General Event

EVENT DATE
May 23, 2025

This event has ended.
LOCATION
Rea Auditorium (Copiah-Lincoln CC)
1001 Copiah-Lincoln Cir.
Wesson, Mississippi
LIVE STREAMING
This event is scheduled to be live streamed on YouTube for remote audience viewers. Click Here to view streamed events.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
This event is subject to a clear bag safety policy. Click Here for more information.
DETAILS

The Mississippi School of the Arts Senior Class of 2025 will participate in commencement exercises on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 2:00pm. Limited tickets to the event, in Rea Auditorium (Copiah-Lincoln Community College campus), will be distributed by seniors (no charge for tickets).

Doors will open one hour before the commencement.

Commencement Program

  • Processional: Cindy Hunter
  • Pledge of Allegiance: Sam Crump (SGA President)
  • Greetings: Suzanne Hirsch (MSA Exec Director), Wendy Clemons (Mississippi Department of Education)
  • Salutatorian’s Address: Julia L. Landry
  • Valedictorian’s Address: Lucy C. Dick
  • Commencement Address: Jalen Jamar Gilbert
  • Remarks: Suzanne Hirsch, William C. Hillman
  • Presentation of Diplomas: Suzanne Hirsch, Avery Peagler (MSA Principal)
  • Special Music: “May Our Paths Meet Again” -S. Albrecht J. Althouse, and “MSA Alma Mater” -Jeanne Lebow and Patton Rice. To be performed by members of the MSA Chorale.
  • Recessional: “Trumpet Tune” -Henry Purcell.

Jalen Jamar Gilbert is a proud alumnus of MSA, where his passion for acting truly flourished. Growing up in Mississippi, he pursued his love for performance by studying acting in performing arts schools from elementary through high school. He later moved to Chicago to refine his craft, earning a BFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

Since graduating, Jamar has continued to build an impressive body of work, performing in acclaimed productions at renowned theaters such as Writers Theatre in Chicago, Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C., and most recently, the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

On screen, Jamar has amassed a strong list of TV and film credits, including roles in Perimeter (BET), Shameless (Netflix), Chicago Med (NBC), Justified: City Primeval (FX), CSI: Vegas (CBS), and Work in Progress (Showtime), among others.

Jamar is proudly represented by Innovative Artists and Thruline Entertainment as he continues to carve out his path in the entertainment industry.

Livestream

The event will be livestreamed on our YouTube and Facebook social media platforms. It will remain on our YouTube channel for archival purposes.

About The Location

Rea Auditorium is located in the J.M. Ewing Administration Building at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Floor and balcony access is available. View Google Map to Location