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Cadet Savannah Blevins, Lanier Junior Senior High School
Cadet Lieutenant Demija Jones, Murrah High School
Cadet Captain Ashanti Odom, Callaway High School
Cadet Lieutenant Ke’ Undra Jennings, Forest Hill High School
Cadet Major Daysheunna Buck, Provine High School
Cadet Captain Ashanti Odom of Callaway High School was chosen as the JPS 2025-2026 Cadet of the Year. She was chosen after a rigorous application process by a committee of education professionals. Odom is a distinguished leader, serving as a Junior Page in the Mississippi State Senate and holding the highest GPA among her peers. She is currently enrolled in five Advanced Placement courses while excelling in multiple extracurricular activities.
Odom’s leadership extends beyond the classroom, serving as captain of the JROTC Drill Team, an active member of the choir, student council, varsity cheer, and track team, and as the Senior Army Instructor Assistant for the Charger Battalion. With ambitious goals ahead, Odom plans to graduate ranked among the top ten in her class and attend Marion Military Institute to become a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. She intends to continue her education at Southern University or Alcorn State University to pursue a career in nursing.
The Cadet of the Year program recognizes outstanding 11th-grade JROTC cadets from each of the six high schools, inspiring excellence in leadership and academics. These cadets then compete at the district level for the title of JPS Overall Most Outstanding Cadet. Awards were also presented to scholars in the categories of Top Junior Cadet Corps and Leadership Education and Training (LET) 1, 2, and 4.
Top Junior Cadet Corps Cadets – Powell Middle School Academy of Military Science
- 6th Grade – Cadet Arrie Wade
- 7th Grade – Cadet Private First Class Ethan Johnson
- 8th Grade – Cadet Private First Class Katherine Russell
Cadets at the district level submit a portfolio, including academic achievements, a JROTC essay, physical fitness scores, and personal development plans. They deliver oral presentations on how JROTC has shaped their future and answer questions from an eight-member selection panel. Awards were presented to scholars in the categories of Top Junior Cadet Corps and Leadership Education and Training (LET) 1, 2, and 4. This recognition is part of the Emerging Leader program, which introduces scholars to the Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) high school program, which consists of 22 lessons for first-year cadets. The panelists are:
- Dr. Michael Cormack, Deputy Superintendent, Jackson Public School District
- Mrs. Laketia Marshall-Thomas, Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, Jackson Public School District
- LTC Rodgers Brown, Professor of Military Science, Jackson State University
- Dr. Dexter Brookins, Chief Administrative Officer, MINACT Incorporated
- Mrs. Galina Lobodina, Research Executive at Jackson State University.
- Dr. Kimberly Smith, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Jackson Public School District
- Dr. Shonda Allen, Jackson State University Interdisciplinary Nanotoxicity Center.
- MAJ Tyrie Carroll, Professor of Military Science, Alcorn State University
Top LET 1 Cadets
- Lanier Junior Senior High School – Cadet Private First Class Tony Hollins
- Murrah High School – Cadet Private First Class Donniece McDuffy
- Callaway High School – Cadet Sergeant Heiress Frazier
- Forest Hill High School – Cadet Private First Class Makayla Carpenter
- Provine High School – Cadet Second Lieutenant Aayden Fields
- Jim Hill High School – Cadet Private First Class Divine Elsely Davids
Top LET 2 Cadets
- Lanier Junior Senior High School – Cadet Private First Class Makayla Smith
- Murrah High School – Cadet Master Sergeant Victoria Calvin
- Callaway High School – Cadet Sergeant First Class Alayla Sanchez
- Forest Hill High School – Cadet Sergeant Emiley Williams
- Provine High School – Cadet Second Lieutenant Pheonix Steele
- Jim Hill High School – Cadet Captain Olivia Russell
Top LET 4 Cadets
- Lanier Junior Senior High School – Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Je’Kayla Camp
- Murrah High School – Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Nevaeh MacMan
- Callaway High School – Cadet Captain Jaleah Winters
- Forest Hill High School – Cadet Major Laleah Clay
- Provine High School – Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kamiyah Lacey
- Jim Hill High School – Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lowery
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