Mayor recognizes students, awards scholarships at State of the City

Mayor Errick D. Simmons put scholarship dollars in front of Greenville families during the city’s State of the City address, recognizing 19 students whose college plans were backed by the Greenville College Access and Attainment Network. The awards turned the annual address into a public show of support for students headed toward two-year and four-year campuses in Mississippi.

The recipients were Evan Patterson, Brianna Lance, Justin Jones, Jacquarius Harvey, Amiyah Maiten, Jaria Fulton, Ryan Coleman, Zinaiya Suilley, N’Dera Encalade, Denaria Carter, Gabriel Theunissen, Halle Brown, Hannah Lance, Deionna Suilley, Taylor Rae Dorsey, Janiyah Richardson, Perri Smith, A’Cayla Porter and Makenzie Ratliff.

Each scholarship was worth $1,000. The city says the fund is open to students from Greenville public, parochial and private high schools who will attend an accredited two-year community college or four-year college or university in Mississippi. Scholarship money is paid directly to the institution after enrollment is confirmed, and the 2026 application deadline was April 10. Recipients were also expected to attend an award reception with Simmons, scholarship donors and other community stakeholders.

GCAAN was established by the City of Greenville in 2021 “with a purpose to expand college access and create a college going culture” in partnership with educational partners, local corporations, nonprofits and social service organizations. City records also describe Greenville’s Higher Education Center as a joint venture involving Mississippi Delta Community College, Mississippi Valley State University and Delta State University, a local pathway that gives students more than one route toward a degree or credential.

The scholarship recognition fit into a broader city effort that has included a GCAAN Summer Internship Program and a FAFSA Completion Clinic with Get2College. Simmons, whom the city describes as Greenville’s first African-American male mayor and the city’s second African-American mayor, has used the network to keep college access visible in public life. For Greenville students, the message was direct: the city is still pairing ceremony with concrete help.