A Clinton High School student with a perfect 36 composite score on the American College Test (ACT), combined scores of 144, and an average of 103.03 has been named Mississippi’s TOP ALL-STAR Scholar for 2022. Abigail S. Vargheese is the daughter of Venu and Betsy Vargheese of Clinton, MS. Vargheese will receive a $24,000 scholarship provided by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. She is undecided on where she will attend college but plans to study Biology and Biochemistry. Each STAR Student is asked to designate a STAR Teacher – the teacher who has made the greatest contribution to the student’s scholastic achievement. Vargheese designated Joshaunda L. Purvis as her STAR Teacher of Byram, MS. She has been teaching for 16 years and this is her first time being named STAR Teacher.
Shreenithi Lakshminarayanan, a Germantown High School STAR Student, has been named 1st runner-up and will receive a $20,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. Her parents are Lakshminarayanan Vaidyananthan and Sripriya Sairam of Madison, MS. Shreenithi designated Kelly M. Hicks of Madison as her STAR Teacher. She has been teaching for 11 year and this is her second time being named STAR Teacher.
Madeline G. Pitre, a Biloxi High School STAR student, has been named 2nd runner-up and will receive a $16,000 Scholarship from the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation, Inc. Her parents are David and Laurie Pitre. Pitre designated Michael Burkett of Carriere as her STAR Teacher. He has been teaching for 25 years. He has been named STAR Teacher four 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 received 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 2022 Education Event was “Journey to the Stars.” This year, the MEC’s M. B. Swayze Foundation recognized 320 STAR Students across the state. Each STAR Student received a medallion, lapel pin, and certificate in recognition of their academic achievement.