By Caleb Youngblood, Public Relations Coordinator
October 2, 2026
The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) announced the 2026-2027 State Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council (SAC). Of the 144 members announced, 8 of them come from MSMS.
Featured left to right:
Makayla Wrenn, Class of 2027, is from Petal, MS and previously attended Petal High School.
Joseph Thompson, Class of 2028, is from Starkville, MS and previously attended Starkville High School.
Tejbir Banipal, Class of 2028, is from Madison, MS and previously attended Germantown High School.
Emery Dickerson, Class of 2028, is from Hattiesburg, MS and previously attended Presbyterian Christian High School.
Theo Ahn, Class of 2028, is from Starkville, MS and previously attended Starkville High School.
Amy Choi, Class of 2027, is from Starkville, MS and previously attended Starkville High School.
Ian Jung, Class of 2028, is from Starkville, MS and previously attended Starkville High School.
Jeremy Burwell, Class of 2027, is from Clinton, MS and previously attended Clinton High School.
The council consists of 104 new members and 40 students who are returning to the council from the previous school year. Jeremy Burwell, Amy Choi, and Makayla Wrenn are a part of those returning council members.
MDE began the SAC program in 2019. The council’s purpose is to provide a forum for Mississippi’s students to offer diverse perspectives to the State Superintendent of Education. The students will act as liaisons between MDE and public-school students from across the state.
See the complete list of 2026-27 Student Advisory Council members at mdek12.org/SSE/Student-Advisory-Council.