Six Jackson Academy students have been selected to serve on the 2026–2027 City of Ridgeland Mayor’s Youth Council: Bess Borne, Porter Meeks, Emma Pollack, Peyton Smith, Gus Summers, and Slates Veazey.
The Mayor’s Youth Council gives high school juniors and seniors who live in Ridgeland the chance to build leadership and citizenship skills while learning how city government works. To be selected, students had to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and submit an application with two letters of recommendation.
Throughout the school year, council members meet monthly with Mayor Gene McGee, the Board of Aldermen, city department heads, and city employees to learn how local government serves the community. Members also complete volunteer hours and work together on a group service project in the spring. Previous councils have visited the Mississippi State Capitol to learn about the legislative process and launched “Worth A Listen,” a student-led mental health awareness initiative for teens across the metro area.
For our students, the council is a chance to put leadership into action beyond JA’s campus. By learning how decisions are made in their own city and serving alongside students from other schools, these Raiders are building the skills and the sense of responsibility that will help them lead in their communities for years to come.
Congratulations to these six students on this honor!
JA would like to recognize all students serving in community leadership roles. If you have been named to a city, county, state, or other leadership development program—as mentioned above or others such Youth Leadership Jackson, Madison County Youth Leadership, Youth Leadership Rankin, HOBY Youth Leadership Seminar, serving as a legislative page, or accepted to the College Board’s BigFuture® Ambassadors program—please email news@jacksonacademy.org so we can celebrate your service.
