Just Among Friends
Three upcoming seniors from Leake Academy attended the Mississippi Girls' State program at the University of Mississippi on the Oxford campus. The girls had a great experience and acquired much knowledge about how a government functions.
Sara Beth Kelly was elected to the Year Book Staff, Olivia Donald was elected Police Chief, and Anna Marshall was elected Mayor and Outstanding Citizen. Congratulations to each girl!
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Sophia Elizabeth Meruvia who is enrolled in the University of Mississippi 's School of Law has completed her first year. During the summer break, she was invited to intern with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Attorney General's Office. Dianne Maxwell is the Attorney General and is Sophia's supervisor.
She has so much potential and a strong work ethic. This internship will give her the opportunity to display them to the Tribe as a future employee after graduation.
I wrote about Sophia when she was a little girl because she amazed me! She sold vegetables she grew and also raised cows at such a young age. Her mother, Mary Lundy Muruvia, said she is a hard worker and it has carried into adulthood. This little girl is now pursuing a law degree with the same determination and talent she had as a child. I am looking forward to reading about her graduation in two years!
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It was a great Memorial Day weekend for the Hardy family! They had their annual family reunion at Bobby and Joyce Hardy's "camp house" on its huge pond. (I think of it as a very nice cabin on a lake!) There were 50 members who gathered together to have a great time.
They had fun fishing in the pond, playing corn hole, a game of golf, visiting with each other, and just relaxing. Of course the food was great as usual!
The big joyous surprise was the appearance of HARDY who had finished a concert the night before and drove all of the way to join the family. It was an absolute delight to his grandparents, Joyce and Bobby, who were truly surprised! Everyone was excited to see him. He enjoyed spending time in the real world with those he loves.
The Hardy siblings who attended were Bobby Hardy, Jerry Hardy, Nancy Hardy Williams, Corinne Brantley, TJ Terri Johnson Pippin. Joyce Hardy and Tommie Hardy are spouses of Bobby and Jerry. What a memorable Memorial Day weekend!
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Sam Knight recently returned from a fantastic trip to Italy and Spain. He had a wonderful time visiting many exciting places such as St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Barcelona in Spain, Florence in Italy and other fascinating places. He ate luscious food everywhere they stopped for meals. He traveled with a congenial group which made the trip even more fun;
Sam will be a sophomore at Mississippi State University this fall. He graduated from Neshoba Central a year ago.
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Congratulations to Madison Smith who received her coat during the Coating Ceremony honoring the class of 2027 on June 16, 2023, at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Madison was a kennel tech at Furbabies for three years while she was in high school where she became interested in veterinary science. She is pursuing her dream of being a veterinarian. Tony and Valerie Hardy are so proud of her and believe she will be an outstanding veterinarian.
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Two outstanding graduates of Mississippi State University’s Meridian Campus, Jade Willis of Bogue Chitto and Edward Routh of Choctaw, hope their stories of perseverance and resilience will inspire others who live on the eight reservations of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
Edward was honored as the spring semester’s outstanding undergraduate student and Jade received the outstanding graduate student of the spring semester for the MSU’s Division of Education. Congratulations!