Three J.Z. George students will begin their 2021 school year at the most prestigious academic school in the state -- Mississippi School of Math and Science.
Jeremiah McClain of Carrollton, Jatarious Lang of Carrollton, and Jabari Stokes of Black Hawk will begin their junior year at MSMS. McClain and Stokes both expressed their excitement about starting school in the fall.
“In the context, under different circumstances, I’d be nervous. But considering the school, I’m excited,” Stokes said.
“I’m ready to go,” McClain added.
The two said the trio began the application process to MSMS in August 2020, and the application had to be completed by Feb. 2021.
“We had to fill out the application, send in our ACT scores, our report cards, send in recommendations, write essays,” Stokes said. “I said to myself, ‘It’s a lot of work now, but it’ll pay off in the end.’”
“It was a lot,” McClain said.
And, it did pay off for them.
Stokes said they recently learned of their admittance in April.
“I know it will be much more rigorous, and it’s a residence high school so we have to stay on campus. But, I think the courses will be the hardest part,” Stokes said.
“It’ll be a challenge, but it’ll be something that we’ll have to get used to,” McClain said.
Stokes and Lang are familiar with living on a college campus. The two are a part of the Upward Bound program at Mississippi Valley State University. Stokes said they are preparing to attend the program on June 6. The program will continue the entire month of June and a couple of weeks in July, ending with a trip.
For McClain, it’s his first time to stay on a college campus, as MSMS is on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. But, he’s not nervous at all, he’s excited.
McClain and Stokes said they are excited to take Russian, Photography, Calculus, 3D Modeling, Iphone App Design, Painting, Sculpture and Composition.
“I’m ready for the challenge, to see how far I can push myself. And when I graduate, I’m ready for the scholarships,” Stokes said.
Stokes is the son of Regenia Donley, McClain is the son of Paulette Clay and Charles McClain, and Lang is the son of Zshakira Ware.
