Explosion of Excellence 2020

While graduating seniors in Jackson County are facing an unconventional conclusion to their high school careers, one tradition is being kept alive that provides scholarships to nearly 180 students.

The 30^th annual Explosion of Excellence scholarship ceremony was held Tuesday evening in a brand new format for the program. The entire event was live-streamed on the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.

Explosion of Excellence is an effort to provide scholarship funds to the top ten percent of students from each high school in Jackson County. Pat Descher, of the McDonald’s Descher Organization, started the program 30 years ago with the dream of encouraging high school students to go to college and come back to Jackson County to live and work.

179 students each received a $250 book scholarship this year. Out of that 179 students, 20 of them were randomly drawn to receive an additional $1000 scholarship each.

Please find the full list of scholarship recipients below, as well as this year’s contributors.

 

Congratulations to the Explosion of Excellence Class of 2020

EAST CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL   

William Alexander                 Anderson

Natalie Rayne                         Baxter *

Lauren Quinn                          Brown

Sydni Lyn                                  Burroughs

Stacy Rene                               Crawford

Yamiliz Yari                               Felicie-Robles *

Ashlyn Paige                            Hinton

Chesie Elyse                            Killen

Garrett Michael                     Knotts

Tori Elizabeth                          Loper

Kiley Elizabeth                        Martin

Sarah Lauren                           Rice

Rylee Caroline                        Sharpton

Madison Brooke                    Strickler

Sallie Amanda                         Warren

Sarah Elisabeth                       Warren

Secora Faye                             Webb

 

GAUTIER HIGH SCHOOL      

Perla                                           Arellano

Fernando                                  Arellano

Laney                                         BIrchfield

Summer                                    Dillion

Abbigail                                     Finn

Jarrod                                         Gingell

Marcus                                      High

Shandrika                                 Jefferson *

Madison                                    Lavinghouse

Kathryn                                     McArthur *

Michael                                     McCusker

Alexander                                McNair

Justin                                          Miller

Allison                                        Miranda-Pagan

Hayden                                      Mitchell

Eriel                                             Odom

Kyle                                             Rondy

Cailin                                           Salisbury

Shantel                                      Simmons *

Jenna                                         Sutherland

Victoria                                      Taylor *

Kerstin                                       Tuck

Nicholas                                    Weir

 

MOSS POINT HIGH SCHOOL      

Rachel                                        Clarke

Jaiden                                        Downs

Alani                                           Gildersleeve

Kristen                                       Gonzalez

Kanecia                                      Holmes

Robyn                                        Lee

Caleb                                          Lett

Carley                                         McGrath

Ninoshka                                  Munoz Deleon *

Nakiya                                        Owens

Kirsten                                       Tait

Wil’Lisha                                    Trevillion

Robyn                                        White

 

OCEAN SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL               

Trenton                             Arocho

Chase                               Black

Mitchell                             Bowie *

Amelia                              Carmichael

Maggie                             Conner

Jordyn                              Cook

Rebecca Tatum                 Cooper

Harold “Todd”                    Coulter

Alise                                 Crabtree

Isabella                             Furr

Kirsten                              Glass

Kaylee                              Goodwin

Sujung                              Ham

Isabela                              Healy

Natalie                              Hodge

Williams                            Kaylee

Erin                                  Kilpatrick

Caroline                            Leonard

Emilee                              Ly

Kenneth                            Mack

Linda                                Marcano

Gillian                               May

Jackson                            McArthur

Kaitlyn                              McDonald

Lillian                                Ming

Hanna                               Mitchell *

Dessommes                     Natalie

Chloe                                Nguyen

Blake                                Noblin

Ivy                                    Oberkirch *

Ashlyn                              Page

Danielle                            Pasquini

Areesha                            Razi

Mary                                 Samblis

Kaekoa                             Siangco

Naya                                 Slusher

Hannah                             Smith

Shaw                                St. Amant *

Campa                              Steven *

Matthew                            Strunk

Lexi                                  Tufo

Abigail                              Victory

Aydin                                Virga

Cole                                 Whiteside

Alexander                         Whyte

Ashley                              Williams

Parker                               Winders

 

PASCAGOULA HIGH SCHOOL    

Alexsandra                               Gonzalez

Alondra                                     Reyes

Carlos                                         Rivera-Martinez

Cecily                                          Johnson

Clarissa                                      Sanders *

Ella                                               Pitts

Emily                                           Bowlin

Hannah                                      Ladner

Jadelynn                                   Rudolf

Joshua                                       Hawthorne

Kailey                                         Hunter

Keishliane                                 Reyes

Keleri                                          Chasteen *

Kennedy                                   Turner

Kylee                                          Hill

Lakyia                                         Norwood

Landan                                       Northrop

Madison                                    Brown

Morgan                                     Madison

Percy                                          Barberena

Raisa                                           Harris

Sydney                                      Triplett

Taylor                                         Smith

Trinity                                         McJimson

William                                       Watson

 

RESURRECTION CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL           

Kacha                                         Coleman

Jameson                                   Cook

Meghan                                    Denmark *

Sarah                                          Hults

Wyatt                                         Slonneger

 

SAINT MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL  

Scott                                           Beebe

Kailey                                         Bosarge

Tara                                             Bradley *

Kamryn                                      Carcich

Amya                                          Douglas

Lanie                                           Forehand

Maya                                          Geissinger

Maygan                                     Glover

Sophia                                        Incer *

Rafal                                           Jakubowicz

Anabelle                                   Lang

Victoria                                      Lee

Kyla                                             Lowery

Dustin                                        Lucky

Vivian                                         Ly *

Ashlyn                                        McDaniel

Sydney                                      Mitchell

Lillian                                          Nguyen

Dana                                           Pham

ThuyAn                                      Pham

Regina                                        Phan

Michael                                     Ressel

Desiree                                      Rodriguez

McKinzie                                   Rodriguez

Skylar                                         Ross

Erin                                              Schreck

Aavriel                                       Smith

Victor                                         Thorne *

Caroline                                     Tran

Delaney                                     Ware

Gwyneth                                  Weber

Kristina                                      White

Kimberlyn                                 Williams

 

VANCLEAVE HIGH SCHOOL        

Adrienne                                  Beckstein

Madison                                    Ely

Gerald                                        Harringtion

Seth                                            Hebert

Miranda                                    Hines *

Luke                                            Langlinais

Angelita                                     Micele

Zackary                                      Mitchell

Matthew                                  Mixon

Jade                                            Owen

Autumn                                     Pierce

Sydney                                      Salter

Elizabeth                                   Smith

Cheyenne                                Strickland

Jeb                                              Wells

Abigail                                        Wickham

 

* $1000 drawing recipient

 

Thank you to this year’s Explosion of Excellence contributors

ASB Marketing, LLC in memory of Jim Brooks

Baber Strunk Enterprises

Bienville Animal Medical Center

Bryan, Nelson, Schroeder, Castigliola & Banahan

C Spire

Chevron

Children and Grandchildren of Billie and Zelma Lofton in memory of Billie and Zelma Lofton   

Cmsgt. Lloyd W. & Ann Hegwood, USAF Retired

Community Connections JC Chapter

Descher, William H.

Dr. Charles and Amy Wilson

Duchess Club of Ocean Springs

East Central High School

Eight D Enterprises, Inc. – DBA McDonald’s

Family Dental Care

Fifteen D Enterprise, Inc. DBA McDonald’s

First Chemical Corporation

First Federal

Foster’s Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc.

Friendship Civic Club of Ocean Springs

Gayle T. Roberts

Hacienda San Miguel

Hargrove Engineers + Constructors

Hayden and Sandy Dent

Heidelberg Steinberger, P.A.

Home Town Lumber & Supply, Inc.

Ingalls Shipbuilding

Jackson County AARP Chapter 1213

Jackson County Board of Supervisors

Jackson County Commercial Properties, LLC

Jackson County Utility Authority

Jana Wamsley Memorial Scholarship in memory of Jana Wamsley

Jerry and Joann St. Pe’

Jerry Lee’s Grocery No. 1

Junior Auxiliary of Pascagoula-Moss Point

Keesler Federal Credit Union

Lee Tracy / Accent Foot Fashions OS, LLC in memory of Kyle Todd

Merchants & Marine Bank

Mike and Bettie Concannon in memory of Melinda Mitchell

Mississippi Export Railroad Company

Mississippi Eye Associates

Mississippi Power

Moss Point Rotary Club

Nine D Enterprises, Inc. DBA McDonalds

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.

Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce

Omega Protein, Inc.

Paige Roberts in honor of Jim, Anita, & Kaya Brooks  

Pascagoula Bar Pilots Association

Propeller Club of Pascagoula

Retired Education Personnel of Jackson County

Robert and Vivian Barr in memory of Patsie Meyer & Claire Kershaw

Rotary Club of Pascagoula

Sarah and William Finnicum

Singing River Electric Cooperative

St. Martin High School

Tuesday Night Bridge Club

United Way of Jackson & George Counties in memory of Jim Brooks

Virginia Montgomery

VT Halter Marine, Inc.

Wells Fargo

Zonta Club of Pascagoula