Three educators from Philadelphia, Louisville, and Union are among Mississippi State University College of Education students recognized with 2026 Mississippi Professional Educators scholarships.
The recipients include Philadelphia special education teacher Nakecia Gentry, Louisville educator Penny Young, and Union High School teacher Neal McCarty.
All three were selected as part of a statewide group of six Mississippi State University College of Education students receiving scholarships from Mississippi Professional Educators, an organization that supports roughly 12,000 educators across Mississippi.
Gentry, a special education teacher at Philadelphia Elementary School, is pursuing an educational specialist degree in school psychology at Mississippi State University. She earned both her bachelor’s degree from MSU and a master’s degree from the University of West Alabama and has been a member of Mississippi Professional Educators since 2012.
In Louisville, Penny Young teaches seventh- and eighth-grade English language arts at Nanih Waiya Attendance Center. She holds degrees from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Mississippi State University and is currently working toward a master’s degree in school administration at MSU. Young joined MPE in 2023.
Union High School teacher Neal McCarty teaches social studies, world history, government and economics. He earned his bachelor’s degree in geoscience broadcast meteorology and completed alternate route certification at Mississippi State University. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in school administration and has been a member of MPE since 2016.
Founded in 1979, Mississippi Professional Educators awards scholarships annually to educators pursuing graduate study across the state, supporting professional development and leadership in Mississippi classrooms.
The MSU College of Education says the scholarships reflect a broader effort to strengthen the state’s educator workforce while supporting teachers who continue serving in local school districts.
