2002

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E CC vice president honored fo1 education leadership By Steve Gillespie staff wnter Tiu~ award and symposium are named for Dr.

Jayne A. Burrows Sargent, a former superin– tendent of Meridian public schools who now oversees Jackson's public schools. i\ISU's Department of Education Leadership chose the award winners from among nomina– tions submitted by educators and administra– tor.- .::tatewJC!e. l11e award goes to women edu- Cc1t • The department, which sponsors the 'annual symposium and award competition, offers lcad– er::;lup development programs in public school system- and community colleges.

A vice presiden~at East Mississippi Commu– nity College in Decatur and two other w0men \\ere recognized Friday for outstanding leader– <::hip in education. Dr. Lavinia Sparkman, vice president of rnstruction at ECCC, re<;cived the Jayne A. Bur– rows Sargent Awafd at an education leader~hip symposium on the Mississippi State University– Meridian Campus. Melanie H. Hartley, superintendent of Leake County Schools, and Rebecca H. Taylor, coordi– nator for elementary, technology and testing at Columbus city schools, also received the award.

See Sparkman Page A4

Sparkman

Sparkman From page A1 Deparbnent chairman Ned Lovell said the Sargent Award is designed to encourage women in education to strive for excellence and become role models for prospeetive and practicing school adinin– istrators. Sparkman, who also gave the keynote speech, said she became an educator because she wanted to make a differ– ence. She charged her fellow edu– cators to deveLop a vision, share it with others and take those people along with them as they set out to accomplish their goals. After working as a nurse, Sparkman decided to enter education in 1976. Sparkman said she fell in love with the profession after she began teaching fourth grade. Twelve years later she

became a school counselor. Following that, she worked as a school-to-work manager and college instructor before becoming a college adminis– trator. Every time she had an opportunity to advance, she said, men gave her that oppor– tunity because there were not many women in educational leadership roles. "There weren't a lot of

women out there at that time, in the 1980s, to give me those opportunities," Sparkman said. "I think it's so important for all of us in education and especially women, to give other women opportunities. "That's why I'm here. That's why I want to make a difference - to create a vision for other women and give them that push they need in their education."

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CARTHAGINIAN._______ NESHOBADEMOCRAT______ NEWTON RECORD________ MERIDIAN STAR.__ /~----- CLARION-LEDGER______

LAKE MESSENGER______________ SCOTT COUNTY TIMES___________ UNION APPEAL _______________ WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL.______ SPIRIT OF MORTON_______ _