Ferris Andrews named WCHS valedictorian

Published 1:51 pm Friday, June 4, 2021

As an 11th grader, one of Ferris Andrews’s instructors told her she had a shot at becoming the valedictorian of her class.

Therefore she set her sights on the honor, and with hard work and dedication, on Thursday, May 27, in front of hundreds of people and her fellow students, Ferris delivered the valedictorian speech for the Warren Central High School graduating class of 2021.

Ferris said becoming valedictorian had never been a goal of hers until her junior year.

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“A teacher reached out to me and told me that I had a good chance and that I was in the running for valedictorian, so that motivated me to work toward it,” she said.

Andrews is the daughter of Andy and Anne Andrews.

During the commencement exercises, Ferris said she focused her speech on the future and all it has to offer.

“I focused on looking forward into the future as the class of 2021 and taking on good change to make a better world,” she said.

Ferris said her success in becoming valedictorian was due in part to the encouragement she received from her family and teachers.

“I would like to thank my family and my teachers,” Ferris said, “Especially Ms. Desiree Kapler, Mr. Terry Wong and Mr. Matthew Gullet.”

These three teachers, she said, played a significant role in her education while at WCHS.

In addition to being named WCHS valedictorian, Ferris was a WCHS High Honors with Distinction graduate and was awarded the school’s Senior Valkyrie Art Director award.

She received the Mississippi Scholar award and the Ralph C. Honors academic scholarship from Rhodes College, where she plans to attend.

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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