AMY SZPARA

RESERVE – Whitney Jackson, Jeremy Fleming and Malana Joseph are St. John the Baptist Parish’s Students of the Year and will soon compete regionally in the Students of the Year Awards Program. Designed to recognize outstanding elementary, middle/junior high and high school students, the program is patterned after the Teacher of the Year Awards Program. The program recognizes students with excellent academic ability, leadership skills and citizenship. Students are selected from fifth, eighth and 12th grades and are nominated by school faculty, including the principal, teachers, PTO president and guidance counselors. Each elementary school in the parish nominated a fifth-grader, and each junior high school nominated an eighth-grader. A senior was nominated from both West St. John and East St. John high schools. The three top students in St. John Parish were selected by a committee and will represent the parish in the regional competition. Jackson, a fifth-grader at LaPlace Elementary, is interested in professional basketball and watches it on television. She also enjoys reading and helping the elderly. Jackson enjoys playing the piano and has taken lessons since she was in the second grade, She plans to be a pediatrician when she gets older. Fleming is the top junior high student honored in St. John Parish. The 13-year-old is a member of New Pilgrim Baptist Church, where he serves as a junior deacon. He is also in the Junior Beta and Drama clubs at Leon Godchaux Junior High, where he attends school. He enjoys football and reading. He’s planning a busy future, with hopes of becoming a doctor, then a politician and a motivational speaker. Joseph, who attends West St. John High School in Edgard, is the senior Student of the Year. A member of Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.), Talent Search, Challenging Higher Academics Necessary for Growing Educated Students (C.H.A.N.G.E.S.), Using Situations Effectively (U.S.E.) and the marching band at her school, Joseph is also very interested in her community. She is a member of the “Trash Bash,” which is a clean-up crew in the area. Also a member of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church choir and 4-H Junior Leadership Club, the active teen plans to get a bachelor’s degree from Dillard University in mass communications. After reviewing academic portfolios, conducting interviews and administering and reviewing writing samples, regional student selection committees will submit names to the state selection committee. If any of the St. John Parish winners also win at the regional level, they will go on to state. The three St. John students will attend a Students of the Year Awards ceremony in Baton Rouge, where 18 regional finalists will be announced, as well as the three state Students of the Year.