Contact: Sammy McDavid
A Jackson junior at Mississippi State is receiving a $1,000 scholarship honoring a veteran insurance executive from Pickens.
Ryan L. Eaton, a major in the university's department of risk management, insurance and financial planning, is the 2003-04 Joseph W. Guess Scholar. His award is named for the Holmes County native and 1961 MSU graduate who serves as disability income supervisor with the Jackson-based Allen Financial Group, P.A.
Given by the Peter K. Lutken Chair of Insurance, a major departmental professorship in the College of Business and Industry, the award honors both the scholar and the insurance professional for which it is named.
Eaton, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rick Eaton and a 2001 University Christian School graduate, earlier received a scholarship from the Jackson Association of Health Underwriters.
At MSU, he is a member of Gamma Iota Sigma insurance honor society and the MSU Roadrunners, the student recruiting organization. He also has held leadership roles in Kappa Sigma social fraternity and a number of religious and service organizations.
Joseph Guess, the scholarship's namesake, serves as regional vice president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and first vice president of the Jackson Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Before joining the Allen Financial Group, he held positions with New England Financial and Lamar Life Insurance Co.
JACKSON EDITORS: The ZIP code for the Eaton residence is 39211.