STARKVILLE, Miss. — Jobs for Mississippi Graduates granted 18 Starkville High School students scholarships totaling $4,000 Wednesday.

Debbie Thomas serves as the head of the program at the Millsaps Career & Technology Center and personally handed students their scholarships through a socially distanced drive through.

“JMG is a non-profit organization where we center on specific skills,” Thomas said. “One being leadership, others employment, and college prep. They are all geared to help my babies figure out what they want to do when they graduate high school.”

Trinity Tubbs is a 2020 SHS-JMG graduate who received the scholarship. “I will use this scholarship to invest in myself and my education and to further my career goal,” Tubbs said.

Tubbs attends Belhaven University where she is majoring in film production. She is grateful for the program. “JMG has benefitted me by making new friends, being involved in the community,” Tubbs said. “It has given me a better understanding of myself and my skill sets.”

The scholarships are financial support given to the JMG program by community partners who made private donations.

“The gifts are reminders to my students that they are supported by members of the community,” Thomas said. “The community hopes that they will someday give back to Starkville with their successes.”

Students who received the scholarships are now seeing a clearer and easier future.  For more information about the program, see Debbie Thomas at the Millsaps Career & Technology Center.