Members of the Neshoba Central High School Hall of Fame are, seated from left, Jala Johnson, Destiny Kirksey, Mallory Chunn, Maggie Lee Griffis, Tenly Grisham, Faith Shumaker, Ella Windham and Kathryn Dreifuss. Standing are Sydney Ben, Tyus Bell, Brayden Pickett, Grayson Fulton, Hunter Pollack-Bavetta, Jaharon Griffin, RJ Hudson, Maycee Harrison and Jessy Thrash. Not pictured is Jackson Stroud.
The 2022 graduating class at Neshoba Central High School had a total of $7.9 million in scholarship offers, one of the highest amounts in school history.
Neshoba County Superintendent of Education Lundy Brantley said the offers these students have “are absolutely phenomenal. The kids who have received these offers have worked really hard and hard work really pays off. Our staff is to be commended as well for their high expectations of our students and their willingness to go above and beyond to teach at a high level.”
Just over 200 students had scholarship offers.
Neshoba Central’s Class of 22, which includes 229 students, had a total of $90,000 in offers through the Mississippi Eminent Scholars Grant for scoring 29 or higher on the ACT. Those offers were for $10,000 each.
The class had a total of $550,000 in offers through the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant which awards students scoring 15 to 28 on the ACT $3,000 each.
In addition to academic scholarship offers, Neshoba Guidance Counselor Rebecca Hayman said there were football, girls’ and boys’ basketball, baseball, softball and band scholarship offers.
“This year we had so many athletes of both genders from a girls’ basketball perspective to a boys’ football perspective along with baseball and band,” Hayman said. “The scholarships from an athletic standpoint are higher than it’s ever been. It was a great senior class, athletically, and that trickles down to scholarship offers.”
Hayman said one particular football player had $320,000 in offers while five girls’ basketball players had $320,000 or more.
Some received multiple offers from different colleges and universities so they will have to limit it to one, Hayman said.
Broken down by universities and colleges, the offers included an estimated $558,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi; $606,000 to Mississippi State University; $421,000 to the University of Mississippi; $2.3 million to community colleges and $3.2 million in private and other scholarships.
Principal Jason Gentry said the scholarship offers are the highest since he has been at Neshoba Central High School.
“We are very proud of our seniors who have exceeded academically and through extra-curricular activities,” he said. “Through the many scholarships extended by colleges, universities and private entities, our students have opportunities to further their education which, in the long run, helps our community grow and prosper.”
Gentry said the school district was fortunate to have “dedicated students who have high aspirations when it pertains to their future plans. We continue to emphasize to our students the importance of starting at an early age to focus on your goals and what it takes to achieve those goals.”
This year Neshoba Central High School started emphasizing the ACT with all 10th grade students. The School District paid for all 10th grade students to take the ACT on April 19.
“We recently received those scores and are very pleased with how our students performed,” Gentry said. “This provided a great baseline so they can continue to grow throughout their remaining years at NCHS.”
- Debbie Myers