Class of 2008: Local private school presents first group of grads|[06/01/08]

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 30, 2008

Founded four years ago, Vicksburg Community School has produced its first group of graduates.

Five are from the private school’s Vicksburg campus, located on North Frontage Road, and two are from the Pinola campus, called Victory Christian School.

The institution is small – about 35 students – but that’s part of its appeal, the graduates say.

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“At my other school, I didn’t get the attention I needed, and now I do,” said Brittney Godwin, the school’s 15-year-old valedictorian. “The teachers are awesome, and the environment’s a lot better – so it’s a lot easier to learn.”

Brittney, two years ago, approached her parents, Jay Johnson and Nancy Greene, about changing schools. She was attending Warren Central High and decided to try Vicksburg Community School.

“They’ve inspired her and shown her possibilities,” Greene said.

Brittney will go to Hinds Community College in the fall, but wants to go to The graduatesVicksburg Community SchoolKasey Baswell, 18, the son of John and Julie Baswell of VicksburgShelby Etheridge, 17, the daughter of Ronnie Etheridge and Leanne McGraw of VicksburgBrittney Godwin, 15, the daughter of Jay Johnson and Nancy Greene of VicksburgNeal Massey, 19, the son of Greg Massey and Lisa Braswell of VicksburgJames Trigleth, 18, the son of James Trigleth Sr. and Connie Worbington of TallulahMississippi College and pursue a law degree.

Over and over, during the school’s May 17 commencement ceremony at Vicksburg Auditorium, the graduates reiterated that the school’s one-on-one learning makes it special. Though the school opened in 2003, this is the first class to graduate from its computer-based learning program. Principal Renee Kendrick boasts a 10 to 1 student-to-teacher ratio.

“The whole lesson is on the computer, so it’s a lot easier to learn,” said Kasey Baswell, 18, the son of John and Julie Baswell. “It’s a better environment to be around.”

Kendrick hopes what students have learned at Vicksburg Community School helps them move forward. “We really try to motivate the kids and guide them toward professional careers. We point them toward college and see what we can do to get them there.”

All students are required to take the ACT, a college entrance exam, and all the Vicksburg campus graduates plan to attend college. The school is accredited by the National Private School Association and serves students in grades 3-12.

Salutatorian James Trigleth, 18, the son of James Trigleth Sr. and Connie Worbington, said he feels, the bar has been raised high as he heads off to Mississippi State University, where he will major in biological sciences with the goal of becoming an anesthesiologist.

“There’s more pressure now,” he said.

Small classes and one-on-one attention aren’t the only things the students and parents find special about Vicksburg Community School.

“They start with prayer in the morning,” said Lisa Braswell, the mother of graduate Neal Massey, 19. “The teachers have their whole hearts in it. They really do.”

Click here to view theGraduation 2008 edition