Notable Alumnus

We are always proud of the amazing work of Jackson Public Schools alumni. Our spotlight series highlights the work of alumni who are using their skills and talents to make a difference. Follow us here and on social media.

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Alumni Spotlights

Warn Wilson, Jr.

A class of 2011 graduate of Bailey Magnet High School

Warn Wilson Jr. is an engineer, author, artist, and app creator. He has always had a desire to create and see ideas manifest in the physical world.

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Fred E. Kency Jr., M.D.

A class of 2003 graduate of Provine High School

Fred Earl Kency. Jr., M.D. is a board-certified emergency physician and a native of Jackson, Mississippi who is passionate about men's health. He received his Bachelors of Science in Biology from Alcorn State University and his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama.

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Michael Burton

A class of 1996 graduate of Murrah High School

As a student of Jackson Public Schools, Burton took part in music programs offered at JPS's Academic and Performing Arts Complex (known as Power APAC). After graduating, he embarked on a journey to build on this musical legacy.

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Kylon Alford-Windfield

A class of 2008 graduate of Provine High School

Mr. Kylon Alford-Windfield is native of Jackson and a class of 2008 graduate of Provine High School. Kylon has emerged as a preeminent young administrator in higher education. He was recently named as the vice president of enrollment management at Stillman College.

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Cassandra Wilson

A class of 1973 graduate of Murrah High School

Cassandra Wilson is an American jazz musician, vocalist, songwriter, and producer from Jackson, Mississippi. She is also a class of 1973 graduate of Murrah High School. After obtaining a degree from Jackson State University in mass communications, Wilson moved from Mississippi to New Orleans and worked as an assistant in Public Affairs at a local television station. In 1982, Wilson moved to New York.

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Terrell Lewis "DJ T. Lewis"

A class of 2006 graduate of Callaway High School

Terrell Lewis, better known as DJ T. Lewis, is a renowned and multifaceted DJ from Jackson, MS and a class of 2006 graduate of Callaway High School. He also attended Jackson State University and was a member of JSU’s Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band. T. Lewis got his prospective start in the music industry at the age of 14 by throwing high-attendance parties under his own brand, T. Lewis Productions.

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Dowell Taylor

A class of 1972 graduate of Callaway High School

Dowell Taylor, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, is a 1972 graduate of Callaway High School. After high school, he attended Jackson State University receiving both a bachelors and masters in music education. Mr. Taylor was a member of the Jackson State University Marching Band, affectionately known as the Sonic Boom of the South, where he was a member of the tuba section.

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Lavell "David Banner" Crump

A class of 1992 graduate of Provine High School

Lavell William Crump, better known by his stage name David Banner, is a class of 1992 graduate of Provine High School. After graduating, the Jackson native attended Southern University in Baton Rouge and served as president of the Student Government Association while earning his degree in business. Banner went on to pursue a master’s degree in education from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore but left the program to pursue his music career full-time.

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Captain Zeita Merchant

A class of 1994 graduate of Lanier High School

Captain Zeita Merchant was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. She is a class of 1994 graduate of Lanier High School. After graduation, Captain Merchant attend Tougaloo College and majored in biology. She planned to go to medical school after Tougaloo; however, a meeting with a Coast Guard recruiter on campus changed the trajectory of her life.

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Dr. Herbert V.R.P. Jones

A class of 1967 graduate of Brinkley High School

Dr. Herbert V.R.P. Jones is one of the nation's foremost figures in choral conducting and pedagogy and an expert in the intersection between theology and musical expression. Dr. Jones is a native of Jackson, Mississippi, and a class of 1967 graduate of Brinkley High School (now Brinkley Middle School).

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Last Modified on September 2, 2022