An Itawamba Agricultural High School student with a perfect 36 composite score on the American College Test (ACT), combine scores of 144 and average of 100.08 has been named Mississippi’s TOP ALL-STAR Scholar for 2021. Bobby G. Jarrell is the son of Bobby and Jennifer Jarrell of Fulton, MS. Jarrell will receive a $24,000 scholarship provided by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. He plans to attend Mississippi State and study Mathematics. Each STAR Student is asked to designate a STAR Teacher – the teacher who has made the greatest contribution to the student’s scholastic achievement. Jarrell designated Christopher D. Johnson as his STAR Teacher. Johnson has been teaching for 20 years and this is his 13th time to be named STAR Teacher.
Austin Lam a Long Beach High School STAR Student has been name 1st runner-up and will receive a $20,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. His parents are Jie and Liem Lam. Lam designated Aimee Chambliss-Dunaway of Vancleave as his STAR Teacher. Chambliss-Dunaway has been teaching for 5 year and this is her first time being named STAR Teacher.
Jackson A. Flowers a Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science STAR student has been named 2nd runner- up and will receive a $16,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. His parents are Merle Flowers and Stacey Austin. Flowers designated Philip Benge of Columbus as his STAR Teacher. Benge has been teaching for 4 years. He has been named STAR Teacher 4 times.
Each STAR Teacher of the top three ALL-STAR Scholars received a $1,000 award. One-time scholarship awards of $1,000 are provided to the remaining top 17 ALL-STAR Scholars. The remaining 17 All-Star Teachers will each receive a $500 award. The Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. provided $88,500 in scholarships and awards to STAR Students and STAR Teachers.
The theme for the 2021 Education Event was “Strength and Resilience.” This year, the MEC’s M. B. Swayze Foundation recognized 310 STAR Students across the state. Each STAR Student received a medallion, lapel pin and certificate in recognition of their academic achievement.