ELLISVILLE – Homecoming on the campus of Jones College in Ellisville will be a celebration of the theme, “The Golden Era.” Numerous activities, reunions and gatherings are scheduled before the culmination of Homecoming celebrations on Saturday, October 19, 2024. During halftime of the football game, Queen Sha’Niyah Turner of Mize, and the entire JC student-elected, 2024 Homecoming Court will be presented. Escorting the ladies will be a Jones College student selected by the student representatives.
Queen, Sha’Niyah Turner of Mize is a Jones College sophomore with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer. In High School, the Mize graduate played volleyball, softball and cheered for her fellow athletes. She was a member of the Beta Club and earned the Rising Excellence Scholarship to attend JC. After college, Turner plans to join the AirForce to become a Special Operation Certified Athletic Trainer. After serving her country for 20 years, she wants to open a gym and be a fitness trainer. Mary and Bobby Applewhite and Henry and Ebonee Turner are her parents.
“Being Homecoming Queen is such a special honor! It means being recognized by your peers for your school spirit, kindness and involvement in the community. It’s a celebration of all the hard work and dedication you’ve put into making your school a better place and it’s an opportunity to represent your school with pride and creating lasting memories,” Turner shared.
Braylon Peters of Quitman will be escorting Turner at Homecoming. At Quitman High School, Peters played baseball, basketball and football. Peters is majoring in business and marketing management at Jones College, while also a member of the Bobcat Basketball team. His parents are Patrick and Bridgett Peters.
Dannah Knighton of Madison is your Student Body Maid. The Germantown High School graduate is majoring in Spanish education. The former varsity softball player earned 1st Team All-District honors and was a member of the Beta Club, Spanish Club and the National Honors Society. At Jones, she is a member of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honors Society and serves as Vice President of Leadership. Knighton is also a member of the Student Government Association, Charles Pickering Honors Institute, and a photographer for the JC yearbook. Her future plans include earning her bachelor’s degree in Spanish at the University of Southern Mississippi and teaching students the importance of learning a foreign language. Furthermore, the sophomore JC student serves in youth ministry at Grace Crossing Baptist Church in Madison and locally at Petal Harvey Baptist Church. Her parents are David and Jill Knighton.
“This honor reflects the incredible possibilities that arise when we refuse to let fear hold us back. I am grateful for the privilege of representing my classmates in this way. Jones College has profoundly transformed me for the better, shaping my character in ways I will always cherish. I will forever thank the Lord for this blessing,” Knighton shared.
Escorting Knighton will be Dylan Taylor of Moss. The Stringer High School graduate was the captain of the football team and a leader in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Taylor can often be found in the Baptist Student Union (BSU) or participating in FCA activities at Jones College as well. After earning a degree in ministry and coaching at the University of Mississippi, Taylor aspires to coach high school football and spread God’s word. Currently, he is volunteering at Bethlehem Community Church’s Youth Ministry Leadership. His parents are Travis Taylor and Jennifer Holifield.
Markecia Lloyd of Brandon is your Sophomore Maid, majoring in radiologic technology. The Pisgah High School graduate played varsity basketball and was a member of the track team, Beta Club and Honors Society. Lloyd also enjoyed feeding the homeless and singing in the nursing homes in Jackson. Her future plans include transferring to the University of South Alabama or Cambridge College of Healthcare and Technology to earn a degree in radiology and diagnostic medical sonography. Allen and Monica Williams are Markecia’s parents.
Sawyer Griffith of Ellisville will be escorting Lloyd at Homecoming. The South Jones High School graduate was a member of the football team and earned WDAM-TV’s Player of the Pine Belt Award and his peers voted him, Mr. South Jones. At Jones College he is majoring in business and electrical technology and was honored with the Letter “J” Award. His future plans include getting his MBA at Mississippi State University. Greg and Jennifer Griffith are Sawyer’s parents.
Sophomore Maid, Maddie Taylor is a graduate of Raleigh High School and is majoring in elementary education. At RHS, she was a Senior Maid, Class Favorite, and a member of the Student Council, Cheer Squad and the volleyball team. Taylor’s future plans include earning her degree in elementary education at MSU. Her parents are Jamie and Marsha Taylor.
Her escort will be Parks Burt of Enterprise. The aeronautical engineering major played football, and was a member of the National Honors Society, and Beta Club at Enterprise High School. Burt is a member of the Jones College recruiting ambassadors, Bobcat Brigade and the International Honor Society, PTK. Additionally, he volunteers at local church events, mission trips and is a blood donor. Becoming a pilot after earning his degree in aeronautical engineering from MSU are some of Burt’s goals. His parents are Casey and Stacey Burt.
Freshman Maid, Elisa Cook is a Meridian resident majoring in business marketing and management. The Clarkdale High School graduate was an active member of the Student Council, the basketball team, and National Honors Society. Moreover, she was the Drum Major for CHS her junior and senior years in high school. Cook also served as the President of the CHS FBLA club. At Jones College, she earned a spot as a freshman Drum Major for the Typhoon Marching Band, Bobcat Brigade, FCA, SGA, FBLA and she is a member of the Art Club. She serves her community by volunteering at the Meridian/Lauderdale County Public Library and Wesley’s House Shelter. Also, Cook has earned the Entrepreneurship Small Business Certificate, graduated from the Youth Leadership Lauderdale County’s program and was the 1st runner-up at the Miss Black Mississippi USA Talented Teen Pageant. The future artist and entrepreneur aspires to spread the Gospel and publish fiction and non-fiction books. Henry and Stephanie Cook are her parents.
Escorting Cook will be Elliot Sholtz of Gulfport. At Jones, he is a member of the Student Government Association and Bobcat Brigade and plays recreational volleyball in Gulfport and the Long Beach Volleyball Association. After earning his Associate Degree in Nursing from Jones College, Sholtz plans to work as a nurse on the coast. Stanley Sholtz is Elliot’s father.
Saylor Sullivan is your Freshman Maid from Mize, and she is majoring in radiology. The Mize High School graduate was a member of the State 2A Cheerleading Team, the 2023 Mize National Cheerleading Champions, earning All-American Cheerleading honors twice. Last summer, she was crowned Mize’s Miss Mississippi Watermelon Queen. The member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church hopes to specialize in ultrasound in the future. Brian and Amanda Sullivan are Saylor’s parents.
Talan Warren of Mize will be escorting Sullivan. The electrical technology major played football and earned ACT and Build Mississippi Scholarships to attend Jones College. The future electrician is a member of Oak Grove Church’s Mission and Maintenance Team. His parents are Donovan Hays and Tabitha Pope.
The Homecoming Court will also feature the Flower Girl, six-year-old Lydia Anne McLeod, the daughter of Hunter and Amanda McLeod of Ellisville. The Crown Bearer is seven-year-old Preston Bryan Walters, the son of Mark and Megan Walters of Hattiesburg.