Porter’s Chapel Academy names Henderson 2020 valedictorian

Published 8:50 am Tuesday, June 9, 2020

It was no surprise when Maddie Henderson learned she had earned the honor of being named valedictorian for the 2020 graduating class at Porter’s Chapel Academy High School. But while it was no surprise, it did come with a responsibility Henderson was a bit nervous about.

“Our school keeps us informed of our class ranking pretty regularly,” Henderson said. “So I’ve known all year that I was at the top. When I got the official call, though I just thought, ‘Man, I better get started on that speech.’”

Initially, Henderson said, she felt a little “stressed” about writing a speech that should be reflective of the past four years of high school along with encouraging words aimed to inspire her classmates, but once she put pencil to paper, she said, “It ended up not being too bad.”

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Henderson said becoming valedictorian of her class had always been a goal.

“I’ve always been a hard-working dedicated student, and I knew it was an aspiration I could make happen,” she said.

Henderson is the daughter of Ty and Tanya McCain.

She attended Bovina Elementary before attending Porter’s Chapel Academy.

Henderson was a member of the National Honor Society, student council, varsity track team and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

She served as the president of Key Club and was captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, which Henderson said was one of her high school highlights.

“I loved being on the sidelines every Friday night. Football is my favorite sport, and no matter the circumstances — rain, wind, or heat, we were there every Friday night for six years,” she said.

Henderson plans to attend Mississippi State University and major in animal and dairy science with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine.

She received a number of scholarships including the Calvard Future Leader Scholarship, Enoch R. Norton Endowed Scholarship, Freshman Academic Excellence Scholarship and the Warren County Alumni Chapter Endowed Scholarship.

Henderson also received the STAR Student Scholarship, the Valedictorian Scholarship and a Kiwanis Club of Vicksburg Scholarship.

Henderson acknowledged there had been many people who have aided her during her life, but none as much as God.

“Every honor and all successful outcomes in my life are God-given gifts,” Henderson said. “And while there were countless people helping me along the way, I owe it all to Him.”

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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