Three MSU students receive Mississippi Professional Educators scholarships

Three MSU students receive Mississippi Professional Educators scholarships

Contact: Bethany Shipp

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Three Mississippi State College of Education students are recipients of prestigious Mississippi Professional Educators scholarships.

MSU College of Education logo.

Graduate students Susan Bender of Brandon and Shelby Griffin of Philadelphia both received $1,000 graduate scholarships, and spring 2025 graduate Savanah Stephens Crenshaw of Meridian earned a $500 Linda Anglin Teacher Preparation Scholarship, which includes complimentary membership to MPE for her first year of teaching.

Founded in 1979, MPE is Mississippi’s largest and premier organization for professional educators, serving approximately 12,000 teachers, administrators and support personnel. MPE offers an annual scholarship to student-members from each school of education at Mississippi’s 15 public and private institutions of higher learning and awards up to 20 $1,000 scholarships every year to members who wish to pursue graduate-level studies at a college or university in the state.

Bender is a science teacher at Jim Hill High School and earned her bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University and master’s degree from Mississippi College. An MPE member since 2004, she is currently pursuing an MSU specialist degree in educational leadership.

Griffin, an English teacher at Union High School, holds an MSU bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from William Carey University. She joined MPE in 2016 and is currently pursuing an MSU educational specialist degree in counseling.

Crenshaw graduated in May from MSU-Meridian with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She served as a teacher intern at Lauderdale County’s Southeast Elementary School during the spring semester and will teach at Gulfport’s Central Elementary School this fall.

MSU’s College of Education is home to five academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at www.educ.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.