Excellence in Education

By Staff
May 27, 2004
Shannon Pagan was one of three valedictorians from Southeast Lauderdale High School. She is the daughter of Angela Joyner and Norman Pagan.
Pagan plans to attend Meridian Community College and major in radiologic technology. She was named Most Likely to Succeed, served as Beta Club president and received the DAR Good Citizen Award.
Nicole Burton of Toomsuba and Lauren Thead of Macon have been selected to participate in the 2004 session of the Mississippi Governor's School.
The Governor's School is a residential honor program established in 1981 by then-Gov. William F. Winter at Mississippi University for Women.
The school is designed to provide academic, creative and leadership experiences for a limited number of rising high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and achievement in their studies and who show high intellectual, creative and leadership potential.
Nicole Burton is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Car Burton of Toomsuba. She has just completed the 11th grade at Meridian High School. She plans to pursue a degree in medicine.
Thead is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Larry Thead of Macon and Collinsville. She attends Macon First United Methodist Church and plans to pursue a career in biological science and ornithology.
Larry Yates, a special education teacher at Kate Griffin Junior High School, and Abbie Hall, a language arts teacher at Northeast Middle School, have been named Teachers of the Year by Wal-Mart.
Both Yates and Hall were awarded $1,000 in educational grants from the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club Foundation to benefit their local school and n honorary Wal-Mart greeter's vest. They also have the opportunity to apply for state and national Teacher of the Year honors.
The United States Achievement Academy announced that Kimberly Malone of Toomsuba has been named a United States National Award Winner in honor roll and leadership.
Malone, who attends Southeast Lauderdale High School, was nominated by Cheryl Jones a counselor at the school.
She is the daughter of Elaine Malone of Toomsuba and the late Michael Malone. She is the granddaughter of Mary Sheffield of Meridian and Lois Malone of Halsell, Ala.