April 15, 2025
Pearl River Community College’s Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute held its final Faculty Lecture Series for spring semester Thursday at the Forrest County Campus in the Dr. J. Cecil Burt Special Events Room.
Faculty and students attended the lecture, presented by Cassie Jackson, Career and Technical Student Services Coordinator at the Forrest County Campus.
Jackson’s topic: The Great Exodus of Mississippi: Losing Our Minds.
Her focus was on how many college graduates in Mississippi choose to leave the state for job. She called it the Brain Drain.
“More than one half of our graduates choose to leave the state for better opportunities,” she said. “They believe the grass is greener on the other side of the state lines.”
She presented salary comparisons for many jobs in Mississippi and nearby states, including teacher salaries, health-care jobs and other professions.
She also presented statistics that showed two-thirds of Mississippi college graduates work in just 10 counties in the state, including Forrest County.
Jackson was introduced by Dr. Ryan Ruckel, Dean of the Dr. William Lewis Honors Institute.
Student members of the 2024-25 Honors Council include:
PRIDE: Finn Elise Smith, Kenzie Beliveau, William Phelps.
RESPECT: A’Mya Clark and Maddie Stafford.
CLASS: Allyiah Johnston, Darla Stuart, Zya Boggan.
CHARACTER: Bella Rainey, Samuel Whittington, Olivia Collum.
Upcoming Honors Institute events include:
-April 16 – Honors Research: Spring Expo Symposium, 3:05 p.m.
-April 28 – Honors Medallion Ceremony, 3 p.m.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), Facebook (@PRCCMKTG), and TikTok (@prcc_wildcats).
Article and photos by Chuck Abadie.
