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When JA eleventh grader Olivia Claire Williford began looking for summer internships, she never imagined she would end up in Quantico, Virginia at the FBI National Academy Associates’ Youth Leadership Program.
Matt Morgan will serve as interim head of Middle School while continuing as associate head of school and academic dean, a position he has held since 2018. Brandt Walker will assume a new position as interim associate head of Middle School while serving as associate athletic director.
Rising junior Jeffrey Gao of Madison has been named a Jernberg Scholar for the 2021-2022 school year. Jackson Academy awards this scholarship to current and incoming students who enhance their school community through academic excellence and character. The scholarship honors JA President Emeritus Peter Jernberg, who significantly influenced independent education during his career in education that included 26 years at JA.
Last week, there was a bit of excitement when a large delivery truck rolled into the JA Administration parking lot. It was full of iPads ready for the coming school year.
JA conducted graduation ceremonies in the Brickyard for the second year in a row, a location that was precipitated by the pandemic, but quickly was asked to become a tradition. At 7 p.m., the ceremony opened with Faculty Member Chris Tucker carrying the school banner onto the field. Administrators, faculty members, and seniors followed, processing from the west end of the field to the east before taking their seats.
For Senior Chapel each spring, the graduating students don their caps and gowns for the first time and, holding their Alpha and Omega friends by the hand, parade into a school chapel service for the last time. There’s nothing like this mentorship program. JA kindergartners have the opportunity to engage people older than them, which provides priceless self-confidence and many fun memories. Meanwhile, the seniors remember their experiences from elementary school and see the proof that they’ve grown into young men and women who are ready for the next chapter of their lives.
The Book of Kells at Trinity College in Dublin is a treasured series of lavishly illustrated Latin manuscripts of the Gospels. The Greek island, Oia, is one of the most photographed places on the planet. These iconic sights are on the itineraries of JA’s two upcoming study abroad trips.
Members of the Jackson Academy coaching staff look forward to a 2021-22 athletic season filled with great competition and great opportunities. As incoming Head of School Palmer Kennedy begins his transition to the leadership of JA in June, interim athletic leadership positions for the year have been filled. A plan for hiring additional posts and structuring the coaching staff is underway.
Lance Pogue will serve as interim athletic director, overseeing the administration of JA’s athletic programs. He will continue as varsity head football coach, a position he held during the 2020-21 school year. Before that, he served JA for three years as defensive coordinator. Brandt Walker will continue to serve with Pogue as associate athletic director.
Priyadarshini “Priya” Ray is no stranger to accolades. The Jackson Academy Class of 2021 valedictorian won a place in the JA Hall of Fame, as a National Merit Finalist and STAR Student, and now adds recognition as a Jackson Free Press Amazing Teen to her growing resume of accomplishments. Having reaped the rewards of academic excellence throughout her years at JA, Priya continually reflect the spotlight directed at her toward classmates and teachers she leaned on and supported.
In its 36th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, Gatorade announced Parker Bracken of Jackson Academy as its 2020-21 Gatorade Mississippi Volleyball Player of the Year. Parker is the third JA student to receive a Gatorade Player of the Year award in recent years. Parker has been named Gatorade Player of the Year two years in a row. JA will recognize Parker at a ceremony Wednesday, May 12 at break.