ELLISVILLE – Ni’Riya Bell of Laurel and Gage Herring of Columbia were recently voted as Mr. & Miss JC by their peers. The sophomores competed for the titles to represent Jones College students and are considered to be the best representation of the student body.
“This honor means that I can represent Jones and that itself is the biggest honor a college can give a student. JC has brought me so many blessings and this is just one of them. I can’t begin to explain how much I love this place and how much this college has impacted my life in the best ways. The memories and friends I have made while I’ve been here have been amazing and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” said Herring.
The electro-mechanical technology major was also selected to represent the Mississippi/Louisiana Region as the Southern District Representative for Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. At West Marion High School, Herring was a member of the State Championship Archery Team. He was also a Mississippi Tech Scholar and a Mississippi Scholar. At Jones College he is a member of the Bobcat Brigade and the Student Spirit Chairman for the Student Government Association. In his spare time, Herring hangs out at the Baptist Student Union. His future plans include continuing his education at Mississippi State University and majoring in industrial technology with the goal of continuing to work with industrial grade robotics. His parents are Toby and Nichole Herring.
Miss JC is a graduate of Northeast Jones High School. She was very active in high school as a member of the Table Tennis Team, Key Club, TARS, Serteens, FBLA, Career and Technical Student Council and Archery. Bell also earned the Most School Spirit Award, Class Favorite, Perfect Attendance, and she graduated on the Principal’s List. The business management and marketing major is a member of the Student Government Association at Jones College. Her future plans include going to USM and opening an art business. Her parents are Christopher Millsap and Shatara Bell.
“This is a real blessing to me to be named Miss JC,” said Bell.