The Clarion Ledger’s Jackson Metro Student of the Week feature highlights the outstanding achievements of local high school students, academic and beyond.
Each week, you can vote for one winner out of five nominees.
Read about this week’s nominees, including some previous nominees, and then vote in the poll below. The poll will close Thursday at noon. Winners will be announced on Friday morning each week.
You can cast a vote once per hour per device.
Previous winner: Who won Jackson Metro Student of the Week Dec. 15-21? Find out here
Nominees
Three of this week’s nominees are previous Student of the Week nominees.
Ethan Berry: Berry was also a nominee for Student of the Week Oct. 13-19. Berry is an accomplished junior at Brandon High School, known for his exceptional academic and extracurricular achievements. A member of the 30+ ACT Club, Berry consistently earns a place on the high honor roll and has achieved perfect scores on the state tests in math, biology and English II. He also excels in advanced-placement courses, earning a score of 4 on both the AP world history and AP US government exams. Berry is actively involved in a variety of school activities, including the Brandon High School cross country team, the National Honor Society and the BHS theatre department. Berry aspires to attend Duke University in the future after graduation.
Hannah Bonds: Bonds was also a nominee for Student of the Week Dec. 15-21. Bonds is a senior at Murrah High School. She participates in numerous fine arts activities including professional dance, choir and theatre. Bonds is passionate about the arts, and she values friendship, family and her relationship with Jesus. In the future, she hopes to attend Belhaven University where she aims to major in pre-law. She then will study family law at the University of Southern Mississippi. Bonds is the current reigning Miss Juneteenth Mississippi USA. Her academic awards and honors include the National Honor Society for Dance, AP Scholar’s Awards in mathematics and U.S. history, a first-place essay award. Bonds is also a Wells APAC Ambassador, NHCI Ambassador and a member of the National Honor Society for Academic Excellence. Bonds has earned more than $100,000 in college scholarships thus far.
Santiago Vejar Gonzalez: Gonzalez is a sophomore at Germantown High School who began his academic career in the U.S. this semester. He has maintained an A/B average and is a member of the school’s football team. As an English Learner, Gonzalez faces many challenges while learning a new language at school. However, he is known as hard-working, respectful and willing to put in extra effort whenever needed. Gonzalez is also very friendly and helpful in his classes. He dreams of attending college and becoming an architect after graduating from Germantown High School.
Parker Halford: Halford is a senior and honor roll student at Jackson Academy. A member of the Cum Laude Society and multiple National Honor Societies, including English, French, Rho Kappa and Mu Alpha Theta, Halford is also the recipient of the AP History and Honors English awards. He also earned the Julie Dyer Collins Leadership Scholarship award his junior year. He has been a three-year varsity football starter and was named an MAIS Future All-Star and a member of the football All-Conference Second Team. He is also a member of the MAIS state champion varsity men’s basketball team, twice receiving the Player With the Most Heart Award. Halford has been recently recognized as the WAPT Scholar Athlete for the Class of 2025.
London Lott: Lott was also a nominee for Student of the Week Nov. 17-23. Lott is a junior at Velma Jackson High School. As the manager of the Mighty Falcon basketball team, she has shown great dedication and leadership. In addition to her role on the basketball team, Lott is an active member of the ACT 25+ club and the student council. She is also involved in the Technology Student Association and the National Honor Society. Beyond academics, she serves on the hospitality committee at her church, reflecting her commitment to community service. Lott is known by her teachers as a truly well-rounded student who consistently strives for academic excellence.
VOTE
Are you a teacher, principal, librarian or other faculty member with a nomination? Contact Mary Boyte at mboyte@gannett.com for more information.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Vote for Jackson Metro Student of the Week Jan. 12-18