ELLISVILLE – Nearly 650 of the more than 700 students eligible to graduate are participating in the 95th annual Commencement Ceremony at Jones College. Graduates and guests will hear from the Honorable Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi’s Lieutenant Governor, as the keynote speaker for graduation held on Friday, May 5, at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held on the North Lawn of Jones Hall with plans to move the event to the A.B. Howard/Bobcat Gymnasium if there is inclement weather.
This ceremony will also mark the first class of the new, Middle College Program at Laurel High school with seven Laurel High School students earning both their high school diploma and an associate degree from Jones College. These students, Micah Evyn Johnson Hill, Zipporah Kenzie Husband, Gabrielle E. Peters, Leslie Santiago, Milan Shanks, Alayna Kathleen Smith, Aubreney Alexis Stenson and Amiah White finished their high school requirements simultaneously while attending college courses to complete a two-year degree.
Seating will be first come first serve with a large crowd expected to support graduates participating in the ceremony. Graduates will receive either, an associate in arts degree, associate in applied science degree, a technical certificate, or a career certificate. To watch the ceremony live, check the website, http://www.jcjc.edu/ For questions specifically regarding the 2023 graduation ceremony, please contact Kacie Birdsong at 601-477-4137.
The Honorable Delbert Hosemann is serving as Mississippi’s 33rd Lieutenant Governor after previously serving as Secretary of State from 2008 until 2020. He was first elected to the Lt. Governor post in November 2019, after earning more than 60 percent of the vote.
Under his leadership, the Senate has implemented the largest tax cut in the State’s history, raised educator pay, invested more than $1 billion in Mississippi’s roads and bridges, increased training opportunities for high-skill jobs through our community colleges, and retooled economic development incentives to be competitive and performance-based. As the President of the 52-member State Senate, he remains committed to making Mississippi an even better place for our children and grandchildren.
Raised in Warren County, Mississippi, Lt. Governor Hosemann comes to the position with substantial experience in the private sector as a businessman. He is a former partner of Phelps Dunbar, LLP. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, a law degree from the University of Mississippi, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from New York University. Prior to attending law school, Lt. Governor Hosemann served his country in the United States Army Reserve.
In his spare time, Lt. Governor Hosemann is an avid hunter and runner, completing both the New York Marathon and
the Boston Marathon. He is also a member of the National Rifle Association and a past recipient of the NRA’s Kirk Fordice Freedom Award, and he is a member of the Delta Wildlife Foundation and Ducks Unlimited.
He and Lynn, his wife of 52 years, are members of St. Richard Catholic Church. They are extremely proud of their three children: Kristen, Chad, and Mark; and grandchildren Grace, Nora Lynn, Carson, Charlie, Manse, Charlotte, Howard Delbert, and Robert.