Boys State wraps up at MSU with more than $35,000 in scholarships
Contact: Allison Matthews
![Robert Walker of West Point (l-r), Benjamin Payne and Jack Collins, both of Ridgeland, and Solomon Brown of Greenwood, enjoy the closing awards ceremony for the Mississippi American Legion Boys State program Saturday [May 30] in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. Brown and Payne were elected by their peers to travel to the nation's capital for the July 17-24 Boys Nation program. Walker and Collins are serving as alternates in case either delegate is unable to attend.](http://photos.msstate.edu/releases/photos/7278.jpg "Robert Walker of West Point (l-r), Benjamin Payne and Jack Collins, both of Ridgeland, and Solomon Brown of Greenwood, enjoy the closing awards ceremony for the Mississippi American Legion Boys State program Saturday [May 30] in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. Brown and Payne were elected by their peers to travel to the nation's capital for the July 17-24 Boys Nation program. Walker and Collins are serving as alternates in case either delegate is unable to attend.")
Photo by: Megan Bean
STARKVILLE, Miss.--More than 370 rising high school seniors are headed home from a week at Mississippi State University with new leadership skills and confidence, but many of those boys also are leaving with substantial scholarship awards.
The Mississippi American Legion Boys State program concluded Saturday [May 30] by presenting scholarship awards totaling more than $35,000. Two participants also were elected by their peers to represent the Magnolia State in Washington, D.C.
Solomon Brown of Greenwood and Benjamin Payne of Ridgeland will travel to the nation's capital for the July 17-24 Boys Nation program. Additionally, Jack Collins of Ridgeland and Robert Walker of West Point are serving as alternate delegates in case either Brown or Payne are unable to attend.
James P. Dean Boys State Scholarship awards went to those who were elected during the week to leadership positions, as well as overall awards including (by hometown):
BRANDON -- Benjamin Wilkinson, elected mayor, $500 award.
BROOKHAVEN -- Hayden Robertson, elected state auditor, $1,500 award.
CANTON -- Gary Gray, most outstanding Boys Stater, $1,500 award.
CHARLESTON -- Noah Brandon, elected commissioner of agriculture, $1,000 award.
COLUMBIA -- Deshontae Bean, elected mayor, $500 award; Matthew Thigpen, elected mayor, $500 award.
GREENWOOD -- Solomon Brown, elected Boys Nation delegate, $2,500 award.
GRENADA -- James O'Brien, elected mayor, $500 award; Josh Savage, elected commissioner of insurance, $1,000 award.
HATTIESBURG -- Christian White, elected mayor, $500 award; Jack Wilkins, Boys Stater of the Year, $1,000 award and elected secretary of state, $1,500 award.
HORN LAKE -- Nikolas Dean, elected mayor, $500 award.
LAUREL -- Robert Pickering, elected governor, $3,000 award.
MADISON -- Tim Cook, best senator; Caleb Ray, elected attorney general, $1,500 award; Matthew Stuart, best house bill.
MCCOMB -- Nicklaus Blue, elected mayor, $500 award.
MENDENHALL -- Joseph Johnston, elected mayor, $500 award; Micah Macoy, best senate bill.
PASCAGOULA -- Jacob Clemens, elected speaker of the house, $2,000 award; Joseph Hasbrouck, elected state treasurer, $1,500 award; Ramon Richardson, elected mayor, $500 award.
RAYMOND -- Gabriel Gardner, elected mayor, $500 award.
RIDGELAND -- Jack Collins, elected lieutenant governor, $2,500 award, in addition to Boys Nation alternate, $1,000 award; Noah Greene, elected party chairman, $1,000 award; Benjamin Payne, elected Boys Nation delegate, $2,500 award, and also elected best representative.
STARKVILLE -- Wyatt Allen, elected party chairman, $1,000 award.
TUPELO -- Samuel Russell, elected mayor, $500 award.
VANCLEAVE -- Jakob Drake, elected mayor, $500 award.
WEST POINT -- Robert Walker, elected Boys Nation alternate, $1,000 award.
Boys State is the nation's premier program for teaching how government works, developing leadership skills and nurturing an appreciation for the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
For more information about Boys State, visit www.msboysstate.com.
MSU is Mississippi's flagship research university, available online at www.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate.