Jones College Celebrates Young Writers Through American Hero Essay Contest
ELLISVILLE – Jones College is investing in the next generation of writers, leaders and storytellers through the inaugural Jones College American Hero Essay Contest, an initiative designed to inspire students across the Pine Belt to explore the lives of those who have demonstrated courage, sacrifice and service while strengthening their own writing skills.
Hosted in partnership with the Laurel-Jones County Library and the Laurel Leader-Call, the contest invited elementary, middle and high school students to submit original essays recognizing an American hero who has made a lasting impact on their lives or on the nation’s history. Entries were evaluated on originality, historical accuracy, organization and writing quality.
Jones College awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the first-place winner in the high school division, Annie Byrd, furthering the college’s commitment to making higher education more accessible for outstanding students.
Cutline: Annie Kathryn Byrd (left), first-place winner in the high school division of the inaugural Jones College American Hero Essay Contest, accepts her certificate and a $1,000 Jones College Foundation scholarship from Sabrina Young, executive vice president of advancement at 91ÁÔĆć. Byrd was recognized during the June 24 awards ceremony at the Laurel-Jones County Library for her winning essay highlighting Revolutionary War heroine Deborah Sampson.
“Our mission extends beyond the classroom,” said Sabrina Young, Executive Vice President of Advancement at 91ÁÔĆć. “We want to encourage students to think critically, communicate effectively and recognize the qualities of leadership and service that shape our communities and our country. This contest gave students the opportunity to do exactly that.”
The American Hero Essay Contest reflects Jones College’s ongoing commitment to educational outreach and community partnerships that encourage academic excellence beyond the college campus. By creating opportunities for students to develop their writing and critical thinking skills at an early age, the college hopes to inspire future scholars while strengthening literacy throughout the region.
Georgia Pacific invests in future workforce through continued partnership with Jones College
Representatives from Georgia Pacific joined Jones College President Dr. Jesse Smith and Executive Vice President of Advancement Sabrina Young to celebrate the continued growth of the Georgia Pacific Endowed Scholarship.
ELLISVILLE – The path from the classroom to the workforce often begins with strong partnerships, and Georgia Pacific is helping ensure Jones College students have every opportunity to succeed.
Representatives from Georgia Pacific visited Jones College on June 18 to meet with students, tour technical education programs and reaffirm the company’s commitment to workforce development through an expanded investment in the Georgia Pacific Endowed Scholarship.
During the visit, Georgia Pacific announced an additional $1,500 contribution to the scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year, bringing the endowment to $25,000. Company representatives also shared their commitment to continue annual contributions while the scholarship corpus grows, ensuring the fund will provide financial assistance to Jones College students for years to come.
The Georgia Pacific Endowed Scholarship supports students pursuing careers in welding, electrical technology, electromechanical technology, automotive technology, mechanical engineering technology, computer-aided design engineering and other technical fields that are critical to Mississippi’s workforce.
Following a welcome presentation, representatives toured Jones College’s Welding Technology, Automotive Technology and Advanced Technology Center programs, where they met with students and faculty and saw firsthand the hands-on training taking place across campus.
Georgia Pacific representatives visited with Jones College Welding Technology students and faculty during a tour highlighting the college’s workforce training programs.
Jones College Vice President of Instruction Rod Tolbert said partnerships with companies like Georgia Pacific play an important role in preparing students for careers in today’s manufacturing and industrial sectors.
“Most of these plants are designed to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Tolbert said. “Inevitably, something is going to break. Welding, electrical work and every aspect of industrial maintenance are critical to keeping those operations running. These trades are only becoming more necessary.”
Tolbert said Jones College works closely with business and industry to ensure students graduate with the skills employers need.
“It’s hard to find the skill sets that industry is built on,” Tolbert said. “Jones College is here to work with companies by making great employees into great skilled laborers.”
During the tour, Welding Technology instructor Ethan Wimberly demonstrated the college’s training facilities and highlighted the hands-on experience students receive before entering the workforce. Automotive Technology instructor Barry Bradshaw showcased the program’s automotive and machine shop labs, while Jennifer Griffith shared information about Jones College’s workforce development programs at the Advanced Technology Center and discussed new initiatives designed to meet the evolving needs of local industries.
As Mississippi’s workforce needs continue to grow, partnerships between Jones College and industry leaders like Georgia Pacific help ensure students are equipped with the knowledge, technical skills and real-world experience needed to succeed while providing employers with a pipeline of highly trained professionals.
Georgia Pacific representatives visited with students in Greg Griffith’s Electrical Technology program during a tour of Jones College’s technical education and workforce training programs.
Jones College faculty and staff accomplishments honoredĚý
ELLISVILLE – Fifteen Jones College faculty and staff members were recently honored for their workplace accomplishments over the previous academic year. The Employee Appreciation Awards began in 2004 with funds contributed by retired JCJC President, Dr. Ronald Whitehead, and the college’s Foundation, Inc. Finalists were selected and interviewed by the Faculty and Staff Recognition Program’s Selection Committee. Prior to the employee recognition program, a brunch was provided by the college and the JCJC Foundation Inc.
The Leadership Award for Administrative Excellence was established nine years ago to honor a mid-level administrator whose commitment to the profession stands out amongst their peers. Vice President of Enrollment Management, Dr. Amanda McLeod, was selected as the recipient of the 2025-2026 Leadership Award for Administrative Excellence. Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith praised McLeod’s abilities over the 12 years she has served at 91ÁÔĆć. In addition to overseeing recruiting, advising, admissions, financial aid and the Bobcat Brigade ambassadors, she is a wife and mother of two children, and she recently earned her doctorate degree in education, in addition to serving her community.
English instructor, Matthew Craft received the Barbara & Gary Sauls Award for Excellence in Teaching Humanities. The scholarship and awards committee acknowledged how the Humanities Division instructor exemplifies intellectual integrity in the classroom, and has encouraged analytical thinking skills, he loves humanitarian pursuits and fosters a positive rapport with his students. This award was initiated by JCJC alumni, Mr. & Mrs. Gary W. “Buddy” and Barbara Sauls. Their daughter, Tracy, was a 1990 JCJC graduate. Mr. Sauls was a former JCJC Board of Trustees member and Barbara Sauls is currently on the JCJC Foundation’s Advisory Board. Means was awarded a $500 cash prize and an acrylic plaque.
In the individual employee appreciation honors, 12 individuals from three categories of employees, faculty members, office staff and administrative support, and employees working in maintenance, housekeeping, campus grounds and campus police were each awarded certificates of achievement. Faculty finalists each received a cash prize of $250, and the overall winner received an additional $750 and an acrylic plaque. Each staff employee finalist was awarded a cash prize of $125, and the overall winner received an extra $500 and an acrylic plaque.
Finalists for the faculty awards included Jasper County Workforce CDL, NCCER Core, Forklift, OSHA and plumbing instructor-Lee Baliett; Electrical/Electro-Mechanical Technology-Greg Griffith; A.D. Nursing instructor-Kimberly Maddox and the overall winner, biology instructor and Faculty Member of the Year, Dr. Tasha Reynolds.
Nominated for the Office Staff and Administrative Support Employee of the Year Award were Arts, Music and Performance administrative secretary-Paula Harrison; Business/Student accounts-Karley Parrish; Enrollment Management-Tara Dupree and selected as the Office Staff and Administrative Support Employee of the Year, Marketing Project Manager-Allyson Knotts.
In the maintenance, housekeeping, campus grounds, transportation and campus police department division, three people were nominated. Campus Police Deputy-Brandon Evans; Groundskeeper-Michael Tran and from maintenance and overall winner, Doug Messemore.
Sodexo cafeteria employee andan honorary employee of the college, Desmond Newell, was recognized for his work. He received a $500 cash award for his efforts on behalf of the college.
Veteran law enforcement officer Jake Driskell named Jones College Campus Police Chief
ELLISVILLE – After more than two decades in law enforcement, the newly hired Jones College Campus Police Chief, Jake Driskell is bringing a renewed focus on professionalism, visibility and community policing to the college’s campus. The 42-year-old Driskell, who officially stepped into the role in April, said the opportunity to serve at 91ÁÔĆć came at the right time in his career after years of working narcotics investigations and training officers across South Mississippi.
“I was ready for a change in pace,” Driskell said. “My passion has always been training, and this just seemed like a no-brainer.”
He began his law enforcement career in 2005 in Newton, before serving with the Ellisville Police Department, the Laurel Police Department and most recently the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. Much of his career since 2017 focused on narcotics enforcement which is a demanding field he described as a “24/7” job.
“Holidays, weekends, we were never off,” he said. “That’s just the nature of the beast. While I enjoy working in narcotics I wanted to move into a role where I could focus more on leadership, officer development and campus safety,” said Driskell.
Since arriving at 91ÁÔĆć, Driskell has been able to fully staff the department with nine full-time officers and six part-time officers. One ofhis first initiatives, has also been to create a more unified and visible police presence on campus.
“We’re actually going to a uniform where everybody will look the same because I want the people on campus to know what their campus police officers look like,” he said.
Driskell emphasized that community policing will remain at the center of the department’s mission with officers being more visible. The goal he said is to make this a running, functioning police department. He added that he wants students, faculty and staff to feel comfortable approaching officers and viewing them as part of the campus community.
“We’re going to train, get up to date, and hopefully never have to use any of it,” Driskell said. “But we want to be prepared.”
Among the department’s planned upgrades are new uniforms, bulletproof vests and the implementation of tasers that had not previously been put into service. Driskell said officer preparedness is critical, even on a college campus.
“The number one killer of a law enforcement officer is complacency,” he said. “I would much rather tell a wife or a husband that their spouse is coming home because they got shot in a vest rather than saying we didn’t think it was needed.”
Driskell also hopes to expand Jones College’s role beyond campus policing by turning the college into a regional law enforcement training hub.
“I want Jones to be known as a training ground for police,” he said. “I want officers within 60 or 70 miles to think of Jones College when they think about law enforcement training.”
He said the college’s facilities, including the hospital simulation center, provide opportunities for realistic training scenarios and continuing education for area officers. In addition to his law enforcement background, Driskell served four years in the Army National Guard, where he worked as a missile systems technician and completed a deployment to Iraq. Though eligible for retirement next year because of his years of service and military time, Driskell said he has no plans to slow down.
“My plan is to stay here for quite a while,” he said. “I’ve got a lot more to give.”
As he settles into the Campus Police Chief role, Driskell said his goal is simple: build trust, increase visibility and ensure Jones College continues to provide a safe environment for students and employees.
“Uniformity is the number one thing, being seen, making the faculty and staff feel safe,” he said.
A Jones County resident, Driskell recently celebrated his 21st wedding anniversary with his wife, Melanie. Their daughter is currently attending Jones College on a soccer scholarship, while their son plans to enroll at JC this fall.
______________________________________________________________________
Jones County Junior College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, or disability in its programs, activities, or employment practices. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries and grievances regarding the non-discrimination policies: (ADA/ Section 504) Sarah Jones, Director of Counseling & ADA Coordinator, Student Affairs, phone 601-477-4070; emailĚýADACoordinator@jcjc.eduĚýand (Title IX) Dr. Brittany Barron, Title IX Coordinator, Hutcheson Hubbard Administration Building, phone 601-477-4127; emailĚýbrittany.weatherford@jcjc.edu. Jones County Junior College, 900 South Court Street, Ellisville, MS 39437.
Jones College All-Mississippi Academic Team named
ELLISVILLE – Two Jones College students earned individual honors through the International Honor Society for two-year colleges, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK). Sophomore agriculture science major, Anna Laura Haden of Stringer was selected to Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s All-Mississippi Academic First Team. Callee Knotts of Soso, an agriculture communications major, was selected for Second Team honors. Their agriculture science advisor, Leanne Kilgore, is especially thrilled to have two of her students selected for this esteemed award.
“As an advisor, I am incredibly proud of our outstanding agricultural majors for earning the prestigious Phi Theta Kappa Academic Excellence Award. This honor reflects not only their exceptional academic performance, but also their dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence in all they do,” said Kilgore. “These young women have consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for the field of agriculture. They represent the very best of our program, and it has been a privilege to watch them grow both academically and personally during their time at 91ÁÔĆć.”
In addition to her academic load, Anna Laura Haden is an active member of PTK and is a photographer for the college yearbook, and she volunteers as a youth leader at her church and at the Veteran’s Memorial Museum in Laurel. She plans to pursue a degree in agriculture science at Mississippi State University.
“Receiving this award is an honor as it reflects the time, effort and dedication into my studies,” said Haden. “Growing up on the farm fueled my love for agriculture. Despite the demands of caring for animals and crops, I had to overcome the daily challenge of chronic hip pain and headaches.”
Haden said she focused on helping others such as assisting others with preparing for 4-H competitions. Taking the initiative to help younger members build confidence and being their support system, improved her confidence and leadership abilities.
“Through this experience, I learned that leadership isn’t about titles. It is about lifting others up. Helping younger 4-H members grow reminded me of how powerful encouragement can be and it strengthened my commitment to serving my community with respect, dedication and kindness,” said Haden.
PTK All-Mississippi Academic 2nd Team Member, Callee Knotts served as the President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and was a member of the Bobcat Brigade and JC Livestock Show Team. She was also involved in FFA as a chapter officer for Jones County 4-H in her youth and high school. Additionally, Knotts played sports, helped on the family farm and served as a member of the Jones County Future Leaders. At times, Knotts said she felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities growing up yet she learned some valuable lessons that helped her through college.
“Being involved is a wonderful opportunity because it allows you to network, develop leadership and learn valuable life skills. However, it’s also important to show yourself grace and recognize that it’s okay to slow down and focus on what matters most in the moment,” said Knotts. “You can’t give 100 percent to everything at the same time without eventually wearing yourself down. Through this challenge, I realized you have to prioritize what is most important for that season or time.”
In addition to being named to the All-Mississippi Academic Team, Knotts was nominated for the Golden Key Award. As the Golden Key selection from Rho Sigma chapter at 91ÁÔĆć, advisors recognized her many talents.
“Callee is a powerhouse of a campus presence, busy hosting events with Bobcat Brigade, washing and showing cows as part of Bovine Husbandry through our college Show Team and using all these opportunities to mention and highlight Phi Theta Kappa,” said PTK Advisor, Dr. Caleb Smith.
Knotts was surprised by the award and grateful for the opportunities PTK has allowed her to experience. Her mission has been to show others the many benefits of PTK and being involved on campus and in the community.
“Both of these honors mean a lot to me because I always try hard in everything I do, while trying to be involved in everything! Even though I may get stretched out and super busy, I appreciate the fact that they recognize my efforts and nominated me for this award,” said Knotts.
The two JC students competed for selection on the All-Mississippi Academic Team with more than 1,800 nominations from each of the 15-community colleges in Mississippi. As part of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society’s annual academic and workforce competition, each student submitted an essay, answered discussion questions, and described their leadership roles and activities while in college.
The highest scoring nominees from each of the 15 two-year colleges earned First Team All-Mississippi honors and $500 scholarships provided by the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges. All team members received special medallions, certificates, and printed resolutions from the Mississippi Legislature.