Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program names 10th MSU cohort

Contact: Camille Karlskadon

STARKVILLE, Mississippi—30 Mississippi students have received new scholarships in one of the state’s most prestigious teacher education programs.

The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP), located in the University’s Department of Education, is a collaborative effort with the University of Mississippi. Scholarships include full tuition, room, board, books, a $1,000 technical grant, and a fully-funded study abroad or study abroad experience. The award is given to students majoring in Secondary Mathematics, Secondary Science, Secondary English, Elementary Education, and Special Education.

“We are very excited to welcome these future educators and our 10th cohort of METP scholars from the state and nationally. It has a positive impact on education and the community at large,” said Teresa Jayroe, Dean of the College of Education.

Funded by the Jackson-based Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation, the scholarship is valued at approximately $100,000 over four years.

Competitive applicants must have at least a 28 ACT (or 1310 SAT) score and a 3.5 high school grade point average. Applicants will participate in an interview with a faculty member, write an essay about why they would like to work in the teaching profession, and commit to teaching in the Mississippi program her area for at least five years after graduation. However, the obligation may be deferred if the student decides to pursue a graduate degree program.

“These recipients of the METP Scholarship will make a difference in the lives of students and change the future of education in Mississippi. We’ve already seen that,” said Kim Hall, associate dean of the College of Education and co-principal investigator of the METP grant.

The next class of 2022-2023 METP Scholars includes the following (by country of origin):

BILOXI—Riley Campbell, freshman primary/middle school major.

Brandon — Eliza Bouillet, freshman primary/middle school major.

COLLINSVILLE—Madeline Cruz, Freshman Secondary Education/Mathematics Education major.

D’IBERVILLE—Sophia Whitehead, Freshman Secondary Education/English Teaching Major.

FRANKLIN, TN—Chloe Gray, a freshman primary/middle school major. Lauren Hall, freshman primary education/middle school major. Lily Smith is a freshman primary education/middle school major.

FULTON—Olivia Tutor Springfield, Elementary/Middle School major.

Hattiesburg—Maggie Gratwick, freshman primary/middle school major.

HOMEWOOD, Alabama—Emma Grace Pike, a freshman special education major.

LAUDERDALE—Jayla Smith, Elementary/Middle School major.

LUCEDALE—Kate Myrick, Freshman Secondary Education/English Teaching Major.

MERIDIAN—Emily Williams, Elementary/Middle School major.

MOSS POINT—Avery Rayborn, freshman primary education/middle school major.

Oakland, Tennessee — Kathryn Gibson, Freshman Secondary Education/English Teaching Major.

OCEAN SPRINGS—Elizabeth Frye, freshman primary/middle school major. Abigail Pelletier, Primary Education/Middle School Major. and Courtney Serpas, a freshman primary/middle school major.

OLIVE BRANCH—Kaleb Hendrix, sophomore in Secondary/Mathematics Education.

Pascagoula—Sophia Cueller, freshman primary education/middle school major. Airy Valencia Galindo, Advanced Secondary Education/English Teaching Major. and Margaret Corlew, a freshman primary/middle school major.

PLAINFIELD, Indiana—Elena Greschen, freshman primary/middle school major.

RINGOLD, GA—Jenna Brown, Freshman Secondary/Mathematics Education major.

Scott, Louisiana – Elena Herman, Freshman Secondary Education/English Teaching Major.

SORENTO, Illinois—Abby Draffin, freshman primary/middle school major.

VANCLEAVE—Alecia Dobson, freshman primary/middle school major. Patricia Morgan, Freshman Secondary Education/English Teaching Major. Christina White, Junior Secondary Education/Mathematics Education major.

WAVELAND – Samantha Prendergast, a freshman primary/middle school major.

Founded in 1903, MSU’s Faculty of Education has six departments, one research unit and numerous service units. For more information on colleges, visit www.educ.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university and is available online at www.msstate.edu.