May 13, 2024

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) head basketball coach Larry Anderson was the guest speaker during East Mississippi Community College’s spring 2024 commencement ceremonies that took place Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, at the college’s Golden Triangle and Scooba campuses.

Anderson, a Macon native, is a former EMCC basketball standout who played during the 1981-83 seasons. He was inducted into EMCC’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

“Of all the spaces in the whole world, I can’t think of a better place that I would rather be than where I am right now,” Anderson told the graduates. “This is home.”

Two commencement ceremonies took place in the Lyceum Auditorium on the Golden Triangle campus May 10, with a 10 a.m. ceremony for students graduating from academic programs and a 2 p.m. ceremony for career technical program graduates. The Scooba ceremony included graduates from both academic and career technical programs and took place May 11 in the Keyes T. Currie Coliseum.

Students who completed programs of study at EMCC’s Lion Hills Center and The Communiversity were also among the graduates, as were some seniors from the Golden Triangle Early College High School on the college’s Mayhew campus. 

After playing basketball at EMCC, Anderson attended Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, graduating there in 1987 and staying on to serve as the college’s assistant basketball coach and associate athletic director. He still serves on the Rust College Board of Trustees.

In 1995 Anderson was hired as the head coach of the MIT Engineers and has since become the winningest coach in the basketball program’s history, with 427 career wins, an NCAA Final Four berth in 2012 and NCAA Elite Eight showing in 2018.

He is the only coach in the program’s history to lead MIT to a No. 1 national ranking. The team ranked in the Top 25 eight of the past 14 seasons. In 2009, he was inducted into The New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

“That’s quite a run of success coach,” said EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks, who introduced Anderson during the commencement ceremonies.

Anderson is also a member of the EMCC Class of 2024 and was presented his certificate during the May 11 graduation ceremony on EMCC’s Scooba campus.

While he earned a degree from Rust College and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi, Anderson had not completed his degree at EMCC. More than four decades after leaving EMCC, he completed that mission.

“I couldn’t be more honored, proud and delighted to address this audience and share congratulations with my fellow graduating Class of 2024,” Anderson said.

“The thing I want to share with you is that things don’t always work out the way you plan them all the time,” Anderson said later in his address to the graduates. “When things don’t go as planned, don’t worry that much. Those of you who have it figured out already, that’s awesome. Congratulations. For those who don’t, join the club with me as a person who took a long time to figure it out. I was not a person anyone would have picked that would be living the life I am living right now. It feels really good to be able to do that.”

After Anderson spoke, Alsobrooks presented the graduates with their certificates. Here is a list of the Class of 2024 students who applied for graduation broken down by the counties and cities in which they reside:

MISSISSIPPI

Alcorn County

• Corinth: Carys Goodwin

Amite County

• Centreville: Sydnee Anderson

Attala County

• Kosciusko: Alex Schuster, Anthony Medine
• Sallis: Hayden Rogers

Calhoun County

• Bruce: Courtney Goodson
• Calhoun City: Harrison Nanney

Carroll County

• Carrollton: John Teal
• McCarley: Mallory McCrory

Chickasaw County

• Woodland: Dreshan Brownlee

Choctaw County

• Ackerman: Tammie Baxter, Jessi Kent, Alex McDaniel, Laperryon Miller, Jacsen Nowell, Aubrey Ray, Chase Turner
• Weir: Javon Carter, Terria Davis, Deanna Dobbs, Za’raiyah Jones, Bridgette Moen

Clarke County

• Quitman: Dajiauna Barnett
• Shubuta: Deswain Barnett

Clay County

• Cedarbluff: Garrett Edwards, James Johnson, Thomas Robinson, Chloe Smith
• Pheba: Dashon Jones, Donte Smith, Ti’niya Townsend
• West Point: David Allen, Emma Andrews, Taylor Avanta, Jamarquez Bilbo, Dominic Borgioli, Brittney Brown, Diamond Calvert, Rodrickus Cooperwood, Arkeasia Edwards, Tanner Fowler, Braiden Fulgham, Tiedrick Gandy, Manuel Garcia, Jaquontis Harris, Sydney Johnson, Davion Mayfield, Gabreil McWilliams, Cassiana Moore, Deisy Moreno, Conner Price, Audrey Robertson, Alyssa Roush, Katelyn Shackelford, Jeremy Shaffer, Baylee Smith, Hannah Smith, Tyler Staten, Anna Thompson, Madison Thompson, Lessie Vickers, Reid Watson, Megan Williams, Brianne Wofford, Brody Wright, Jason Wright, Averianna Young

Copiah County

• Hazlehurst: Walter Drake Bayles

DeSoto County

• Olive Branch: Jakob Heiges, Brandon Lawrence, Landon Scruggs

Forrest County

• Hattiesburg: Brittany Gregory, Nickalos Walker, Jacob Willow
• Petal: Hailey Criddle

George County

• Lucedale: Lainey Moran

Greene County

• Leakesville: Eli Corey

Grenada County

• Grenada: Johnathan Mitchell

Hancock County

• Kiln: Brandon King, Javier Molina
• Waveland: Connor Davis

Harrison County

• Biloxi: Susannah Barker
• Gulfport: Cooper Garrison, Jacobi Moore
• Long Beach: Kieran MacDonald
• Pass Christian: Kylah Bell

Hinds County

• Clinton: Ashten Michael, Sutton Walters
• Jackson: Terrell Dixon, William Mann
• Raymond: Kedric Dixon
• Utica: Christian Noel

Holmes County

• Pickens: Karen Cook

Itawamba County

• Mantachie: Jake Williams

Jackson County

• Pascagoula: Trace Howell, Joaris Lopez Rodriguez, Joseph Scarborough

Kemper County

• DeKalb: Tyquavian Anderson, Breanna Eaves, Jacorey Roberts, Jayne Wiggins, Kix Wilson, Sydney Wilson, Johnny Wood
• Porterville: Russ Calvert, Nivea Hopson
• Preston: Ja’quan Geeter, Avery Luke, Kamya Parks
• Scooba: Jaquavious Jackson, Grace Johnson, Callie Scott, Emmanuel Smoot, Ezekial Smoot, Victoria Stennis, Dereauna Williams

Lamar County

• Sumrall: Sidney Pierfax

Lauderdale County

• Collinsville: Cobie Spencer
• Daleville: Daniel Hudnall, Kelli Shepperd
• Lauderdale: Gabrelia Rush
• Marion: Jackson Bryan, Lyric Marshall
• Meridian: Terrence Anderson, Toby Biddles, Sarah Gunter, Parker Henry, Kyisha Houston, Hayleigh Irby, Xavier Jimerson, Christopher Kennedy, Hugh Little, Eli Massey, Tristen Mosley, Ibrahim Obeid, Walker Swearingen, Morgan Taylor, Kenna Turner, Lauren Wooldridge

Leake County

• Carthage: Kenneth Dana, Teadreuna Douglas, Rylei Loftin, Calvin Malone, Jondavid Moore, John Riley Sanders, Parker Thomas, Karlie Thompson
• Lena: Mason Atkinson
• Walnut Grove: Anna Fulton

Lee County

• Nettleton: David Baulch, Joseph Chism, Dakota Ragland
• Saltillo: Elizabeth Marquez
• Shannon: Madison Shells
• Tupelo: Jonathan Yates

Leflore County

• Greenwood: Hunter Alderman, Caleb Wilson
• Minter City: Lawson Steed

Lowndes County

• Caledonia: Logan Beasley, Ethan Black, Ashley Callaghan, Austin Clanton, James Coggins, Justin Coggins, Madalyn Dvorak, Zachary Farley, Reagan Flye, Albert Hunley, Sara Jackson, Victoria Jones, Whitney Knight, Brooke Knoop, Caitlyn Leggett, Donnie Lindsey, Alexis Little, Darian Logan, Tyler McAdams, Marc Mullings, Alyssa Raduenz, Robert Schultz, Jarred Studdard, Andrea Virgil, Andrew Woody
• Columbus: Adam Adair, Jamaia Allison, Briana Baker, Gerald Banks, Edward Beck, De’zyria Billups, Kenny Blair, Trah Blunt, Brogan Bolthouse, Adolphus Brewer, Anthony Brooks, Shakira Brooks, Mylasha Brown, Ollionne Brown, Jamarri Buckhalter, Jordan Buckner, Madilyn Burns, Raheem Clemons, Kaylee Cockrell, Alivia Coleman, Alyssa Cook, Chloe Cox, Dawson Cox, Kaylan Curry, Kelis Curry, Kiyanna Curry, Zachary Dismuke, Julious Dooley, Bert Gerhart, Yataevia Gillespie, Katharine Grady, Caiya Grant, Kenyen Hairston, Jaqaveus Halbert, Cole Harrell, Justin Harrell, Kaleb Henry, Kendall Henry, Aziya Hill, Keyonna Hodges, Tucker Holbrook, Hunter Hollis, Donovan Hood, Shunkeia Jefferson, Rekeisha Jennings Blair, Rickey Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Jeremiah Jones, Beau Kemp, Sommer Lathan, Charlene Lee, Monique Little, Collin Loyd, Deerrion Lucious, Tavonta Macon, Sydney Magers, Kolby Martin, Elizabythe McBeth, Abigail McClung, Breunna McNair, Alyssa Michael, Lakiesha Minor, Conerly Moody, Matthew Moore, Brett Mordecai, Jocie Nesom, Tyler Newman, Miracle O’Neal, Braden Orrick, Nicole Padron, Bryce Pate, Riya Patel, Keylan Payne, Sadeiria Payne, Caden Perrigin, Levonte Phinizee, Anna Powell, McCanna Price, Rylee Ray, William Reeves, Mary Richards, Alexander Roberts, Kimberly Ross, Amber Salone, Joseph Shane, Anna Sibley, William Smith, Jada Spraggins, Shaniqua Spruill, Kyra Stephenson, China Stewart, Alana Swords, Jamerious Tallie, Jaylen Taylor, Serenity Taylor, Valencia Taylor, J’Lynn Topps, Jordan Townsel, Josh Traxler, J’nya Trimble, Ashley Vallette, Darrian Walker, Robin Walker, Keely Washington, Allee Weathers, Kenneth Webb, Ferrah Wells, Chance West, Lucy West, Alika White, Makayla Williams, Takiya Wilson, Tnashia Wilson, Katelyn Winston, Dalton Winter, Thomas Woods, Fredija Clark, McKenzie Smart, Marcus Wright
• Crawford: Xeniya Bridges, Gabrielle Davis, Madison McCarter, Tutu Monroe, Des’ariya Smith, Shemetriona Smith
• Steens: Bryce Eaton, William Enger, Mason Fondren, Jason Franks, Thomas Glover, Tavares Mixon, Deanna Peacock, Andrew Rixie, Brantley Shelton

Madison County

• Madison: Robert Dumas, Seth Hall, Phillip Hughes, Katie Qualls, Carsen Trisler, India White
• Ridgeland: Samantha Perkins

Marshall County

• Byhalia: Luke Sides

Monroe

• Aberdeen: David Crawley, Shaquasia Payne, Zackary Ryals, Makayla Tolbert, Ryan Ward, Precious Stone
• Amory: karecia Adams, Kimberly Comer, James Conner, Parker Easter, Kwantavians Gathings
• Greenwood Springs: Ryan Welch
• Hamilton: Locke Baggett, McKedzie Crump, William Holley, Abigail Staten
• Prairie: Hazel Barr, Tyler Watkins

Montgomery County

• Duck Hill: Daquariana Wallace
• Winona: Christofer Chapman, Mikhiyah Crawford

Neshoba County

• Choctaw: Leslie Fuller
• Philadelphia: Ronnie Anderson, Layla Carter, Andreas Jim, Zoe Kirkland, Zackary Long, Grace Maxey, Hunter McWilliams, Dexter Spencer, Katie Sprinkle, Sydney Watkins, Latavia Whigham, Mary Williams, Damon Witcher

Newton County

• Chunky: Charles Willis
• Lawrence: Brandy Robinson
• Union: Julia Jackson, Hannah McDougle

Noxubee County

• Brooksville: Devion Brewer, Marquiez Brewer, Ke’amber Conner, Matthew Cooper, Janeshia Dancer, Tytana Geeter, Ch’keiria Guy, Michael Mapp, Justin Mast, Ja’khelveyona Oliver, Treyon Sledge, Kelsey Tate, Kimora Williams
• Macon: Dedrick Bryant, Erika Dowds, David Ferrell, Natyia Harris, Jameshia Ivy, Nicole Johnson, Nicole King, Keyonce Madison, Matthew Mason, Jaquerius Mattix, William Rhoden, Nadyn Samara, Kyla Stewart, Kylan Tippett, Jordan White, Damion Wilkerson
• Shuqualak: Takeyla Lewis, Kaja Simonds

Oktibbeha County

• Maben: Faith Baham, Steven Fulgham, Rachel Scruggs, Thomas Shurden, Charlie Shurlds, Emily South
• Starkville: Ayden Alsobrooks, Donovan Avant, Elijah Baine, Matthew Beckham, Riley Bellipanni, Jamen Berk, Joshua Bowman, Cody Brower, Jordan Butler, Darious Calhoun, Joe Cane, Hannah Carper, Tyler Cash, Jakayjia Clark, Braylan Coleman, Coby Coleman, Isaac Collins, Jamie Davis, Madison Davis, Sean Downey, Samuelle Drain, Jairus Fair, Anwar Fletcher, Jonathan Forrester, Fabio Frey, Katylan Fulgham, Jamie Garcia, Gabriel George, Alexandra Gibson, Madelynne Goodson, Jamie Gray, Charles Greene, Kaleb Griffin, Colin Hall, Aya Hamed, Laquincy Harris, Martez Harris, Ian Hartmann, Delontae Hatchett, Maria Heggie, Myra Ingram, Reese Jackson, Tyler Jackson, John Johnston, Waylan Kelly, Davis Lancaster, Isabella Latham, Nathaniel Lepard, Tiffany Li, Casey Long, Daiquan Lucious, Samuel Matthews, Brady McNutt, John Miller, Justin Ming, Lamyka Moore, Carlos Mosley, Aaron Newell, Aaron Orr, Shayla Paige, Fallon Parker, Tyler Pearson, Mattie Peeples, Phillip Perkins, Logan Quinley, Aaliyah Robinson, Stazyon Robinson, Haidi Salihaj, Nakeria Scales, Kelly Sherman, Madison Sherrill, Lisa Smith, Eric Spears, Allyson Stallings, Dalton Steed, Walter Stewart, Caden Tate, Jaliyah Tate, Chassel Taylor, Michael Taylor, Contessa Thornton, Thomas Tiffin, Dash Turman, Montresyal Warren, Qin John Williamson, Keirstin Wilson, Christopher Yatsko

Pearl River County

• Carriere: Remi Sampey

Prentiss County

• Marietta: Layla Roper

Rankin County

• Brandon: Presley Heidorn, Malcolm McGee, Rhett Taylor
• Florence: Peyton Hemphill, Mary Saucier
• Pearl: Cade Chism
• Pelahatchie: Colton Ellis

Smith County

• Taylorsville: Kayla Parker Munn

Tate County

• Sarah: Walker Greenwood
• Senatobia: Brian Braswell

Tishomingo County

• Burnsville: Noah Carpenter

Washington County

• Greenville: Maxwell Washington

Webster County

• Eupora: Michael Faulkner, Fatima Leal, Brady Tabb
• Mantee: Kiana Cooperwood, Landon Davis
• Mathiston: Clark Crowley, Elizabeth Nowell, Clyde Perrigan, Kainan Reed, Lillian Steadman

Winston County

• Louisville: Tierra Bates, David Caperton, Ethan Easley, Aiden Fancher, Cameron Frazier, Landon Fulton, Caleb Gregory, Amarion Hannah, lanorris Hickman, Jamiya Hogan, Antonio Hunt, Alyissia Joseph, Matlyn Lowrey, Abiegail Lynch, Camille Mayo, Cooper McMullen, Toby Ming, Keylone Moore, Melody Morgan, Patricia Patterson, Levi Peeples, Abigail Pugh, Reggie Roberson, Cooper Sanders, Jameer Thames, Shontez Thames, Anthony Thomas, Za’hayia Thompson, Brylee Wall, Bryce Woodruff
• Noxapater: Aubrianna Harrell, James Kugle, Kyle Phillips, Faith Sanders

Yazoo County

• Bentonia: Benton Boggan, Ellison Lancaster
• Yazoo City: Reilly Greenwood

Out of State

Alabama: Clark Bain, Haigan Black, Nicholas Turner, Robert Moore, Evan Radford, Andrea Hargrove, Samuel Ormond, Lana Atkins, Devyn Debardelaben, Daniel Martin, Jelesia Sherrod, Samantha Strawn

Georgia: Cambria Luckett

Illinois: Lesa Winter

Kentucky; Andrew Mason, Johnathan McCutcheon

Louisiana: Jenna Kirkland, Kaspian Thomas

Michigan: Mariam Abduljabbar

New York: Shaquana Decan, Regan Kincaid, Dana Wark

Pennsylvania: Daniel Hammond, Isaiah Toomey

Tennessee: Abigale Robertson, Ledia Zaki

Texas: Nicky Damon, David Alvarez

Virginia: Lucas Harvey

Washington: Lavontae Senghore