The Piney Woods School to Celebrate 99th Commencement May 23 and 24
Posted May 23rd, 2008CONTACT: Merrill Tenney McKewen
The Piney Woods School
(601) 940.4950
mmckewen@comcast.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Piney Woods, MS—On Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24, 47 seniors from The Piney Woods School (PWS) will celebrate graduation—and all will go to college. With a 100 percent of its 2008 graduates attending such elite colleges as Howard University in Washington, D.C.; Spelman College in Georgia; Syracuse University in New York; Xavier University in Louisiana; and Tuskegee University in Alabama; not to mention Mississippi’s Jackson State University, Tougaloo College, University of Southern Mississippi and Mississippi State University, The Piney Woods School reaffirms its commitment to changing the world—one student at a time.
“We are proud of our graduates, and know they will continue to excel as leaders capably carry the banner of The Piney Woods School with them as they graduate and go to college,” said Dr. Reginald T.W. Nichols, President of The Piney Woods School. “As an example, just one of our many star 2008 graduating seniors is Jochi McNair, a native of Mt. Olive, Mississippi, and nephew of former Baltimore Raven quarterback Steve McNair, who will attend Tuskegee University on a full JROTC scholarship.”
On Friday, May 23, beginning at 6:00 p.m., the Baccalaureate Ceremony will be held in the PWS Zilpha E. Chandler Auditorium, featuring Rev. Dr. Ralph Galloway, Pastor Kwanzaa Community Church, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, as guest speaker; followed by the Senior Reception at 7:30 p.m. in the Sadie Caldwell Dining Hall, sponsored by the PWS International Alumni Association.
Graduation events will continue on Saturday, May 24, beginning with a Friendship Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. in the Sadie W. Caldwell Dining Hall; followed by the Commencement Exercise at 10:00 a.m. in the Zilpha E. Chandler Auditorium, featuring CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston as guest speaker.
Media and the general public are encouraged to attend all graduation events.
Featured as one of the country’s ten best boarding schools by U.S. News and World Report, The Piney Woods School serves students in grades 9-12 and is one of four remaining African-American boarding schools in the nation. PWS is the first and only high school in America to host an AmeriCorps program. Founded in 1909 by Dr. Laurence C. Jones, The Piney Woods School is committed to training the next generation of leaders. Each year, over 98 percent of its graduates go to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the county. The Piney Woods School is changing the world—one student at a time.
###




