When he first enrolled at the University of Mississippi, Kaleb Henry of Waynesboro, Mississippi, knew he wanted to pursue a career in a health care profession that would allow him to help others. He just didn’t know which specific career.
That changed after Henry began devoting more of his time to community service activities in Oxford, Mississippi. A good portion of his involvement in serving others was made possible by his Ole Miss First (OMF) Scholarship.
“The Ole Miss First Scholarship program encourages its scholars to excel at the university by offering a substantial number of helpful academic resources, such as mentoring services and leadership training,” Henry said. “However, the OMF program also makes it clear that it’s just as important for its scholars to serve a leading role in assisting the Oxford community.”
He quickly embraced any opportunity to help others. Henry volunteered to serve several community organizations, such as the Leap Frog afterschool tutoring and enrichment program for at-risk first to third graders in the Oxford and Lafayette County public schools and the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church youth program. He was also a youth basketball coach for 7- and 8-year-olds for the Oxford Park Commission.
For the many hours Henry has spent serving the community with a “positive, upbeat and kind spirit,” he was recently presented with the UM Division of Diversity and Community Engagement’s 2024 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Established by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, this award is the university’s highest for individuals who provide service to others and embody the qualities of honesty, morality, ethics, integrity, responsibility, determination, courage and compassion.
“Because of the immense enjoyment that I find in helping others, I feel fortunate to be honored with this award,” Henry said. “But another benefit of discovering the personal reward I get from helping community organizations is that I was also fortunate to recognize my passion for helping children of various ages.”
Consequently, the senior biochemistry major plans to pursue a career in medicine that focuses on pediatrics.
In addition to being named the recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, Henry has been frequently recognized for his academic success by being listed on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll. This success, he said, would not have been possible without his Ole Miss First Scholarship, as well as the support of other scholars, OMF graduate assistants and Anna Booth Weems, the director of the program.
Ole Miss First Scholars receive a four-year scholarship of $4,500 per year.
In addition to encouraging Henry to lean into his desire for community service and assisting him in narrowing his career path, he credits the Ole Miss First Scholarship program for broadening his social network and making his transition from high school to college a success.
“When I started here at the university, I was uprooted from my familiar environment and quickly found that I was in an unfamiliar place populated with thousands of new people,” he recalled. “While the cultural shift was swift and enormous, the OMF Scholarship program helped me make friends and meet supporters who have assisted me in assimilating into this new environment, establishing my identity and helping me to succeed academically.”
Weems, the director of the OMF scholarship program, said Henry, like so many of the other OMF scholars, personifies the transformative nature of this scholarship.
“Kaleb’s success as a student and his growth as an advocate for the importance of serving others has been inspirational to me and so many others who have come to know him on campus and throughout our community,” she said.
“We’ve been fortunate to have him as a vibrant member of the Ole Miss First Scholarship program and look forward to the positive impact Kaleb will have among Mississippians and within other areas of the state in the future.”
Henry said the remarkable journey he has experienced as a UM student would not have been possible without the generous donors who make OMF scholarships possible for him and others.
“Due to this scholarship program, I have been able to join organizations, participate in research, offer my services to my community and so much more without having to struggle with the financial insecurity that impedes the success of many students,” he said. “I’m grateful to those who provide the funds vital for students like me and others.”
For more information about the Ole Miss First Scholarship program, contact Anna Booth Weems, OMF program manager, at abweems@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3895, or visit the OMF website. For more information about supporting OMF Scholarships, contact Brett Barefoot, executive director for central development, at bmbarefo@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2711.
By Jonathan Scott/UM Development