PRCC student in spotlight as Boys and Girls Club advocate

POPLARVILLE – A Pearl River Community College freshman will speak to legislators next week about the importance of Boys and Girls Clubs.Jeramey Anderson, 19, of Moss Point will address the Mississippi Senate at 10 a.m. and the House of Representatives at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 3.Anderson, who is majoring in criminal justice at PRCC, was selected as the organization spokesman after being named the runner-up in the Boys and Girls Clubs Mississippi State Alliance Youth of the Year competition in 2010.He an exceller, for sure, said Thomas Norman, executive director of the State Alliance. Were very proud of him.As part of his involvement with the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County, Anderson organized the Purple Knights of America to work with boys in grades 6 through 12.We try to produce well-rounded young men, he said.The group provides training in character building, sex education, ACT preparation, brotherhood and leadership to an at-risk population.I saw the need for programs for young men, he said. Were losing them to the prison system.The Purple Knights operate in Jackson County with plans to expand to Atlanta next year, he said.The State Alliance receives about 10 percent of its annual operating money from state appropriations. Officials hope Anderson may be able to convince legislators to increase that amount.The organization served approximately 54,000 children at 69 sites last year, Norman said.In addition to the Legislature, Anderson will also speak Friday and Saturday at the Mississippi State Alliance state conventionAnderson mother is director of operations at the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County, and he grew up in a middle-class environment different from that of many of the children served by the club.My take on it is different from what most people get from it, he said. Growing up with the club was the norm for me. I recognized things I couldnt get outside the club because I was exposed to so many different lifestyles.Over the years, he developed the plan to help other kids through the Purple Knights.Once I matured enough, I was able to give back to the Boys and Girls Club, he said.Anderson didnt limit his efforts to the Boys and Girls Club – he was sophomore, junior and senior class president at Moss Point High School where he graduated with a 3.6 GPA; he helped plan the annual Walk Against Violence in Moss Point; he created Hearts for Haiti which raised more than $500 for earthquake relief; he was Moss Point High School student of the month twice; and he was elected Mississippi Boys State lieutenant governor in 2009.After completing his studies at PRCC, Anderson plans to attend Mississippi College and earn a law degree. He is interested in both a political career and the FBI.