ELLISVILLE – Two Jones College alumni were honored with the “Achievement and Excellence” Award during the Alumni Recognition Program, sponsored by Howard Industries and held during Homecoming celebrations on October 19, 2024. Formerly of Waynesboro and current Ellisville resident, Dr. John Reynolds Clark and Dr. Benjamin P. Stevens of Laurel were recognized as graduates of Jones College who are under the age of 40 and are recognized for their professional achievements and their positive community impact. Jones College President, Dr. Jesse Smith explained these two have established their careers and they are quickly rising to the top of their professions.
“I was honored and shocked at the same time, especially when I got my invitation in the mail and saw who else was being honored. I’m just super grateful that I get to do this and represent Jones in this fashion. I’m super humble and very grateful for this opportunity,” said Clark.
The current Director of Sports Medicine and Sports Rehabilitation at Wayne General Hospital in Waynesboro graduated from Jones in 2014 with an associate in applied science degree and continued at William Carey University, earning his bachelor of science degree in biology with a concentration in pre-physical therapy in 2016. After finishing his doctorate in physical therapy in 2019 from WCU, Clark completed a sports physical therapy internship in Birmingham, Alabama at Lemak Health Sports Medicine and has been practicing sports physical therapy ever since.
He became a Board-Certified Specialist of Sports Physical therapy after passing the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties board exam for sports physical therapy in June 2022. Throughout his practice, he has provided sports physical therapy services for many professional athletes from organizations including the Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, and Chicago White Sox. He has also worked with many athletes from NCAA division 1, NJCAA, and high schools for a variety of injuries and post-operative care.
After beginning his career at Hattiesburg Clinic and then South Central Regional Medical Center, Dr. Clark serves clinically as a board-certified sports physical therapy specialist as the Director of Sports Medicine and Sports Rehabilitation at Wayne General Hospital in Waynesboro and provides game coverage for local schools in addition to his administrative duties.
“I’ve had many high school students and even young college students shadowing me for clinical rotations and I would advise, as I’ve always advised everybody, you might want to start your college journey at Jones especially if you’re not sure what path you want to take,” shared Clark. “Jones is the perfect start because the quality of education you get here is as close to a university education as you’re going to get. The classes are difficult but they’re smaller, so you’re one-on-one with the professors here and it’s just a great place to get your college career started. I loved my time here. I met my wife (Lauren) for the first time at my first football game and now we’ve been married for eight years, and we have a three-year-old son. She was supportive all the way through my journey. I don’t think I would be where I am without my wife. I’m just so thankful that I met her here.”
Former Jones College football quarterback and now physician, Dr. Benjamin P. Stevens is also being recognized for his achievements. Excelling on and off the football field, the 2013 JC graduate was a member of the Hall of Fame and graduated Summa Cum Laude while earning his biological sciences degree from Mississippi State University. Over the next four years, Stevens attended the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson for medical school. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society and finished in the top 10 of his class. He then completed a five-year Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and recently joined his father, Dr. Rusty Stevens, in practice at the Ear, Nose, and Throat Surgical Clinic in Laurel.
“I was planning to major in pre-med so that was one of the things that the football coaches had to sell me on-the academics here at Jones,” said Stevens. “I met with all the science teachers and had a good feeling about it, and I had a great experience. All of my prerequisites for the MCAT I took here and yes, I thought it was a great education, and I felt very prepared moving on too.”
Stevens added that he also learned how to manage his time better as a college athlete. Balancing sports and his classes helped him “grow up.”
“The transition was great because I feel like the teachers here truly cared about their students,” said Stevens. “I’m thankful for all the teachers and coaches I had here, but the two teachers that really impacted me the most were Austin Smith who taught biology and microbiology, and then Mary Boleware was my physics teacher. The teachers care and they really invest in you which I felt like that was the biggest difference.”
Ben is married to LeighAnn Stevens, who is also a JC graduate, and they have two children, Ann Townsend, and Henry.
Jones College’s Alumni recognition program honored 10 alumni, including “Rising Stars,” Hans Van Houten of Moselle and Sawyer Taylor of Laurel during Homecoming celebrations. Additionally, two alumni, John Reynolds Clark, a native of Waynesboro and current Ellisville resident and Dr. Benjamin P. Stevens of Laurel each received the “Achievement and Excellence Award.” Three Jones College alumni, Dr. Jeffrey E. Carter of Laurel and current New Orleans resident, and Ben and Erin Napier of Laurel were honored as “Outstanding Alumni of the Year.” Dr. Larry Guthrie, a native of Bullock County, Alabama and current Watkinsville, Georgia, was recognized as the “Legacy Award” recipient and Michael and Katye Howard of Ellisville received the Distinguished Service Award.
