A supplement of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
The Daily Journal proudly presents the best and the brightest of Northeast Mississippi in our 2014 graduation section. The students on these pages have excelled in the classroom and in athletic and artistic endeavors. They have also served selflessly in their communities. Highlighted on the front page are this year’s Daily Journal All Stars, a sampling of the high achievers from area high schools. We congratulate all our graduates in Northeast Mississippi. LUKE THOMAS BALL
PONTOTOC HIGH SCHOOL STAR STUDENT OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Band trombone player-Most Improved Sophomore, Pride Award, Most Outstanding Marcher, Points Plus Award. Exceeded 1,000 letterman points when minimum was 600 points. Band letterman patch. Northeast Mississippi Band Directors Association Honor Band. Mississippi State University Honor Band. Delta State University Honor Band. Tenn-Tom Marching Classic first place overall. Star Student in Accounting. Star Student in Pre-Calculus. Scholars Bowl. Second place in ICC Scholars Bowl Competition. Top 10 percent in Math and Science Competition. Top 10 percent in Mississippi College Math and Science Competition. Top 10 percent in Blue Mountain College Math and Science Competition. Marching Band. Concert Band. Jazz Band. Symphonic Band. Scholars Bowl captain. Beta Club. Mu Alpha Theta president. Debate Team. Junior and senior plays. PARENTS: Beth and Jimmy Ball FUTURE PLANS: Attend Mississippi State University and pursue a degree in mechanical engineering
ALIVIA PADEN ROBERTS
Ball
Carswell
Crow
Davis
Farris
Lyles
Matthews II
Murphy
Pate
SHELBY CARSWELL
SALTILLO HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN AND STAR STUDENT OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: 4.0 GPA. SAT – 720, 640, 700. 34 ACT. National Merit Finalist and Semifinalist. Mock Trial Most Effective Witness. Highest GPA in Chemistry, U.S. history, Accelerated English III, Business Law, English I. Honor roll. Anchor Club vice president. Beta Club. Future Educators of America vice president. Scholars Bowl. Class president. Student Council. Tennis team. Active member Tupelo First Presbyterian Church. Active in community. PARENTS: Robert and Dorothy Carswell FUTURE PLANS: Attend Georgia Tech and major in biomedical engineering.
JAMIE CROW
NEW ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN AND STAR STUDENT OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: National Merit Finalist. Honors graduate. Subject area awards in Comprehensive Health, Mississippi Studies, World Geography, U.S. History, Gifted English II and II, AP English III, Algebra II, Geometry, Chemistry I, AP Chemistry, Art I, Spanish I, Oral and Electronic Communication. Most Studious. Most Likely to Succeed. Most Artistically Talented. Blue Mountain College Math/Science competition – second place individual geometry. University of Mississippi History Bowl – second place in quiz bowl. NEMCC Math/Science competition – Top 10 in math. MSU College of Arts and Sciences Scholarship Competition – first place in chemistry. Perfect score on MS English II Writing Assessment. HOBY. Student Council. Yearbook editor-in-chief. Anchor Club historian. Spanish Club. Mu Alpha Theta. National Honor Society. Girls bowling team – third place in MHSAA state championships. National Art Honor Society. New Albany Church of Christ Senior Bible Bowl team. PARENTS: Darrell and Patricia Crow FUTURE PLANS: Attend Ole Miss as an honors student and major in either graphic design or computer science.
Roberts Society. Interact Club. Salvation Army Bellringer. Tree of Life Free Medical Clinic Volunteer. Harrisburg Baptist Church. Tupelo Community Theatre. Don’t Be Cruel Barbecue Festival. PARENTS: Dr. Larry and Robin Newell FUTURE PLANS: To attend Mississippi State University and be part of the Shackouls Honors College, majoring in chemistry with concentration in prepharmacy.
SAMUEL TAYLOR FARRIS
MANTACHIE HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN, STAR STUDENT OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITES: Student Council member and officer. Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society. Beta Club president. Junior Civitan, member and officer. Captain of Math and Science Competition Teams. Captain of MHS Scholars’ Bowl Team. Senior Class vice president. Statistician/announcer for school athletic teams. Emcee for school events. High school office assitant four years. Itawamba County Top 20 Under 20. Itawamba County Youth in Motion. UM McLean Journalism Scholarship. UM Bledsoe Scholarship. UM Chancellor’s Leadership Class Scholarship. UM Academic Excellence Scholarship. Hall of Fame. PARENTS: Dennis and Teresa Farris FUTURE PLANS: To attend the University of Mississippi with a double major in broadcast journalism and public policy leadership.
Whitehurst
Zhao
bra II Award. Trigonometry Award. Spanish I Award. Academic All-Star. First place in regional Science Fair. Fourth place in state Science Fair. Graduation Honor Guard. Most Intellectual. Student Council secretary. National Beta Club vice president. Interact. Anchor Club. FCA. ICHS Brave Voices. Marching band. Color Guard. TCHS Bravada. Active in church and community. PARENTS: Jeff and Gail Lyles FUTURE PLANS: Attend Mississippi University for Women and major in nursing with a minor in vocal music.
completing medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
ERIC W. MATTHEWS II
ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Highest GPA in class for 12 years. ACT 26. Highest average in all subjects. Show choir. Student Government. Aberdeen Bands’ Tenn-Tom Marching Classic. Northeast Miss. Community College Dixie Marching Classic. State Marching Festival. First chair tenor saxophone in Aberdeen HS All-Superior Symphonic Band. Lead tenor saxophone in Jazz Band. Basketball team. Attended MHSAA Concert Band FestiMARGARET DAVIS val. Sophomore class president. Drum TUPELO HIGH SCHOOL major. ICC Summer Band Camp. First VALEDICTORIAN chair alto saxophone in Aberdeen HS OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: RoAll-Superior Symphonic Band. Lead tary Scholar. Highest average in Spanalto saxophone in Jazz Band. MSU ish III, Trigonometry, Algebra III, AP Honor Band. Escort in annual King and Psychology, AP U.S. History. OutstandQueen Delta Sigma Theta Pageant. ing Foreign Language student. OutSARA LYLES Selected to attend Boys State. Senior standing freshman choral student. TISHOMINGO COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL class president. Beta Club president. Outstanding Madrigal. Mississippi High VALEDICTORIAN AND STAR STUDENT Mississippi Bandmaster’s Association School Honor Choir. Rotary Youth OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: 4.0 All-State Band Clinic. Active in both Leadership Association Conference. GPA. 30 ACT. AP English Literature and church and community. ACT scholar. Chorus. Madrigals. Show Composition; AP Chemistry. College al- PARENTS: Leigh Matthews-Brown Choir. Jazz choir. Fellowship of Christgebra. Mississippi Treble Song Honor (Ernest Brown) and Eric W. Matthews ian Athletes member and officer. NaChoir. Geometry Award. Biology Award. FUTURE PLANS: To go to Mississippi tional Honor Society member and English Award. World Geography State University and major in biomedofficer. Anchor Club. Future Educators Award. Technology Discovery Award. ical engineering with hope of becomof America. National Spanish Honor Anatomy and Physiology Award. Algeing an orthopedic surgeon after
MICHAEL RYAN MURPHY
TUPELO HIGH SCHOOL SALUTATORIAN OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Hall of Fame, ACT scholar. 5-year Rotary Scholar. Editor-in-chief of Tupelo HiTimes. October Senior Student of the Month. Student Leader of Teaching Tolerance. Vice president of National Art Honor Society and member. French Club. Film Club. Glee Club. Visual Arts Club. Hip Hop dance instructor. Superintendent’s List 2010 to 2014. Highest average in World History, U.S. History, Geometry, English II, French II and III, Human A & P. Outstand Student in English III and ACT Scholar. Attended the Trent Lott Leadership Program at University of Mississippi. Student leader/co-president of Gay-Straight Alliance, now called Teaching Tolerance. Quorum leader at church. Serving homeless in Washington, D.C. Dance benefit to raise money for Tupelo soup kitchen. Clean yards for church members. National Honor Society. Writer’s Guild. Shakespearean Literature Society. PARENTS: Mickey and Jennifer Murphy FUTURE PLANS: To attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York for their BFA in writing; plan to be a freelance writer and playwright.
WILL PATE
MOOREVILLE HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN, STAR STUDENT OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: 4year member of All-State band. Member of All-State choir. President of Student Council. Member of East Heights Baptist Church. National Merit Scholar Finalist. PARENTS: Mike and Nita Pate FUTURE PLANS: To pursue a degree in music education at the University of Mississippi.
SHANNON HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: Citizenship Award. National Technology Student Association Conference. GEReagan Foundation Scholarship. AXA Achievement Scholarship in association with U.S. News & World Report. Miss Mississippi/Miss America Scholarship Pageant. Student Council member and officer. Ambassador Program. Beta Club. HOBY Youth Ambassador. Future Farmers of America. Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Miss Amory. Miss Tupelo Outstanding Teen. Miss Riverland Outstanding Teen. Miss Dogwood Outstanding Teen. Miss Magnolia Outstanding Teen. National Leadership Merit Award by the U.S. Achievement Academy. Selected to serve as page for Gov. Phil Bryant. Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding 4-H-er of the Year. Mississippi Trailblazer Youth Promising Award 2013. National 4-H Congress delegate 2012, 2013. Congressional Award Spokesperson with fellow Gold Medalist Canary Brooks for Channel 12, 2012. CREATE Youth Council. Girl Scouts. World Vision Sponsor. Ballet Company member of Tupelo Academy of Dance Arts. White Hill Missionary Baptist Church. Hill Top Ministries. PARENTS: Kenneth and Teresa Fields Roberts FUTURE PLANS: To obtain a master’s degree in communications with a focus in broadcasting and minor in Spanish. To become a professional anchor at a major news network.
ELIZABETH NAN WHITEHURST
CORINTH HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICATORIAN OTHER HONORS AND ACTIVITIES: National Honor Society. AICE Art, 1st place. AICE Global Perspectives, 1st place. Economics - 1st place. IGCSE Physics, 1st place. AP Calculus, 1st place. AICE English Literature, 1st place. Mu Alpha Theta Award. 2014 Mississippi Scholar. Academic Team Member four years. Blue Mountain Math & Science Competition three years. Scored Top 10 in math at the Northeast Mississippi Community College Mathematics and Science Competition as junior. Scored Top 15 in math at Mississippi College Invitational as senior. Won 1st place team award in division at Mississippi College Invitational as senior. Girl Scout Gold Award, 2012. Girl Scout Silver Award, 2010. Girl Scout Bronze Award, 2007. Selected to represent CHS at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference, 2012. Junior Leadership Alcorn, 2012. The Alliance Youth Spirit of Service Award, 2012. Rotary Student of the Month. CHS Hall of Fame, 2014. Art club. C Club. Cheerleader. Environmental Club. FCA. First Methodist Church Youth Group. Foreign Language club. Historical Society. Interact Club. Key Club. La Femme Fatale. Mu Alpha Theta. Pep Club. Science Club. Thespian Society. Mayor’s Youth Council. Designed 2014 United Way Drive brochure. Created United Way Campaign video for 2014. Leader at Vacation Bible School. Helped with Rotary 5k Race. Stuffed food baskets for Rotary Christmas Food Drive. Taught art to 3rd-grade classes for a day. PARENTS: Beth Whitehurst FUTURE PLANS: To attend Mississippi State University where she has been accepted into the Shackouls Honors College. She plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
YUQI (MARK) ZHAO
OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL STAR STUDENT OTHER ACTIVITIES AND HONORS: Captain of the Envirothon Team, co-captain of the Science Olympiad Team, captain of the math-and-science Quiz Bowl team. Member of the robotics team. National Merit Finalist and an AP Scholar with Distinction. U.S. Presidential Scholar. PARENTS: Mei Wang and Jianping Zhao FUTURE PLANS: Plans on majoring in electrical engineering in college.
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ALL STARS