JACKSON ACADEMY
SPRING 2022 | VOLUME XXV
A Publication for Jackson Academy Alumni, Families, and Friends
THE DUST OF YESTERDAY My yesterdays were once todays And held the chance for me to try. But if I failed in yesterday. Its chance has gone and passed me by. But life is filled with yesterdays. At times I’ve soared and reached the top, Yet others found me pressed to say, “It’s hard to try, so I will stop.” It’s easy then to give up hope. For pressing on is hard to do, But I am cut from different rope, I must go on and see things through. I shall not be the one who cries For chances that have come and gone, But I shall be the one who tries, Even though I try alone. And failure shall not be my lot, If I fall, then I’ll arise. If I must fall more times than not, I still will rise and claim my prize. I shake the dust of yesterday And leave behind what passed me by, For now it is a new today. I shall not lose my chance to try! — Bubba Cox FORMER JA TEACHER AND COACH FROM 1974-1982
TRUE BLUE 1
Contents
F E ATU R E S
08
12
18
Leave A Trail
Adventuring in Creative Careers
Seeing Double
Trey Carroll Overcomes Challenge and Helps Others Find What Makes Them Tick
Graduates Uncover Unique Paths in Industry, Entertainment, and Fine Arts
Twins from the Class of 2021 Shed Light on How JA Helped Develop Their Individuality
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JACKSON ACADEMY
TRUE BLUE SPRING 2022 | ISSUE XXV
EDITOR/WRITER
Patti Wade Director of Marketing and Communication
CREATIVE
Jonathan Blackwell Graphic Designer
PHOTOGRAPHER/WRITER
Rachel Lies Interactive Media Coordinator
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS/WRITERS
Jonathan Blackwell Catherine Burford ’17 Frances Bussey Lisa Bynum Daymon Gardner Martha Grace Gray Rachel Lies Claire Salmon Richard Stafford Suzanne Thigpen Patti Wade Jim Wilkirson OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT
Jim Wilkirson Chief Advancement Officer
Suzanne Thigpen Director of Annual Fund
Frances Bussey Director of Alumni Relations
TRUE BLUE, A SEMIANNUAL PUBLICATION, IS PUBLISHED BY THE JACKSON ACADEMY OFFICE OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION AND THE OFFICE OF ADVANCEMENT. JACKSON ACADEMY 4908 RIDGEWOOD ROAD JACKSON, MS 39211
I N TH I S I S S U E 4 NEWS & STORIES
IF YOU HAVE ALUMNI NEWS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, VISIT JACKSONACADEMY.ORG/ CLASSNOTES TO SUBMIT OR UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION. SUBMISSIONS MAY ALSO BE MAILED TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS OR EMAILED TO FBUSSEY@JACKSONACADEMY.ORG. ALL PHOTOS SUBMITTED SHOULD BE HIGH QUALITY.
6 PROFILES ON THE COVER:
22 LEGACY LOYAL 24 REUNIONS 28 CLASS NOTES
Austin Miller walks her daughter, Julia (K5), and son, Patrick (K3 in 2022-23), along with neighbors Scarlet Miller (2nd) and Henry Miller (K4), down Sheffield Drive to JA.
29 MEMORIALS 30 HONORARIUMS TRUE BLUE 3
News & Stories Capital Campaign Moving Forward Excitement for the mission of Jackson Academy is evident in the results of Investing in Our Mission, a capital campaign with a three-phase master plan goal of $10,500,000. With close to 50 percent being raised, cash gifts and pledges continue to be received.
Jackson Academy Receives Best of Recognition Jackson Academy was named Best Private School 2021 and Best in five additional categories in the Clarion WINNER Ledger’s annual poll to discover Mississippians’ most admired businesses, organizations, people, and events. Voters named Mallory Gnemi Best Teacher; the JA Carnival the Best Festival; JA’s Performing Arts Center the Best Live Performance Venue; Bryan Eubank the Best TV/Radio Personality; and Jackson Academy the Best Place to Work.
The campaign addresses infrastructure enhancements, program development, and room for growth. Campaign features in the first two phases include new Upper School science and lab facilities and the renovation of existing labs, an addition to the Middle School, and renovations throughout the Lower and Preschool divisions. Construction is set to begin this summer with completion of phase one in September 2023.
Grandparents Night at The Brickyard September 30 and October 1, grandparents were easily spotted at JV and varsity football games — they were all wearing buttons that read “JA Grand.” More than 150 grandparents came to JA in response to a special invitation to watch their grandchildren play football, participate in spirit activities and senior night presentations, and visit with one another in the stands. Grandparents were treated to free admission to the games. 4 TRUE BLUE
JA Celebrates Milestone with Coach Jan Sojourner The Lady Raiders’ December 7 victory cinched Varsity Basketball Coach Jan Sojourner’s 1,000th career win. One of Mississippi’s winningest coaches, Sojourner has been at Jackson Academy for 37 years. A host of former players assembled in the Raider Dome to celebrate with Sojourner and the Lady Raiders. Sojourner began coaching in 1976 and joined JA in the 1985-86 season. Her JA teams have won six MAIS Overall State Championships, 10 MAIS State Championships, and 11 MAIS District Championships. Sojourner was inducted into the first class of the MAIS Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
News from the Head of School JA continues to experience strong enrollment, having passed the 1,200 enrollment mark this fall. Head of School Palmer Kennedy sees the strength of the faculty, outstanding programs, and the school’s heritage as contributing factors in families’ interest. In his first few months, Kennedy has spent significant Jimmy Messer time reviewing operations and getting to know students, parents, faculty, and staff. Kennedy appointed Jimmy Messer as Associate Head of School for Student Life. Messer began his post in February. Messer will oversee all athletic programs as athletic director and all spirit teams, co-curricular performing and fine arts programs, outdoor programs (SOAR), service leadership, and spiritual development. Messer previously led one of the most successful athletic programs in Alabama and most recently served as athletic director for Brookstone School, a premier school in Columbus, Georgia.
Championships Raider athletic teams brought home five championship trophies in the fall of 2021. The Accents pom and kick performances, Lady Raider soccer, and Lady Raider volleyball teams earned state titles in their divisions, and the JA band won Best Overall at the MAIS State Marching Festival. Raider Football ended the season in the semifinal round of MAIS Division 6A football with an overall 8-4 record. During fall competition, the varsity cheer, Silver Steppers, cross country, and equestrian teams also earned accolades.
Fall Musical October 23 through 25, Performing Arts presented three performances of the Broadway musical Cinderella to more than 1,600 attendees! The show featured the talents of 49 cast and crew members who sang, danced, and even flew as they shared the classic fairy tale alongside an updated, hilarious libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane. The Make-A-Wish Tea Party hosted before Sunday’s matinee performance allowed little princes and princesses to meet cast members. Funds raised by the tea were donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Homecoming A superhero-themed Homecoming provided a full week of celebration. Upper School students went all out to participate in Spirit Week activities. A donation drive collected 106 winter coats for local nonprofit Shower Power to distribute to homeless men and women. At Friday’s pep rally, the Homecoming Court drove onto the football field in decorated golf carts donated by JA families. In the late afternoon, house parties commenced along Sheffield Drive, and a superhero parade from Raider Park led everyone to the Brickyard that evening. Pariss Smoot was crowned Homecoming Queen, and the Raiders defeated Parklane 54-33 before a homecoming dance at the Old Capitol Inn. Many thanks to JA alumni who served as yard hosts for the parade!
JA Connected to Walter Anderson Documentary Four Jackson Academy alumni contributed to a documentary released in November of 2021 on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Fumi Hall, Bryant Thaxton, Courtney Francois, and Sydney Thaxton Bryant Thaxton ’18, Fumi Hall ’21, Courtney Francois ’20, and Carter Elliott ’20 performed the instrumental soundtrack. Thaxton composed and conducted the score. The 56-minute documentary, Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander, was screened December 8 in the JA Performing Arts Center by art enthusiasts and donors. Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art Betsy Bradley led a panel that included Walter Anderson’s youngest son, John Anderson, documentary filmmaker Anthony Thaxton, and producer Robert St. John. A featurette highlighted the contributions of the four JA alumni and current JA sophomore Sydney Thaxton. Event guests viewed original Anderson pieces installed in JA’s Gallery for the occasion. JA art teachers and students visited the exhibit throughout the day. TRUE BLUE 5
Profiles Chris Tucker The 38-year teaching veteran has amassed a collection of 600 ties and influenced scores of students. Each Sunday, as he prepares to teach historical and social concepts at Jackson Academy, Chris Tucker makes a handful of unique choices: which five neckties to wear. Tucker wears a different tie on each of the 175 days of school. A positive thinker who gets energy from his students and JA’s culture (he “bleeds blue”), Tucker started his collection years ago when he and his wife Sharon visited a tie shop in New Orleans. His collection expresses his personality and his love for students, history, politics, art, and humor. Designs range from Monet and Walter Anderson patterns to favorite sports teams. Tucker has designed his own and received personalized ties as gifts from students. His favorite design says, “First Time Grandpa.” FAVORITE BOOKS:
• Dune by Frank Hebert •H arry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling HIGH POINT OF DAY:
Listening to what students in the After School program have to say CHALLENGES YOU:
Staying focused with so much going on. Lots of interests. COMES EASY:
Getting up and coming to work in the morning STILL TO DO:
Passing along the value of JA’s culture that he has personally experienced to new teachers, staff, and administrators A FAVORITE JA MEMORY:
A JA soccer state championship when he was coach 6 TRUE BLUE
Malon Stratton This three-time state champion/college sorority president/dental student loves to problem solve and care for people. Malon Stratton ’17, a Mississippi State biomedical engineering graduate, found her calling in dentistry after she shadowed her JA mentor and cared for underserved patients on a mission trip to Peru. Next she’ll add Dr. to her name when she graduates from the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. “My mentor—who I babysat for—was a periodontist, so he let me shadow him. I developed a passion for dentistry, went on a mission trip to Peru that next summer, and was blown away. I told God while I was on the plane, ‘If this is what you want me to do, I need you to show me.’ And I fell in love with it.” “I was actually able to do some fillings and pull some teeth for people who do not have access to any medical or dental care. Being able to see how happy they were to get something so simple put things into perspective for me.” WHAT I CHERISH MOST:
Seeing JA teachers and staff invest in kids’ lives in ways that you can’t experience anywhere else MY HIGH POINT:
Winning a state championship in cheerleading and back-to-back state championships in basketball JUST FOR FUN:
Returned to JA as a college SOAR leader CLASS THAT CHALLENGED ME:
Dr. Conklin’s history class and his intimidating red-pen essay markups STILL TO DO:
Continue mentoring my Alpha and Omega partner, now in fifth grade CAME EASY TO ME:
Math and science HAD TO WORK AT IT:
English and history NEVER THOUGHT I’D TRY:
Leading a big sorority at Mississippi State TRUE BLUE 7
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LEAVE A
Trail TREY CARROLL OVERCOMES CHALLENGE AND HELPS OTHERS FIND WHAT MAKES THEM TICK William Trevor “Trey” Carroll ’09 traveled a circuitous route to settle on his career. Along this path, he experienced a surprising health challenge that diverted his course but helped him choose his life’s work. He now helps individuals find a more direct way to a satisfying occupation. At Jackson Academy, Carroll was a wellrounded student who caught the attention of fellow students and faculty. “He was
one of those kids that is so charming, so charismatic, driven, highly motivated, who had everything going for him,” said English teacher Sandra McKay. “Students and adults listened to him. What he said was thoughtful and had merit.” He was a nominee for Mr. JA, voted Most Charming, elected a senior class representative, and served on the Rowdy spirit team. McKay also remembers what a good writer he was in her English classes. TRUE BLUE 9
Carroll changed his college major five times at the University of Mississippi. After earning a degree in English, he worked in ministry, non-profits, and education, serving as an admissions counselor for the University of Mississippi. “I had a lot of different passions, and I didn’t know what to do with them.” Still unsure, he sought out career assessments and landed on The Birkman Method. “It changed my life,” Carroll said. The Birkman Method measures characteristics that affect behaviors, motivations, and perceptions, helping predict behavior and why it occurs. Although he better understood what career path would be most satisfying, Carroll encountered a significant setback. He had a stroke at age 28. The stroke resulted from a basilar artery dissection, a rare inside artery wall tear.
Physical therapy photos courtesy of Methodist Rehabilitation Center
Rather than exploring his career, Carroll was now reimagining his life. For the first week, he had no movement in his left side. After a month, Carroll walked with a Mississippi Methodist Rehabilitation Center therapist’s assistance using a gait belt. Six months
later, he could walk on his own about 200 yards before he needed to rest. During this trying season, he revisited his Birkman results. “If I cannot work my regular job, what will I do?” he wondered. The Birkman Method interested him so much that he pursued a certification in it. He began helping college and high school students, like the 30 in JA’s new life skills electives, pinpoint their majors and careers and understand what makes them tick. During the fall of 2021, Carroll taught a portion of JA’s new Upper School electives Back to Basics and The Curated Life. The electives smooth the transition from high school to young adult life. Subjects include resume and interview skills, personal finance, career assessment, caring for home and property, and family life skills – to name a few. “The syllabus is so much fun,” said Director of Counseling Paula Pratt. “It poses those questions that all of us wish we had learned in high school.” Senior Molly McClure said one of the assignments in the life skills elective asked that specifically. “We were told to interview JA faculty and ask them what they wished someone had told them before college, what they had wanted to be growing up, and what they ended up doing,” Molly said. Among the answers was the advice to be open to changing career aspirations while in college. Under Carroll’s guidance, Molly said she and her classmates completed assessments that evaluated job
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“MY PERSONAL STORY IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE S TO HELPING OTHERS. I HAD TO FIGU R E IT O U T, SO I K NOW WHAT OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING WHEN THEY DO N OT K N OW.” interests, what students think of themselves, and how students believe others perceive them. Timed brain teasers helped students see how their brains work best. Carroll gave students individual assessment results then reviewed results with parents. Next year, JA will expand this program, offering The Birkman Method assessments to the entire grade rather than just those who choose life skills electives. Caroll believes what high school students need most in career planning is help knowing what careers are available, such as how engineering applies to so many career fields. Other times, he finds that affirmation is
what students need. Simply having an objective person affirm a natural gift can be an epiphany for a student. Carroll’s senior quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson seems to echo throughout his journey since graduating: “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” He credits his knack for making trails visible to others to his own inability to figure out his ideal career. That struggle, coupled with perspectives gained from his illness, makes him more able to relate to others’ uncertainty. “My personal story is one of the biggest advantages to helping others,” he said. “I had to figure it out, so I know what others are experiencing when they do not know.” TRUE BLUE 11
ADVENTURING in CREATIVE CAREERS
Graduates Uncover Unique Paths in Industry, Entertainment, and Fine Arts
12 TRUE BLUE
JONATHAN LOWERY ’02 CULTIVATING HAPPINESS THROUGH THEATRE AND MOVEMENT He’s not a contortionist, but actor Jonathan Lowery will bend over backwards to show you a story in a whole new way. The thespian has performed for audiences in packed coliseums, Off-Broadway theaters, on the streets of Taiwan, and in private homes. With an agile body and a quick mind, whether he’s on stage or coaching at Rochester Parkour Gym, he’s motivated to use his skills to make people’s lives better. Lowery was a JA lifer, studying at the school from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Starting in seventh grade, he performed in every musical the school produced, including The Music Man, 42nd Street and Bye Bye, Birdie. In Upper School, he competed in debate and won several tournaments and honors. “I lived for extracurriculars,” he recalled. “Forensics, fall musicals, cross country, soccer … Most of what I ended up doing with my life runs through the ability to experience different things while I was young.” The ability to explore his interests while at JA combined with another powerful force during his senior year of high school: happenstance. Feeling uncertain of what he wanted to pursue in college, Lowery attended an audition for Belhaven University’s theatre department. The circus director for New York University happened to be visiting, building a hanging trapeze for Belhaven and teaching basics to auditionees. “I show up to audition as a senior, with no idea what I’m doing,” Lowery recounted. “And I get to play around on a hanging trapeze and do circus stuff for a whole day, and it was a blast, and I went, ‘Okay, I’m going to try this out.’” Saying “yes” to new challenges led Lowery to run Belhaven’s student touring performance troupe, spend
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Photo by Claire Salmon
Most of what I ended up doing with my life runs through the ability to experience different things while I was young.”
summers as an intern with PUSH Physical Theatre, and direct the farce “Scapino! A Long Way Off from Moliere” as his senior project. In all of these experiences, Lowery found fresh inspiration. “Creativity is not a static skill, it needs nurturing and constant growth,” he said. “It accumulates and changes based on the connections you generate.” After graduation, Lowery ran a production company in Jackson for one year before his connections at PUSH invited him to Rochester, New York, to train with the theatre. He joined and performed with the company for 10 years, meanwhile developing a career as a fitness trainer. At Rochester Parkour, he trains individuals from all walks of life to enhance their strength, coordination, and agility. “It’s all about learning your body and the most efficient way to move your body,” he said. “One of our missions at the gym is
to get people moving in ways that make them healthier and happier human beings in the world.” Lowery nimbly navigates the changes the pandemic has wrought within the performing arts. Between teaching classes at the gym, he studies and experiments with new platforms and ways to bring performances to audiences online. He’s still in the business of making people’s lives better. Constantly on the move as an artist, he’s found a career that his curious and sharp mind, limber body, and athletic build thrive in. And he’s found a signature dance move that encompasses the freedom and joy he works to cultivate in the world: “The ‘Whatever makes you happy,’” Lowery said. “And I mean ‘stupid-grin-I’mprobably-embarrased-but-also-over-it’ happy. I didn’t learn that move until I was out of college, and it’s the most important one.” TRUE BLUE 13
GRACE WILLIAMS ’08 WEAVING TOGETHER THE MAGIC OF DIAGON ALLEY With a wand-like flourish, Grace Williams waves a pen over her notepad, rapidly jotting down notes as she weaves through Diagon Alley. She checks in on the Wandkeepers at Ollivanders, chats with the goblin at Gringotts, and hails Stan Shunpike before he conducts the Knight Bus through The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. A wizard of organization and theatre management, Williams leads teams of actors as an assistant stage manager at the iconic Universal Orlando Resort park. In the fall of 2007, Williams transferred to Jackson Academy for her senior year of high school. She wanted to develop her artistic talents, and chose JA for the school’s quality arts programs and facilities. Williams quickly found her place as a member of Encore show choir and a performer in the school’s spring musical. “My education was challenging, but I was able to pursue my passions and my schoolwork at the same time,” she recalled. After graduating from JA, she earned a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Entertainment Industry Management. During her college years, internships in arts administration and theatre management roles helped prepare her for a satisfying career. After one final summer spent at Weathervane Playhouse in Newark, Ohio, she started working where dreams come true - Disney! “I wanted to find a place where I could put down roots while still working in the industry I love,” Williams said. “This brought me to Orlando and Disney!” At Walt Disney World, Williams completed the college program and a professional internship in guest relations before working her way up to costuming guest experience manager. 14 TRUE BLUE
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Grace (right) featured with assistant stage managers Angel Marin and Ryan Dobbs
My education was challenging, but I was able to pursue my passions and my schoolwork at the same time.”
Now at Universal Orlando Resort, Williams works as an assistant stage manager for characters that fans of the Harry Potter fantasy novels are sure to recognize; among them are the Shrunken Head and Knight Bus Conductor, Celestina Warbeck and the Banshees, and the acting troupe that performs the Tales of Beedle the Bard. Working with so many teams keeps each day exciting, Williams said. “I have lots of administrative tasks to complete each day, but my main responsibility is to support my team by providing an environment in which the artists I work with can do their best.” Amidst the flurry of daily activity, ensuring venues are staffed, costumes correct, and trailers stocked, Williams is living her dream of working in professional entertainment leadership. “Whether it was doing five shows in
eleven weeks making summer magic at Weathervane Playhouse, or overseeing coats of paint being put on hours before new character meet-and-greets opened at Disney, or doing the world’s premiere Halloween event in the midst of a pandemic, we always got it done because we worked together to make it happen.” Despite calling The Wizarding World of Harry Potter her office, Diagon Alley’s magic isn’t lost on Williams. Every day on the job she works to bring spellbinding experiences to audiences from all over the world, enjoying the adventure and soaking up the fun. “I love walking through London and Diagon first thing in the morning, right before the park opens,” Williams said. “I take a second in the quiet and realize how lucky I am to work in a place I read about as a kid.”
TONIAH JACKSON ’13 EMPOWERING OTHERS WITH EVERY BRUSHSTROKE A gentle brushstroke leaves glowing saffron on the canvas, shining out from a haze of green and violet hues, brightening the space above the subject’s braided hair and confident gaze. Toniah “Nia” Jackson is painting a portrait, crafting each detail with passion and intention, turning the canvas into a permanent home for her imagination. As a student in the Savannah College of Art and Design Master of Fine Arts program, the Spelman College alumnae seems a world away from her premedicine training. “My journey was more of a zig-zag than a straight line,” said Jackson as she prepared for classes to resume after the holidays. As a student at JA, Jackson lived for science, math, and art classes. Doodles and illustrations she drew on her tests earned compliments from teachers, and her contributions in biology courses garnered awards. She loved art, but viewed it as a hobby and not as something that could be pursued professionally. Medical school seemed like a natural, practical choice. She entered college as a biology major, but during her freshman year, she made a change that “completely altered my college experience for the better.” She chose to become an art major with a pre-medicine concentration. That choice empowered her to explore many facets of art, including medical illustration, makeup artistry, and various studio art forms, while still taking the prerequisites for medical school. “I was super conflicted about pursuing art because it doesn’t always seem like the most practical thing to do,” Jackson said. Torn between her love for art and her intended career in medicine, Jackson paid careful attention to distinguished scholars and professional artists that were visiting professors at Spelman.
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Sometimes following your passion can be a little intimidating, but it is totally worth it!”
During her senior year, a medical illustration internship at Morehouse School of Medicine convinced her that success and happiness would be possible even if she pursued making art as a career. She made the choice to focus on her passion for art. Jackson graduated with honors and a bachelor’s in studio art and a firstplace award for her senior research project. “My research for this project investigated the lack of diversity within fairytales and how this can often contribute to issues of identity and self-worth among black youth,” Jackson said. As a girl, Disney-princess loving Jackson had often wished the heroines in her favorite movies and books looked like her. Her senior art project re-imagined characters like Ariel from The Little Mermaid as black women. “A child being able to see someone similar to themselves in a book or a film can really make an impact,” she shared. “[It can] show you what you’re capable of, and create those moments of ‘That could be me!’”
After teaching middle school art for Dekalb County Schools, Jackson launched Art By Nia J, LLC, in 2021 and began accepting commissions for custom paintings and selling handmade journals that feature her artwork. She entered the SCAD master of fine arts program that same fall. Sitting in front of her canvas in a quiet studio in Atlanta, Jackson’s bright mind dances to rhythm and blues and Gospel music as she experiments with new images and hues. While her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, she dreams of someday seeing her art hung in museums. She has plans to sell her Art By Nia J journals in local bookstores and major retail stores soon. In the selfportrait she’s recently completed, viewers can see clarity in a face glowing with purpose - the hints of zig-zagging and uncertainty are gone. As Jackson said, “Sometimes following your passion can be a little intimidating, but it is totally worth it!” TRUE BLUE 15
FORD WILLIAMS ’16 DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION For industrial designer Ford Williams, the sky’s the limit. At Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas, Williams creates designs that become the interiors of planes flown worldwide. His longterm dream? Change the future of transportation. For now, though, he’s thrilled to put his degree from Savannah College of Art and Design to work in the air capital of the world. “Industrial design is super simple, but a lot goes into everything,” Williams said, describing his job of researching, sketching, modeling, and rendering ideas for new interiors of planes. “A lot of our job is getting outside the box and doing things engineers can’t to come up with an aesthetic, beautiful, ergonomic design.” While some might focus on one aspect of the industrial design process, Williams immerses himself in each stage. After creating a proposal, he and his team go through several rounds of adjustments to incorporate customer feedback before finally sending their work to the engineering team. Reflecting on his path to this career, Williams said, “I’ve felt like I had this path that I just followed, and every door that opened, I just ran through it.” It started in high school with his love for cars - especially “crazy sports cars like McLarens.” Equipped with abilities gained during art classes at JA with Susan Ingram and soft skills like communication and timemanagement practiced throughout the average school day at JA, Williams went to SCAD with the dream of designing exteriors of cars. To make that dream a reality in the future, he shifted his focus to vehicle interiors while mapping out a career plan. Fast forward, and his senior project at SCAD was to design a new form of transportation, which he did. 16 TRUE BLUE
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What makes me tick is the future … where could I be, who could I be, if I really gave it my all every day. I want to design the future.”
Entitled Precedent, his flying yacht has now earned several prestigious awards and was recently shortlisted in the 2021 International Yacht and Aviation Awards in Venice, Italy. Williams chose to submit his project with no expectations. “You miss all of the shots you don’t take,” he told himself. When judges considered his work alongside designs from the world’s top luxury aviation teams, the truth of that sentiment stood out. “I’m all about creating something new that hasn’t been seen and
revolutionizing the form of transportation that happens in cities,” Williams said. While possibilities (like flying taxis) whirl in his imagination, Williams plans to stay in Wichita and grow his portfolio for the near future. From there, he feels he could go anywhere, pressing forward to be on the front lines of the next evolution in transportation. “What makes me tick is the future … where could I be, who could I be, if I really gave it my all every day. I want to design the future.”
Graduates Get Early Glimpse into the Professional Sphere of Music Navigating the transition from high school and college to professional work is a passage. Sometimes moments come along that make that passage smooth sailing. In 2019, filmmaker Anthony Thaxton needed a small, expressive ensemble for a film’s musical score to celebrate the life of famed Mississippi artist Walter Anderson. Jackson Academy students became involved as the young musicians behind the scenes of this new documentary. JA graduate Bryant Thaxton ’18 composed and conducted the score while a first-year music major at Mississippi College. He enlisted former JA classmates Carter Elliott ’20, Courtney Francois ’20, and Fumi Hall ’21, for piano, cello, and flute and two friends from MC for percussion. When they recorded the score, some of the high school students were as young as age 16. On December 8, 2021, these former JA band classmates and friends sat at the school where they had met and viewed the results of their efforts. Art enthusiasts and donors had gathered that evening in the Performing Arts Center to screen the 56-minute film, Walter Anderson: The Extraordinary Life and Art of the Islander. The film explores the famed coastal artist’s life, relationships, and contributions to art through personal stories
offered by family members and other artists. In addition to some artwork and memories not previously made public, a segment of the film includes a discussion of the damage to a large body of Anderson’s work during Hurricane Katrina.
JA helped celebrate the students’ work by sponsoring the film screening and installing 10 Walter Anderson originals on loan for the day from the Mississippi Museum of Art. Director of the Mississippi Museum of Art Betsy Bradley led a post-screening panel that included Walter Anderson’s youngest son, John Anderson, documentary filmmaker Anthony Thaxton, and film producer Robert St. John. JA art teachers and students discussed Walter Anderson and visited the exhibit throughout the day. Art faculty and students were provided a link to the documentary and notes on Anderson prepared by Mississippi Museum of Art curators.
“A high point in my musical career was definitely being able to contribute to the score of the Walter Anderson documentary,” said University of Southern Mississippi music and mathematics double major, Courtney Francois, who plays cello on the score. “Overall, JA helped me discover that I am meant to be involved with the arts in some capacity, whether as a performer or as a more behind-the-scene crew member. I do not know where this path will take me, but I am excited to experience the journey.” It was a treat to see everything come together step by step, said University of Mississippi sophomore and flutist Fumi Hall. Mississippi Public Broadcasting aired the documentary in November. The companion book that shares the documentary’s title also mentions the musicians. “It was special to be a part of something that was a lot bigger,” Hall said. Carter Elliott, currently finishing his sophomore year studying jazz piano performance at the University of North Texas, was the pianist for the documentary score. He released his debut single, “Child of the Small,” to all available streaming services on October 9. He looks forward to releasing other singles and working toward a performing or recording artist career.
Go to JACKSONACADEMY.ORG/WALTER-ANDERSON to view a five-minute featurette that debuted before the documentary that highlights the contributions of the four JA alumni and current JA sophomore Sydney Thaxton. Sydney Thaxton joined in the production by filming additional cinematography. TRUE BLUE 17
Seeing Double W
hat is it like to be a twin? Only 33 out of every 1,000 people can answer that question. Being a twin has its perks. From the moment they are
born, there is someone by their side sharing many of the same life experiences. However, as twins grow into adults, how difficult is it to forge an individual identity when it has been tied to another person for so long?
Jackson Academy’s three sets of twins in the Class of 2021 took a few moments to shed light on the life of twins, plus how JA helped them develop their individuality.
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McNeill and Coleman Dinkins McNeill and Coleman Dinkins became JA students in seventh grade. The boys love to work on their trucks, hunting, and the outdoors. In fact, their love of the outdoors inspired McNeill to found JA’s Ducks Unlimited chapter, which has been nationally recognized for two years for its fundraising efforts to support wetlands preservation and waterfowl conservation. Coleman described being a twin as having “ … a built-in best friend. You always have a buddy to do things with. We’ve shared a room now for 18 years so it’s easy to get along. Many people think it would be hard to be around someone so much, but McNeill being charged off of social interaction and me always enjoying company, it’s easy to stay entertained.”
After graduation, McNeill and Coleman followed dramatically different paths. McNeill attends Mississippi State University and is pursuing a degree in industrial engineering. Coleman is a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point and is studying foreign languages. “Through JA I found an individual path that I personally didn’t imagine would happen for me,” Coleman said. “But everything in my life is somehow connected to my twin. [Growing up], I’ve always wanted to be a police officer, but McNeill always wanted to be a soldier. As we progressed through our studies McNeill chose a different path and I ended up adopting his childhood dream, so in a way, McNeill influenced my ‘individual’ path.”
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Elena and Emma Roberts Elena and Emma came to JA in the seventh grade. While the sisters enjoyed many of the same activities, such as tennis, basketball, and reading, Elena said she and Emma approach things in different ways. “Emma is extremely intense and focused. She always has to be ahead,” Elena explained. “I tend to take things more at my own pace.”
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Despite having similar hobbies, their difference in personalities likely inspired each to pursue different interests. While at JA, Elena enrolled in a class called Drawing and Painting, while Emma chose Intro to Engineering. After graduation, the girls enrolled at Mississippi College.
Emily and Natalie Thompson Emily and Natalie Thompson attended JA for 14 years. Both girls enjoyed playing sports, including basketball and soccer. However, in their free time, they participated in different hobbies. Natalie enjoys fishing and painting, while Emily is a self-described movie buff. “Although we are a lot alike, we have many differences,” Emily says. “JA helped us establish our individual selves by putting us in separate classes so we would learn and grow as any other kid.” Natalie says she appreciates the variety of clubs and activities available to students, which allowed her to pursue her own interests. After graduation, the sisters began their freshman year at Mississippi State University. Jackson Academy provides a wide variety of experiences to help students
identify their interests. The school’s experienced faculty and coaches help students reach their personal potential, in part, by observing the individual needs and then encouraging, guiding, and challenging students. Varsity Head Basketball coach Jan Sojourner, a twin herself, and Junior High Head Basketball Coach Ronnie Rogers have worked with several twins over the years. At one point, Sojourner and Rogers coached three sets of twins on the varsity basketball team, helping each girl move toward team positions that highlighted their strengths. That is one way JA works with students to identify their gifts and guide them to balance school with extracurricular activities. Whether students need more challenge or more support, caring faculty and coaches are nearby to help students reach their individual peak in and outside the classroom.
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Legacy Loyal Twenty two members of the Class of 2021 followed in the footsteps of parents who went before them to graduate from Jackson Academy. Thank you to these families for their legacy of loyalty to JA. We are thankful for the opportunity to continue serving your families throughout generations of growth, change, and cherished traditions.
KAYLEE ASHFORD and parents Cerissa Pitts Ashford ’97 and John Ashford ’95
SIMMS BAKER and father Brian Baker ’87
HUDSON BRIDGES and parents Story Moore Warren ’94 and Todd Warren ’90
EMMY BROWN and father Brian Brown ’87
JULIANNA COPELAND and parents Deborah Potter
COLEMAN DINKINS and
Copeland ’89 and Edward Copeland III ’91
father John Dinkins ’84
McNEILL DINKINS and
AVERY HENDRICK and father David Hendrick ’94
MICHAEL LOWE and mother Jennifer Lee Lowe ’93
father John Dinkins ’84 22 TRUE BLUE
PRYOR MEHRLE and mother
THOMAS NANCE and mother Jan Laws Nance ’89
ELIZABETH PEDIGO and
LILY RHODEN and parents Nicole Smith Rhoden ’90 and Thomas Rhoden ’92
ANNA CLAIRE SEAGO and father Lee Seago ’90
BRYANT SEAGO and father David Seago ’93
ALEX SUMMERFORD and father
EMERY THIGPEN and father Calvin Thigpen ’94
REESE VAN SKIVER and father Ward Van Skiver ’87
Elizabeth Warren Mehrle ’93
Clay Summerford ’94
father Scott Pedigo ’90
Not pictured:
MIKEY ELINSKI and mother LeeAnn Miner Elinski ’88 ANNE YORK and father John York ’90
ALICE WILLIAMS and mother Mary Carolyn Ikerd Williams ’90
DELANEY WILLIAMS and father Rex Williams ’89 TRUE BLUE 23
Reunions
RISK TAKERS, PLAYMAKERS FIRST JA GRADUATING CLASS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS AS ALUMNI
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A
s ninth graders, representatives of the Class of 1982 approached the Jackson Academy Board of Trustees and made a request: Let us have a high school. During their ninth grade year, momentum and camaraderie were at an all-time high as Jackson Academy moved through the recovery process after the April flood of 1979. But without a high school, these fully invested freshmen were on their way to finish high school elsewhere because JA ended at ninth grade. According to the board chair at that time, Newt Harrison, the students were so enamored with their school that they appealed to the board of Trustees. Their maturity and rationale for their request impressed the board. “We promised we would return to be the first graduating class,” remarked Joel Brown ’82, quoted in “Jackson Academy: The First Fifty Years 1959-2009.”
RISK TAKERS Both students and the board took a risk. Ninth graders would need to leave for tenth grade and return to JA in eleventh. When they returned, they would be charting new territory, becoming the first students, for example, to have a high school football team, a prom, and eventually graduation. The board was taking a risk because it needed to assemble teachers, have enough students to operate a high school, and secure space. Plus, there was pushback from area schools that sought to include these same students in their enrollments.
PRESSING ON JA’s Raider Rampage publication headlined in December 1979: “JA Will Have A High School.” Much like then track coach and poet Bubba Cox would have said, they decided to “press on.” In a footnote to his 1982 poem, “The Dust of Yesterday,” (see page 1 for full poem) Cox noted, “I hope that we will all remember that nothing that is worthwhile comes easily and then press on to be all that we can be…” Although he was referring to the JA’s boys track season, his comment applied to JA’s broader situation.
SOARING AND REACHING THE TOP No place was “pressing on” more evident than with the first high school football team. In the fall of 1980, Coach Ron Jurney and Coach David Culpepper, both Millsaps College graduates and former athletes, led a team of 18 with no seniors. This first team had a respectable showing of four wins and five losses while focusing on
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fundamentals. “It was not bad for a team that didn’t have experienced players,” Jurney said, noting also that the team relied on equipment handed down from a college. A blend of “good team chemistry,” experience from their first season, and ratcheting up training led coaches to foresee positive things on the horizon. “We felt good about the season,” Jurney said about the 1981-82 year. Others shared that feeling. The season opener against Union Academy, which had a strong team, brought out the news media. Running back and outside linebacker Larry Methvin, now of Longview, Texas, remembers Jurney and Culpepper’s training program that propelled the tight-knit team to a 10-win regular season. “The coaches ran a tough 2-a-day practice. Practices were like boot camp. We did not miss a Tuesday hitting,” he said. “They wanted to get us winning as quickly as they could. Fairly recent college players themselves, our coaches were serious about how we operated and were awesome mentors for football and life. They had the attention of every player.”
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Risks taken by returning JA students, plus transferring students who gave up assured positions at other schools to join a new team, paid off. The Raiders advanced to the playoffs, where the team experienced its first and only loss. A fond memory for JA students and Coach Jurney occurred after the tenth win. One of the transferring students had experienced a football tradition of shaving players’ heads, and a few JA team members adopted that practice. One player approached Coach Jurney with a question: “If we go undefeated, will you shave your head?” After the tenth win, “I didn’t have to cut it,” Journey laughed. “They butchered me!” Students schoolwide were delighted and speak of that memory even today. Methvin recalls that the camaraderie was not just among the football team; it extended throughout the high school. He said that students who “were good friends, laughed, and got along well as a class” enjoyed the small atmosphere. Watching from a grade below, Bronwyn Caves Burford ’83 agrees. “The classes in the new high school were very close,” Burford said. “We knew that it took those coming back for the school to have enough students to create a high school. They took a risk returning to a school that was getting its high school started. Other students came to the new high school in their senior year, and some in their junior years.”
EVERYTHING WAS A FIRST! JA’s first graduating class experienced a senior year to remember, and in doing so, they helped create a high school experience to remember. In addition to the winning football team, JA took the swimming championship and the boys’ track championship. They participated in the school’s first prom, helped create JA’s fight song, and elected the first Mr. and Miss JA. They started the high school student council. The newly-formed National Honor Society inducted its first seniors and the new Mu Alpha Theta honored math students. JA fielded the school’s first baseball and softball teams. Among the “flood kin,” as JA’s history book called JA families of that era, the Class of 1982 left a legacy that propelled JA to be a school to watch. “If it had not been for them (the students who left and came back for their junior or senior years when the high school opened), we would not have had a high school,” said Burford.
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Class Notes
2
1
3
2002
2010
ABIGAIL SAMPLE ETLING and husband, Will, live in Santa Ynez, California with their two children, Mercer and Rowan. Abigail’s passion for talking to people, listening to people, and problem solving led her to apply to Jackson State University’s Master of Social Work program. She believes in the power of social work to create a kinder, healthier, and more inclusive society. Will is the web development manager, marketing at FastSpring.
LAUREN HOTARD MOORE and husband, Branden, live in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Lauren graduated from residency in emergency medicine from UMMC in June 2021. Lauren is an emergency medicine physician at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center. Branden is an attorney.
1
2003 JENNINGS ROSS recently participated in America’s premier show house - the Kips Bay Decorator’s Show House in Dallas. Twenty six of the nation’s top interior designers were chosen to transform a room, or space, in an 11,000 square-foot home in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas. She was given the primary dressing room and closets and had eight weeks to take it from studs and sub-floor to a fully finished space. The home was toured by approximately 10,000 people and national media including Veranda, Architectural Digest, and Elle Decor. It was an honor to display designs and work alongside such designers as Ken Fulk, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, and Alexa Hampton. 2
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2012 ALEX LESLEY and wife Kelsey, welcomed a daughter, Thomasen Louise Lesley, on July 6, 2021. Alex is a demonstration artist and trainer at Ross Video. They live in Biloxi.
2015
4
University with degrees in biochemistry and foreign languages in December 2020. In March, she commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. She completed Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base before beginning medical school at UMMC in August.
2017 4 OLIVIA RULE BOURNE married
Davis Bourne on July 30, 2021, in Jackson. Davis is a senior portfolio analyst at Finkelberg Investments of Raymond James. They live in Jackson.
2018
2016
ALLIE PERKINS was selected by the Mississippi Nurses Foundation as a 2021-2022 Car Tag Stipend Recipient. The stipend is valued at $5,000 and selection was based on academic merit and an essay contest. She also received the Trustee Scholarship and Presidential Scholarship from Mississippi College. The Trustee Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship that MC offers, being awarded to only four students per academic year. Allie also serves as president of the Mississippi Association of Student Nurses.
ROBYN HADDEN graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State
Class Notes printed here were submitted since JA’s Summer 2021 issue.
3 SARAH ALLEN BOWMAN married William Bullock on May 22, 2021, at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi. The couple lives in Nashville, where Sarah Allen is a secondyear law student at Belmont University College of Law and William is an engineer for Turner Construction Company.
Memorials Henry Louis Campbell Lendon and Sean Ellis Patti Wade Beatrice “Bea” Kimbrough Pat and Peter Jernberg Frank Kinard Gail and John England Jerry Lee Lamar Chustz Jackson Academy Association, Inc. Pat and Peter Jernberg Suzanne, Tate ’88, and Kathleen ’23 Thigpen Burt Matheny Lamar Chustz Anne Mitchell Peters Lynn and John Albriton Gloria and Steve Hirn Amanda and Jason ’98 Hirn Laura ’00 and Denton Hartlein Pat and Peter Jernberg Reid McMillan Mary Carolyn Carter Pogue Melissa and Jay Meacham Nancy and David Sykes
Brian Quayle ’93 Lamar Chustz
Raymond R. Stevens, Jr. Nancy, Ray Edward ’15, and Drury Stevens
Spencer Ratcliff ’09 Lorraine and David Blount
Beth Wilson Lamar Chustz
Mitzi and John Richart Deena and Dan Richart
Brian Whitfield ’01 Samuel Belknap
Nerrell L. Ridley Lamar Chustz Pat and Peter Jernberg Andrew Seago ’96 Judy Arnold Kim, Tripp ’87, Hannah and Sam Arnold Lamar Chustz Mysti ’96 and Philip ’96 Chustz Becky and Steve Greer Pat and Peter Jernberg Julie Murray
Memorial Scholarships Ashleigh Arnold Dehmer Memorial Beth Keeler Scott Branning Memorial Scholarship Lee and Jana Ragland Lee Ann and Calvin ’94 Thigpen
Dr. Donald Lee Seago Judy Arnold Kim, Tripp ’87, Hannah and Sam Arnold Jackson Academy Association, Inc. Becky and Steve Greer Pat and Peter Jernberg Julie Murray Jan ’89 and Wen Nance
Newly installed bike racks on JA’s campus were funded by gifts given in memory of Brian Whitfield ’01 by Brian Barnett ’01, William Barnett ’95, Samuel Belknap, Katie Calhoon ’01, Reid Gunn ’01, James Lambuth ’01, Gayson Ridgway ’01, and Will Walker ’01.
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Honorariums Perry ’29 and William ’33 Allen JA students Deborah Allen
Kennedy Gilmore ’35 JA student Stephanie Toler
Ann Moore Retired JA staff member Shannon and Hamp Dye
Debbie W. Campbell Mother of JA staff member Bill Campbell William Campbell
The Honorable Alexander Good JA past parent Theodore Waechter
Laura Pressler JA teacher Linda and Danny Smith
Charlie Crump Son of Julie Evers Crump ’84 Julie Evers Crump ’84
Michael Hederman ’22 JA student Corinne and John McCormick
Gretchen Morris ’22 JA student Karen and Jeff Morris Gordon Redd
Leighton Denley ’28 JA student Isabel and John Woods
Josie ’23 and Lewis ’25 Huff JA students Gloria and Tommy Moore
Anna Grace Doggett ’24 JA student Linda Wardlaw
Pat and Peter Jernberg President Emeritus Beth and Tim McWilliams
David Dye ’11 JA alumnus Shannon and Hamp Dye
Sarah Love JA Head of Lower School Beth and Tim McWilliams
Nathan Dye ’08 JA alumnus Shannon and Hamp Dye
Anna Kate Lucas ’24 JA student Jack Forbus
Lewis ’30 and Macy ’27 Garrard JA students Beebe ’99 and Nick Garrard
Ainslie ’30, Anna Caroline ’28, Samuel ’23, and Sara Kate ’26 Long JA students Carol and Victor Jones
Jan Sojourner JA women’s basketball coach Ashley ’87 and Mark Willson Sherrye and Pat Taylor Former JA faculty (Pat) Beth and Tim McWilliams
Memorials and Honorariums listed as of January 15, 2022
Jackson Academy acknowledges gifts made in memory of faculty, staff, and JA family members each year in the True Blue magazine. To submit a memorial, contact Suzanne Thigpen at sthigpen@jacksonacademy.org or mail your memorial to Suzanne Thigpen, Jackson Academy, 4908 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211.
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4908 Ridgewood Road Jackson, Mississippi 39211
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TRUE BLUE | SPRING 2022 | VOLUME XXV
JACKSON ACADEMY
