (10th-11th), Junior Varsity Most Valuable Distance (9th) Cross Country: MAIS AAA 1st in State Girls Champion (12th), MAIS 5th in State (8th); 3rd in State (9th-11th), MVP (9th-10th, 12th) Tennis: South AAA State Runner-Up- #1 Singles, Patriot Award (9th), Most Improved (11th) Piano: Annual Bach Festival Music Competition- 5 year Superior (4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th) Art: Honorable Mention Art Award (11th-12th), Gold Key Art Award (11th), Silver Key Art Award (12th) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Cheering on Prep’s football team on Friday nights. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Southern Meth-odist University because it is a great school in an awesome city full of new opportunities. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My father because I knew that he expected nothing less than my best, cultivating my desire to achieve and to strive for excellence. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a medical doctor or an artist. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Why be the same when you can be different? | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Treasure and take advantage of your time in high school because it will be gone in an instant. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADI-SON COUNTY? Frequent stops at Snow Biz and the Farmer’s market. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself living with my family in Birming-ham, Alabama as a doctor.

KENNADY GALLOWAYJackson Preparatory School DAUGHTER OF CHARLES

AND JULIE GALLOWAY

MAY 2015 | 35

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Cross Country, Cross Country All State (4 years in a row), Track, Cum Laude Society, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honors Society, Student Council, Pa-triot League | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? One of my best high school de-cisions was joining the Cross Country team. Although I was uneasy about it in the beginning, it soon became a passion of mine. The memories of road trips, movie nights, and character-shaping early morning runs are a few things that come to mind. Having some of the most solid team-mates and a fantastic coach made the whole experience better than I could have ever imagined. The hardest thing about parting from high school will be leaving my team. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Union University because what finally provoked the tough decision was my second visit on campus. The people I met won me over. It was a reassuring feeling being on Union’s campus for the weekend and, by the end of it, re-luctant to leave. When you find the college that gives you a sense of belonging and worth, that is how you know that you have picked the right one. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My cross country coach Malcolm Saxon. A true man of character, he is a role model that I am quick to look up to. As both a teacher and coach, he has taught me so much about not only being a dedicated runner but also about being a diligent student. I am so grateful for the support and advice that he has pro-vided me. As a strong man of faith and morals, many of the things that I have learned from him have helped to make me a better man. There are many things that he influenced me to do, little things from not running on Sundays to ob-serve the Sabbath to even how to treat others. With his trademark “Saxon humor” and overall personality, I feel like God could not have sent a better person into my life to guide me through my years of high school. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… an adven-turer. Whether I was fighting off evil villains or saving my friends from perilous doom, the dream of one day becom-ing an adventurer always filled me with awe. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Treat others as you would like to be treated. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Get involved in something that you love to do and stick with it. High school provides an assortment of opportunities for you to use your gifts and talents to make the most out of your time, so do not let them slip away! When you find that thing that makes you excited to come to school everyday, that is when you know that you are do-ing what you love. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? Madison’s passion for improvement will definitely be the thing that I will miss the most about it. Madison is a county that is always prospering, whether it be new buildings, new shop-ping centers, bike trails, or simply beautiful landscaping, I feel that Madison is a county that has its residents in mind as it continues to better itself. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I like to think that I will be doing something I love. I have so many passions and inter-ests right now that coming up with a single answer would be too far from the truth. What I do know is that I love to be creative and work with people. I am a big sucker for strong relationships, and I want my future to be deeply rooted in a community. However, what that ultimately looks like is up to God’s plan.

ALEX RUSSELLJackson Preparatory School SON OF LINDA KAY RUS-

SELL AND KEVIN RUSSELL


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Cheerleader (9th-12th), Varsity Cheer Captain (12th) Student Council (Senior Class Treasurer), Varsity Track & Field (9th-12th), March For Life (10th & 11th), Mississippi Youth Legislature (11th), St. Francis of Assisi Youth Group, Spanish Club (9th & 10th), Chess Club (9th), Pottery Club (11th), All American Cheerleader (12th), Pin It For-ward UCA Leadership Award (12th), Track & Field Scholar Athlete Award (9th-12th), Cheerleading Scholar Athlete Award (9th-12th), Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite memory throughout my four years at St. Joe would be my trip to Washington D.C. for the March for Life. March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion, held in Washington D.C., on or around the anni-versary of the United States Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abor-tion on the case Roe v. Wade. On the 19-hour bus ride I gained new friends and learned a lot about those that I spend everyday with. Every person embarks on that journey for a different reason, I went on my first trip not only because I wasn’t sure which side I stood on but I knew that the knowledge I had wasn’t enough to make a decision. My experi-ence sophomore year could not have been more enlightening. Being amongst a crowd of over 500,000 people spiritually guided me to the stand I take today for the right to life. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? The University of Mississippi due to my admittance in the Lott Leadership Institute which strives to identify talented young people and prepare them for leadership positions within the state and nation. Due to my father who graduated from there and raised me cheering “Hotty Toddy” I have many memories in Oxford that make it feel like home. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? Levi Bates is currently two years old and he holds more love and happiness in his heart than half of this country combined. Cliff and Amy Bates adopted Levi as a newborn into their family of four. As I learned their story and formed a bond with Levi my passion and ambition became very clear to me. After be-ing accepted into The Lott Institute I knew I wanted to legally work for adoption agencies. Levi inspired me to take this path in my education, without him I may have never found my passion. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… Cinderella. Some days I still do. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? “Have courage and be kind” –Cinderella. Without courage a person fails to dream and with-out kindness a person fails to succeed. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Freshman, find something that makes you passionate. Without something that inspires you school will seem pointless. It is hard to work for good grades without encouragement. Every person’s passion will derive from something or someone different. Once you find it, succeeding will hold a new importance to you. When I realized the passion I held for orphans, my studies suddenly became clear and vital to my success. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? During my seven years here I have met more kind people than anything else. More than anything I will miss my friends. This fall we will all take a different path leading differ-ent places. Our friendships will never be the same, some may grow stronger and others may fade. Nothing can take away the past seven years I have spent with them making memories in Madison. I have been blessed with all my friends and all of their different qualities. Madison County brought us all together, and for that I will always be thankful. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Every child deserves happiness and I hope that ten years from now I am spend-ing each day achieving that goal. I see myself still calling my mom for advice because she is my best friend. I see myself still loving pink and fairytales because I never want to grow up. My main hope is that all my hard work in school pays off. My parents sacrificed a lot for my educa-tion so that one day my career can make me happy. I sincerely hope that ten years from now their wish for me is coming true.

LINDSEY FUNDERBURGSt. Joseph Catholic School

JIM AND JENNIFER FUNDERBURG

MAY 2015 | 37

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Var-sity Soccer Team Captian, Parliamentarian of the St. Joe National Honor Society. National English Honor Society, National Math Honor Society, Bass Player in the St. Joe Band, St. Richard's Catholic Church Youth Group | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? I will always remember the times spent conversing with anyone who was around at the lunch tables at St. Joe. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COL-LEGE AND WHY? I am going to University of Louisiana at Lafayette because it is where my parents went and met. It is also where the majority of my extended family lives. I have always been a Ragin' Cajun. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My dad has always inspired me to be the best student I could possibly be. He's al-ways supported me in whatever I wanted to do and has helped me remain stress free while showing me that I can succeed in whatever I do. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… an animal. This later turned to wanting to be a veterinarian but at the time it was just wanting to be an animal. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? "It is what it is." I like to remember I can only control so much, and the rest I have to trust will all work out in the end. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? I would like to leave by telling the freshman to get involved. If you would like to enjoy High school as much as possible the best thing to is try out anything that sounds interesting to you. You will get the most out of just going for it. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? The thing I will miss most about Madison County is the laid back summer evenings. I really have enjoyed just relaxing with all the ran-dom nice people of Madison. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself hopefully doing some sort of ecological research for a conservation group.

GRANT LAFLUERSt. Joseph Catholic School

SON OF MARGARET WALLACE LAFLUER AND KENNETH ANTHONY LAFLUER, JR.


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Student Government, soccer, basketball, Young Life, FCA, Na-tional Honor Society, Rotary Club, mission work in Honduras with Bellwether Church, dance team manager, Student Body President, National Honor Society President, DAR Good Citi-zen, 2nd in DAR State Essay Contest, Wendy's Heisman School Winner, Comcast Leaders & Achievers Scholarship Winner, Captain of soccer team, Captain of basketball team, named All-Conference in soccer and basketball, All Star in soccer, National Latin Exam medal winner, Madison County Youth Leadership participant, Faculty Leadership and Service Winner, Most Likely to Succeed, Class Favorite. | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Attending Young Life camp at Sharptop Cove in 10th grade. This was promoted as being the best week of your life, and it totally lived up to its billing. Not only was this a week filled with fun and spiritual growth (totally disconnected from the rest of the world) but the relationships and friendships that began at that camp have been invaluable and crucial to me in high school. These friendships in turn have led made me to make even more great memories, and my involve-ment in Young Life has been a highlight of my high school years. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Texas Christian University because I am a person of purpose, and TCU is a school of purpose. Its motto, "to educate individu-als to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community," goes hand in hand with my vision, so I knew it was a great place for me to spend 4 years. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? To be completely honest, I have always been very self-motivated as a student. However, one teacher who really pushed me outside of my comfort zone is my speech teacher, Frances Dykes. She helped me to be comfortable with public speaking and to actu-ally enjoy it somewhat. On top of that her real influence came in the moments outside of class helping me prepare for interviews and scholarship opportunities. Without her, I would not be in the position I am today. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… Mall cop because I would get to ride a Segway all day. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Jen Hatmaker: "Jesus redefined the nature of greatness…and be-stowed it on the humility of a servant." Serve others. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? I would tell them to be present in high school. Don't be so ready to get to college that you miss high school as it is happening around you. Participate fully and take advantage of all opportunities. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I feel like there is no better place to grow up than Madison County. My mother's family has lived in Madison for over 30 years, and I grew up here surrounded by relatives. My grandmother opened a retail shop here back when there weren’t many businesses so we have strong ties to this community. I will miss the strong sense of family, history, and community that comes from living here. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? In 10 years I hope to be working as a social entrepreneur, helping to solve problems in either my community or the world. I hope to be living a life traveling, serving others, and introducing others to Christ. A husband and some children would be nice, too.

BRENNAN STEEDMadison-Ridgeland Academy

DAUGHTER OF ROY AND DAWN STEED

MAY 2015 | 39

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS MRA Varsity Basketball (2012-2015), MRA Varsity Baseball (2012-2015), MRA Varsity Track and Field (2012-2015), MRA Sports Media Club (2012-2015), Teenage Republicans Society of MRA (Treasurer), Rotary Club, National Honor Society, Headmaster’s Academic Honor Roll, MRA Most Tal-ented (2014), Class Favorite (2014-2015), Most Athletic (2015), Letterman in Basketball, Track and Field and Baseball, MAIS Basketball State Champion (2013-2014), MAIS All-Conference (2013-2014), AAA Basketball State Tournament All-Tournament team (2013-2014), Overall Bas-ketball State Tournament All-Tournament team (2013-2014), Track and Field State Champion 100 m dash (2013-2014), Track and Field State Champion 200 m dash (2013-2014) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite high school memory is winning the 2014 Overall State Championship in basketball my junior year. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? University of Southern Mississippi because I've been a fan my whole life. I grew to love the campus as well as Hattiesburg and can't imagine myself going anywhere else. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? The people who inspire me most as a student are the people I know who have worked tirelessly at their studies in high school and college and seen the fruits of that work pay off im-mediately. I'm a firm believer in having high but attainable aspirations and that belief is reaf-firmed when I see those people's hard work pay off for them. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… in the Air Force. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? My motto in life is to do everything to the best of your ability. Whether you're bad or the best at performing the task at hand, there is no better way to glorify God than to give Him our absolute best work in everything that we do. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Do everything that you do to the very best of your ability. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss it most of all because it has been my home for my whole life. I will also miss it for the friendly strangers you come across every single day. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself working a full time job in a division 1 college athletic department.

BEN MILAM Madison-Ridgeland Academy

SON OF TOM AND LESLIE MILAM


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Class Vice President (9th), Class President (10th-12th), Symphonic Band and Marching Band (9th-11th), Choir (9th-12th), Delta State Honor Choir (9th-12th), Citizenship Award (10th), Madison County Youth Leadership Council (11th), National Honor Society (11th-12th), Beta Club (9th-12th), Honor Roll (9th-12th), 30 Plus Club, Home-coming Court (9th, 10th & 12th), Class Favorite (9th-12th), Best Vo-cal Performance (12th) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My senior year I had the honor of being on our schools Homecoming Court. We had to perform a skit to present each of the couples in the senior class, and we chose to do a dance all together. The reason this was such a blast is because I can’t dance… Seriously, I look like a silly chicken trying it’s best to make his friends laugh! That is why it was fun though- we got to throw caution to the wind and just all be goofy together. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Ole Miss! When I was looking for a school, I found so many hidden gems in Ole Miss that not many people knew about. It has a thriving student body that loves being involved in community service, and the administration seems to really be invested in developing our generation to lead the work force in coming years. I have been admitted to the Sally Mc-Donnell Barksdale Honors College and was awarded the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program scholarship. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… An undercover spy, how cool would that be? | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Pray more, worry less, and go with the flow. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Don’t wait for tomorrow to take a risk. Today is the day, and take each day as a valuable present that you won’t ever get to have again. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss the familial atmosphere. Ev-erywhere you go, you feel welcoming, and I love that! | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? My long-term goal is to be on the mission field. I see myself somewhere, not necessarily over-seas, teaching underprivileged children and spreading Christ’s love.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS All-state second team(Football), First team All-metro (Football), 2-time Blitz 16 Player-of-the-Week, Touchdown Club Player-of-the-Week. All-state Honorable mention (Basketball) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? Those Friday Nights when nothing else mattered in town except for the football game. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Univer-sity of Louisiana Lafayette to play football. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My family and my advisor with just being there everyday to motivate me to better myself daily in the classroom. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… an architect and make the worlds tallest building. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? If you are always prepared, you can never fail! | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? I would tell them to not settle for just good, but to go the extra mile and be great. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? Just the simple, relaxing vibe it brings. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Playing in the NFL and owning my own charity foundation for less for-tunate kids.

KATIE SIMPSON Madison Central High School

DAUGHTER OF KEVIN AND DEBBIE SIMPSON

KEENAN BARNES Madison Central High School

SON OF KEITH AND LAURIE BARNES

MAY 2015 | 41

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Football, Basket-ball, Track, Science Award, Literature Award, Bible Award, Spelling Bee Award, Geog-raphy Award, Social Studies Award, MVP ( JV basketball), Lions Hustle Award (football and basketball), Defensive Award ( JV and Varsity basketball), Captain (Varsity football), All District 9A Offense (Varsity football), All-South Division, (Varsity football, Defensive Player of the Year (Varsity football), and Most Improved (Varsity track) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? My favorite high school memory would be my last year of high school. I’m enjoying my senior year as this journey begins to close and another begins to open. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? I will be attending Mississippi State University. I feel like this is where God is pointing me towards to start my new journey. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My mother has inspired me. Ever since I was born, she’s been there for me through thick and thin, teaching me how to be a God-fearing man, a gentleman, and how to be a leader. Without my mother having my back every step of the way, I wouldn’t know where I would be today. She loves me, she cares for me, basically everything you can ask for a mom to do, she does it, and then some. Mom, if you are reading this, I would just like to thank you for all the hard work you put in to take care of me and my sister. Also, I want to thank God for letting me have such a wonder-ful Christian mother like you in my life! I love you, Mom! | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a football player. God has blessed me with this opportu-nity in High School. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Never give up, but keep going, for God is with you. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Don’t be nervous about your first year of high school. Just relax, and enjoy the four years because they just fly by. The most important advice I can give you is to always ask, seek and pray to God through-out your life. For when you feel alone, or feel like no one has your back, just remember God has your back always. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? I will miss having everything close by each other, which made it easier to get from one place to the next. Whether it was a grocery store or a restaurant, it was just right around the corner. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself in ten years as a loving, caring father who has God in his heart, working hard to provide for his family, while playing my part in helping God’s creation.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Highlands Presbyterian Church Youth Group, Varsity Fast-Pitch Softball (9th-12th), Varsity Soccer (10th-12th), Varsity Basketball (9th-10th, 12th), Varsity Track (9th-10th), Ridgeland Chamber of Commerce Junior Diplomat (12th), National Honor Society (10th-12th), High Honor Roll (9th-12th), Senior Class President, Veritas Drama Productions (10th-12th), Mississippi Youth Legislature (10th-12th), Veritas Service Award (9th), American Literature Award (11th), Ancient Literature Award (9th), Chemistry Award (11th), Conceptual Physics Award (9th), Rhetoric Award (10th), Spanish I Award (10th), Spanish II Award (11th), Basketball Leadership Award (9th), Softball Lion Award (11th), PORTICO Jackson Magazine 25 Students Who Will Change the World (2014), Bank-Plus/Madison County Journal 360 Student Scholar of the Week (Sept. 2014) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? When I scored my first goal in soccer. My teammate threw the ball in and I headed it into the goal! | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA where I will be playing softball. During the summer of 2011, I attended The EDGE Conference at Covenant and it had a deep impact on me spiritually. My family and I visited the campus during Spring Break of 2013. From then on, Covenant was the only college I wanted to go to! Go Scots! | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? My high school teachers at The Veritas School because they bring school subjects to life! Their passion is engag-ing and makes me want to learn even more. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a fairy princess! | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Welcome! The next four years will be a roller coaster of emotions. You will be trying to figure out who you are, who to be friends with, what classes to take, what extracurricular activities to be a part of, which teachers’ exams you need to stress over, and so much more. There will be tough days ahead, but persevere and do your best! | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? This may sound silly, but I will miss being near a Chick-fil-A! | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? I see myself living in a poverty-stricken area of another country, spreading the good news of Jesus Christ by building relationships and walking alongside the locals.

MARY KATHERINE MILLER The Veritas School

DAUGHTER OF BO AND JOANNA MILLER

CHARLES B. CASTON, JUNIOR

The Veritas School SON OF MARSHA CASTON


EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Swimming, Chess, and Speech and De-bate, High Honor Roll (grades 9th-12th), AP Scholar (11th), National Honor Society (11th-12th) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEM-ORY? Bringing home the Class 1 team champion-ship with the best teammates ever at my last MH-SAA Swim Meet. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? I am going to the University of Michigan because of its great research program and its close-knit community of Ann Ar-bor, MI. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? Aaron Rodgers, because his preparation and self-motivation turned him into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a scientist. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That is why it is called the present. | WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESH-MAN CLASS? Try out some extracurricular ac-tivities, but stick to the ones you are most passionate about. Learning to balance out academics and extra-curriculars early will help you out in the long run. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADISON COUNTY? The friends I made at St. Andrew’s. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR-SELF IN 10 YEARS? I hope to continue studying in dental school, perhaps shadowing in a nearby dental clinic in Michigan.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES / AWARDS / HONORS Varsity Volleyball, Varsity Softball, Co-President of Environ-mental Club, Editor of North Pasture (St. Andrew’s literary magazine), National Honor Society, member of Mississippi Girl Choir, Head of School Award (11th), Spirit Award for volleyball (11th) | WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HIGH SCHOOL MEMORY? I think Homecoming week will always be one of my favorite memories. It was always so much fun to get to wear crazy costumes and just go all out with my friends. | WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO COLLEGE AND WHY? Sewanee, the University of the South, because I want to study English and they have an amazing English program there. I also love the sense of community. | WHO HAS INSPIRED YOU MOST AS A STUDENT AND WHY? I am fortunate enough to have a lot of very driven and intelligent peers and friends. They push me to be my best self in the classroom and otherwise. | WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WANTED TO BE… a professional ballerina. | WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE? Stiff upper lip-it’s something my Granny used to say. It means to stay tough even when the odds are against you. | WHAT PIECE OF AD-VICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAVE THE INCOMING FRESHMAN CLASS? Don’t take this time for granted. It’s a valuable time to make great friends and grow as a person. | WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST ABOUT LIFE IN MADI-SON COUNTY? I will definitely miss going on the Natchez Trace bike trail with my little brother. | WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 10 YEARS? Hopefully in 10 years I will be a teacher. I would love to teach English either as a literature class or as a second language. I have always found that reading and writing are such critical parts of a kid’s education and that subject has always been my favorite in school.

ISABELLE SPEEDSt. Andrew’s Episcopal School

DAUGHTER OF STEW-ART AND ERICA SPEED

JAMES ZHENGSt. Andrew’s Episcopal School

SON OF HUI GUAN AND WEI ZHENG

MAY 2015 | 43


EVENTSFUN-RAISERS MAY 9, 7:30 A.M.MS Magnolia Meltdown Half Marathon, 10K & 5KRenaissance at Colony Park magnoliameltdown.com

MAY 16, 8 A.M.SON Valley Rally 5k & 1 mile Fun Run benefitting SON Valley Community Center’s disabled adults Ridgeland sonvalleyrally.weebly.com

MAY 23, 7 A.M.5k for the Fatherless benefitting 200 Million FlowersOlde Towne Ridgeland and West Jackson Historic Overlay District200millionflowers.org

JUNE 6, 7:30 A.M.Magnolia Speech Sprint 5k Run/Walk & Bubble Run benefitting Magnolia Speech School Jackson Academymsracetiming.com magnoliaspeechschool.org

FESTIVALS APRIL 27 - MAY 12, VARIOUS TIMESSpring Carnival Northpark Mall simon.com/mall/northpark-mall/stream/spring-carnival-3114958

MAY 8, 7:30 P.M.Pepsi PopsOld Trace Parkmsorchestra.com

MAY 9, 11 A.M. TO 7 P.M.Stray at Home Art & Music FestivalSmith Parkstrayathome.com

MAY 14, 8 A.M.Canton Flea MarketHistoric Canton Square cantonfleamarket.com

MAY 16, 9:00 A.M.Dragon Boat Regatta Old Trace Park paddlesontherez.com

MAY 16, 3 P.M. TO 8 P.M.MidFestMidtown Jacksonmadeinmidtownjxn.com

MAY 16, 2:00 P.M.POUR Mississsippi Music & Beer FestivalPo’ Money’s Lounge | Merigold, MSkeepclevelandboring.com/#/new-gallery-1/

MAY 16, 6:00 P.M.Symphony on the Square Historic Canton Square smalltownmusic.com/symphony_on_the_square.html

MAY 19, 9 A.M. TO 7 P.M.Friends FestMississippi Craft Center (601) 856-7546 craftsmensguildofms.org

ARTAPRIL 10 - JULY 3Eudora Welty Biennial: Classical Mississippi Mississippi Museum of Art msmuseumart.org | (601) 960-1515

MUSICMAY 7, 6:30 P.M.Thacker Mountain Radio Hour featuring Beth McKee, Chef John Currence & Wyatt WatersDuling Hallardenland.net | (601) 292-7999

MAY 8, 8 P.M.Shelly Fairchild with Blue Mother TupeloDuling Hallardenland.net | (601) 292-7999

Do not miss the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the first ever Livingston LIVE with friends Steve Earle & The Dukes and Anders Osbourne on May 16 for an afternoon of sunshine, soul and sounds that are sure to rock you to the core in the beautiful countryside of Madison County.

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MAY 16, GATES OPEN 1:00 P.M. & MUSIC 3:00 P.M.Livingston LIVE presents Tedeschi Trucks Band with Steve Earle & the Dukes and Anders OsbourneTown of Livingstonardenland.net | (601) 292-7999

MAY 17, 2:00 P.M.Mississippi Old Time Music Society Mississippi Craft Center(601) 942-7335

MAY 21, 7 P.M.Sean Patton with J. Evan Curry & Jamie ArringtonDuling Hallardenland.net | (601) 292-7999

MAY 23, 7 P.M.Miranda Lambert LIVE! Renaissance at Colony Parkht.ly/IKnM1

MAY 29, 7 P.M.Little TexasDuling Hallardenland.net | (601) 292-7999

THEATRE, OPERA & BALLETMAY 27 - MAY 31AR“It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues” New Stage Theatrenewstagetheatre.com

BOOK SIGNINGS & READINGS MAY 6, 5 P.M. & 5:30 P.M.A Slant of Light by Jeffrey LentLemuria Books lemuriabooks.com

MAY 12, 5:30 P.M.Small Wonders: Jean-henri Fabre and His World of Insects by Matthew Clark SmithLemuria Books lemuriabooks.com


MAY 2015 | 47

Everyone has a love hate relationship with high school. Whether you love to hate it or hate to love it, the ardu-

ous schoolwork, busy schedule and compli-cated social scenes make it a tricky time in a person’s life that produces memories that last a lifetime.

When I found out my high school, The Veri-tas School was closing its doors I could not help but relive some of those emo-tions from the crushing lows and invincible highs of playing sports, to al-ways questioning why my math teachers hated me, to the lifetime friendships I formed with the Class of ’09. The class of 2009 was and is, to my knowledge; the largest graduating class from the small school with about 21 students, receiving diplomas.

My classmates all agreed, that love or hate high school, our school taught us to think, to consider the evidence and draw our own conclusions.

Janie Story, who is now set to wed one of my very best friends from the same class,

said that she remembers Steve Shargel’s Epistemology class, a dense subject we dove into gladly.

“I remember sitting in Mr. Shargel’s class eating pancakes and talking about life,” Story remembers. “Oh and the time I zip tied you to a desk.”

I have forgiven the zip tie, somehow, and cannot wait to be a groomsmen for her fiancé, Griffin Hat-cliff, come August.

“Griffin didn’t talk till about Junior year, but when I got to know him I always said he was the kind of guy I wanted to marry,” Story said.

Hatcliff, a close friend of mine, thinks he may have started talking a lit-tle bit before Junior year, but he said he really came

out of his shell when myself and our stud quarterback Jesse Blakemore convinced him to go out for the football team.

“I had no idea what I was doing. I always played soccer. I always say it was the most fun I had getting beat up,” Hatcliff said.

A Finalby Duncan Dent

FAREWELL

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The Class of 2009, said-to-be the largest graduating class from The Veritas School, reminisces on good times from the glory days.

He reminded me that our boys soccer team was fun because we went from a group of guys that with a few exceptions had large-ly never played and were looking for some-thing to do in between football season, to the first boys team to make it to the playoffs.

You cannot talk about Veritas sports without mentioning Melanie Aldridge, now Coach Aldridge, who claims at least eleven years of tenure with the junior high girl’s basketball team and has been an enduring friend since graduation.

Aldridge said that she never knew she wanted to coach until she took the job at Veritas while she was still in college.

“It has been really cool. I think I am more proud of coaching then I am of when we played. I remember in ninth grade we lost district by like one point in overtime and now we won it back to back,” Aldridge said.

The Veritas Lions basketball program is certainly going down with a season to remember. Both teams have star players who will be looking to make big moves to competitive programs from MRA to Cal-laway. The boys made it to state this year and the girls finished overall runner up, Aldridge said.

“It’s sad. Veritas gave me the chance to play multiple sports and has given me an opportunity to do something I didn’t real-ize I loved.”

High school would not be high school without a senior prank alongside the mas-ter of mischief, Keith Kakadia. Keith, now CEO at his own company Socially In, said he remembers the mischief the most.

For our prank we did the classic cupping of the halls of our small school. We filled the hall with tiny plastic cups full of water, hid minnows in some and left a video play-ing of a shady character, myself in a suit and sunglasses, informing the school that they had just gotten “oh nine-d” blaring the Beastie Boys symphony of beautiful dis-cord, Sabotage. The night went off without a hitch, mostly.

“I remember I backed into Ben Potters’ car,” was one of the first things Graham Rooks said when I called him up.

“I remember a bunch of us almost got in a fight because we were not taking it ‘seri-ously’ enough,” Hatcliff said laughing.

For the class of ’09 and all current Veri-tas graduates I would say we gave it a good run. It is sad seeing it go, but I will never forget the wins, the many losses, the trou-ble and the knowledge those blessed halls gave me. Like it or love it, I will always be a Veritas Lion.

SOUTHERLY COMFORT


Date post:	21-Jul-2016
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