SHS juniors named semifinalists for SBE representative
JACKSON – Theo Ahn and Ian Jung, juniors at Starkville High School, have been named semifinalists for the Mississippi State Board of Education’s junior student representative for the 2026-2027 school year.
The SBE student representative program includes one high school junior and one high school senior who serve as non-voting SBE members and provide input on policy decisions that affect Mississippi public schools.
SBE student representatives are responsible for attending monthly SBE meetings and any standing committees or subcommittees to which they are assigned. Student representatives are excused from school to attend SBE meetings as official school business.
The eligible applicant pool for the rising junior representative included 33 students. Ahn and Jung are among 11 semifinalists.
Semifinalists will be interviewed, and up to four finalists will be named. The SBE will interview the finalists and appoint one rising junior.
Hettiarachchi elected to Phi Kappa Phi
BATON ROUGE, La. – Ayodhya Hettiarachchi, of Starkville, was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Mississippi State University.
Hettiarachchi is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter.
Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Local employers invited to SHS reverse career fair
STARKVILLE – Millsaps Career and Technology Center will host a reverse career fair Wednesday, where Starkville High School career technical students will showcase what they’ve learned to industry leaders.
The event aims to facilitate job searching experiences for students while connecting them with companies seeking to hire skilled workers.
Business leaders and employers are invited to learn about programs and visit with students as they share their experiences and skills. One-hour slots are available for the event from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
