One thing about people from Vicksburg, they love their city and help whomever they can.

The Vicksburg Homecoming Benevolent Club sponsors two scholarship contests for junior high and high school students. Junior high students participate in an essay competition, while high school students take part in the oratorical competition.

The club hosted a scholarship brunch Saturday to award scholarships to 13 recent graduates from Warren Central and Vicksburg High School in the range of $300 to $500.

The students plan on attending various universities around the state including Tougaloo, Mississippi State and Alcorn State.

Kaylor Bell received the Mozella Flaggs Memorial Scholarship for $500 and plans to use it to buy books at Jackson State University.

“I chose Jackson State because I felt that it would be a new opportunity and a new experience for me. I felt that I can have lots of opportunities there,” Bell said.

Bell is ready to start the pathway to her career and is excited to study things of interest to her. She was nervous about getting the scholarship because of the competition in the district.

“In our class, at Warren Central and Vicksburg, we have a lot of people that are on top of their stuff. I’m just grateful,” Bell Said.

Austin Warren also plans to attend Jackson State. He was awarded the Mable Peterson Memorial Scholarship of $300.

Warren said he chose Jackson State because he heard the chemistry program was great and he plans on majoring in the subject. Like Bell, he will use his scholarship to help buy books and was also nervous because of how competitive the scholarship could be.

“My freshman year I’m looking forward to meeting new people and learning the campus,” Warren said.

Mach Rather Jr. will attend Mississippi State in the fall to study engineering.

“I choose Mississippi State because I want to major in electrical engineering and I heard Mississippi State is the best school for engineering,” Rather said.

Rather received a $500 scholarship and plans to put it toward his tuition. He looks forward to studying engineering and thinks he’s ready for the curriculum.

The Vicksburg Homecoming Benevolent Club has been awarding scholarship since 1985, with the Chicago chapter giving the first award.

Money for the scholarships are generated through fundraising events and donations. The requirements for the scholarships are to be a student of the Vicksburg Warren School District, have a GPA of 2.0 and a minimum ACT score of 15. In order to receive the award, a student has to present an acceptance letter or show they have registered for classes at a college or university.

Charles Selmon, Warren County District 3 Supervisor, gave greetings at the brunch and talked about how people always find their way back to Vicksburg.

“I was talking to a young man who came in from Chicago,” Selmon said. “I told him ‘Welcome to Vicksburg,’ and he looked at me and said ‘This is my home.’ I hope everyone here feels like this is your home.”

Selmon delivered a message to the students in the crowd wanting them to know people in the community are making an investment and believe in what the students can do in their lives.

“Because they believe in you, you have an obligation,” Selmon said. “You are obligated to be a student and do what you can do and be the best you can be, and realize home is Vicksburg.”