EDWARDS AND WRIGHT NAMED STAR STUDENT AND STAR TEACHER AT CENTRAL HOLMES CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
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Cayton Edwards has been named STAR Student for the 2023-2024 school year by the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) M. B. Swayze Foundation, sponsor of the Student Teacher Recognition (STAR) program. Established by the Mississippi Economic Council in 1965, the purpose of the STAR program is to recognize outstanding students and teachers in Mississippi through its Education Celebration.
Cayton is the son of Chuck and Nikki Edwards of Lexington and Angela Edwards of Oxford, MS.
Cayton made a Composite ACT score of 31 and a super score of 32. In addition to this accomplishment, he has received a number of other honors and participated in many activities during
his time at Central Holmes.
Cayton is President of the National Honor Society; is an active member of the Student Council; has been a member of the football, basketball, baseball, Cross Country, Track, and Archery teams. He has also been a member of Young Life, Saint Joseph’s Youth Group, and Boy Scouts He was named MAIS football All-Star, First Team All-Conference for three years; has been named by his peers in Who’s Who as Most Sophisticated Senior, and Most Likely to Succeed; he was a member of the Drama Team; played Teen Angel in Grease, Scarecrow in Dorothy in Wonderland, and several parts in multiple vignettes.
After graduation, Cayton plans to attend Holmes Community College for one year, then transfer to Ole Miss, Notre Dame or Georgia Tech University and major in Computer Science, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Computer Engineer with an emphasis in AI.
STAR students are selected on the basis of Academic excellence. Both the American College Test (ACT) scores and scholastic averages are compared to determine the school’s STAR student. “The STAR program encourages and promotes academic achievement among Mississippi’s high school seniors,” said Vickie Powell, Senior Vice President of Foundation for the Mississippi Economic Council.
Each STAR student is asked to designate a class STAR Teacher, the classroom teacher that has made the greatest contribution to the students scholastic achievement.
Cayton designated Mrs. Denise Wright as STAR Teacher. Mrs. Wright is married to the Rev. Scott Wright. They reside in Greenwood where he is a pastor, and she is a member and helps with the children’s ministry. Mrs. Wright and her husband have two daughters, Kaelin and Ali Grace Brunt.
Mrs. Wright received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. She also received a Certificate in Gifted Education from Mississippi State University. Mrs. Wright retired from public education in 2020 after 25 years. She taught at many area schools, including Greenwood High, Kosciusko High School, Yazoo City Public School, and Marshall Academy. She is a member and active participant of Professional Educators.
Mrs. Wright joined Central Holmes Christian School as a faculty member in August of 2020 and has been teaching Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, for the past four years, in which she has had a great impact in the math program.
Over 550 STAR Students will be recognized for their exceptional achievement by MEC’s M.B. Swayze Foundation with medallions, certificates and lapel pins. The top 20 STAR Students – The ALL-STAR Scholars – will receive scholarships and their STAR Teacher will receive awards provided by the Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Charitable Foundation. Cayton is on the 30+ ALL-STAR group. The highlight of STAR is the naming of the Mississippi ALL-STAR Scholar for 2023-2024 school year and the coveted $24,000 Cook Foundation Scholarship.
The prestigious 2023-2024 Education Celebration will be held on Thursday, April 4 at The Clyde Muse Center in Pearl, Mississippi.
