A delegation of students from the Jobs for Mississippi Graduates program at Gentry High School recently traveled to the National Student Leadership Academy in Washington D.C.
Kyle Pernell, a senior at the school, was one of 10 recipients from across the country who received the $1,000 Koeninger Scholarship.
The scholarship is made possible by Jim Koeninger, the retiring vice-president of Jobs for America’s Graduates, and his wife, Karen.
In addition to the monetary award, Pernell, a Moorhead native, was selected to present an award to Moorhead native, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, the outgoing chairman of JAG.
Pernell called his time on stage standing among the greats, “An honor, a privilege and a breathtaking moment.”
He suggested that it was only a preview of what the future holds for him.
“I felt very blessed to be the only child out of Mississippi that honored the governors and the only child from Mississippi to be awarded the Jim and Karen Koeninger Scholarship, this marker in my life, in which I will never forget,” he said.
Pernell expressed his gratitude to God, his parents and JMG Specialist, Bettye Sims-Hawkins, calling her “A woman in which words cannot describe.”
In order to be considered for the scholarship, Pernell had to complete an online application and submit an essay.
He and the other recipients were honored at a special luncheon held during their visit to the nation’s capital, Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.
The students also took part in other activities and competitions while there. Hawkins and her classes have been fortunate enough to be selected to attend the sessions 12 out of her 13 years heading the program at the high school.
