Contact: Sammy McDavid
2004-05 Presidential Endowed Scholars and Ottilie Schillig Leadership Scholar
Four state high school students and one each from Alabama and Virginia are the newest selections for Mississippi State's top scholarships.
Five of the six are 2004-05 Presidential Endowed Scholars; the other, an Ottilie Schillig Leadership Scholar. All are ranked at the top of their respective senior classes.
The Presidential Scholars include Theodore R. Copeland of Olive Branch, Shea E. Rogers of Gulfport, Ernest Sanders of Ridgeland, Adam Wilkerson of Tupelo, and Lindsey Young of Harvest, Ala.
Josie C. Smith of Clifton, Va., is the incoming Schillig Scholar. She is a former Jackson [Miss.] resident.
"These awards are high honors, and each scholar and parent should be proud of both their academic achievements and outstanding performances in the scholarship interview process," said MSU President Charles Lee. "We are confident that the academic programs and variety of opportunities for leadership and service that Mississippi State offers will provide them with a superb undergraduate experience."
Each student will receive a total of $34,000, which is approximately the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, and books for four years of study at the state's largest university.
The five new MSU Presidential Scholars will join 13 others in the special academic recognition program that is supported by separate endowments from several private donors.
Schillig scholarships were established in 1986 through a donation from the private Ottilie Schillig Trust of Port Gibson. Smith will be among 16 members of the Schillig Society, which offers a variety of extracurricular enhancements, including regular meetings with leaders in industry, government, education, and business.
Biographical information on the 2004-05 Presidential Scholars:
Presidential Scholar Theodore Copeland is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Copeland and a student at the Southern Baptist Education Center, where he has been ranked second in his senior class of 72. While at SBEC, he has been selected for summer leadership programs at three Mississippi institutions of higher learning, as well as a semifinalist for a National Merit Scholarship. He has received academic awards in anatomy and physiology, English and Latin. In extracurricular activities, he initiated and edited a school literary magazine and is the sole tuba player for his high school band and the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra. As for community activities, he has been active in a variety of church service and mission programs and spent a part of last fall as a local worker in the state gubernatorial race. He plans to major in some field of engineering.
Presidential Scholar Shea Rogers is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Rogers and a student at Gulfport High School. In addition to being ranked third in a class of 323 and named Outstanding Quest Student, she has maintained the highest grade averages in advanced-placement English and history. She serves as vice president of the National Honor Society chapter and is a selection for the GHS Honor Roll and Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society. In extracurricular activities, Rogers has been active in the French Club and the staffs of the yearbook and school literary magazine. She plans to major in English.
Presidential Scholar Ernest Sanders is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Sanders and a student at Ridgeland High School, where he is ranked first in a senior class of 165. A National Merit Scholarship semifinalist, he is a member of the Beta Club scholastic and Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor societies. He also is a selection for the RHS Honor Roll and the school's Academic Excellence Award. Sanders has maintained the highest grade average in advance-placement biology and accelerated English, and is a qualifier for the 2004 National Academic Championship in New Orleans. In extracurricular activities, he serves as treasurer of the senior class. He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Schillig Leadership Scholar Josie Smith is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Smith and a student at Thomas Jefferson High School, where she maintains a near-perfect 3.8 grade-point average (based on a 4.0 scale). She is included in Who's Who among American High School Students and is a member of the National Honor Society chapter. Smith is a member of the varsity cheerleading team and also is active in the school's Model United Nations simulation program and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. In other extracurricular activities, she is a member of the Girl Scouts and several church-affiliated mission and service groups. She plans to major in industrial engineering.
Presidential Scholar Adam Wilkerson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Wilkerson and a student at Tupelo High School, where he has been ranked third in his senior class of 351. In addition to being named a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, he has been designated as both an SAT Scholar and ACT Scholar (for achieving the highest SAT score at THS, tying for the highest ACT score and being perfect in mathematics on both tests). He is president of the Excalibur national science honor society and a member of the National Honor Society and Academic Decathlon Honors Team. Wilkerson also is historian and a member of the board of directors of the Key Club, a community service organization. In other extracurricular activities, he has been a repeat letterman on the varsity football team and is a member of the Junior Humane Society. He plans to major in electrical engineering.
Presidential Scholar Lindsey Young is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Young and a student at Sparkman High School, where she is ranked first in a class of 400. Voted Most Likely to Succeed and selected as a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, she is a National Honor Society member who has maintained the top grade-point average in all core classes. Young has held leadership roles in a number of school organizations, including nonfiction editor of the literary magazine. In extracurricular activities, she has been active in equestrian-related activities, including service as a horse exerciser and paid veterinary assistant. Since 2002, she has served as a deacon at the Madison Christian Church. She plans to major in animal and dairy science/pre-veterinary medicine.