ELLISVILLE – On Monday, July 22 at 7 p.m. in the Bush Fine Arts Auditorium, about 50 of the 106 High School Equivalency graduates of Jones College’s program will hear from former graduates as their Keynote speakers. JC instructors, Brooke Donald-Health Care Assistant; Thomas Johnson-Heating/Air Conditioning and Cody Robertson-Electro-Mechanical Technology will share their experiences in the HSE program and beyond. Those participating in the commencement ceremony and their guests will also hear the journeys of these instructors and how they were able to rise above their circumstances to reach their dreams.
“Like most students who take an alternate path to earn their high school diploma, there are obstacles they have overcome to reach this point in their lives. I hope the inspiring messages from our keynote speakers, that they may also know personally, will encourage our graduates to continue to reach for their dreams,” said Wendy Evans, Jones College’s Director of Integrated Pathways.
Featured speaker, Brooke Donald has been teaching in the Health Care 
Assistant program at Jones College for the last four years. She received her GED in 2002 and graduated from JCJC with her associate degree in 2010. Ellisville’s Donald completed the Practical Nursing program in 2013 and graduated from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with her Associate Degree in Nursing in 2017. Determined to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, she enrolled in the program at Delta State University for the fall semester.
Thomas Johnson is native of New Iberia, Louisiana and was raised in Texas. Because of problems he encountered in school, he quit in the seventh grade, which he said was the “worst mistake” he ever made. Upon moving to Mississippi at the age of 16, he started working with his father doing heating and air conditioning repairs. Johnson continued working for 24 years when he decided to pursue a degree in the Heating and Air Conditioning trade. After a lot of hard work and determination Johnson shared, Jones College has changed his life in numerous ways before he began teaching at Jones, three years ago. He hopes to compel others to take a second look at the possibility of reaching their dreams.
Electro-Mechanical Technology instructor at Jones College, Cody Robertson is 
a 24-year old who has spent most of his life dealing with chronic health issues stemming from a pancreatitis diagnosis when he nine-years-old. As a result, the former Sweetwater community resident was forced to quit in tenth grade, but he pursued his high school equivalency at Jones and is now teaching his favorite topics at the college.
Additionally, the HSE graduates attending the ceremony will learn who the top-scoring students in each of JC’s eight-county district. These students will also receive scholarships to Jones. For more information about the HSE program or the numerous, free adult education programs available at the Jones College Advanced Technology Center, contact the Adult Education department at 601-477-4164, Wendy Evans at 601-477-2228 or email, wendy.evans@jcjc.edu.