You and I likely live in or near a place called Jackson, Mississippi. You might know it as “The City with Soul”. It’s not the biggest deal when it comes to major cities in the Southeast, to put it mildly. It’s no Atlanta. It’s certainly not often compared to Houston. Maybe it’s even a little looked down on. But listen here— it’s home. For now.
The Jackson Prep Class of 2025 is moving abroad, and a single question is burning in everyone’s minds: will they be back? Jackson is a place with its own mysterious allure, but will it be enough to draw students back to the warmer climes of the rolling hills of central Mississippi?
I spoke with seniors here on the Sentry staff to find out what their plans are. Stader “Stady P” Powers, my esteemed colleague in the opinion section, said he would rather not be in Jackson for a long period of time after college.
Jackson Prep seniors are aware of the high likelihood that many of their classmates will end up back here in the City with Soul. Many of our teachers and parents graduated from Prep, firmly establishing a back to Jackson pipeline. For the Patriot Pack video, we ran on the beach of the Pearl with the Prep flags for a scene. As we were running, a couple guys on a boat floated by and yelled “Jackson Prep Class of 2013”.
There is obviously nothing wrong with getting a job or going to school in Jackson. This area has served us well growing up, maybe we should stay. But, also understandably, many
Prep students would prefer not to find themselves in Jackson ten years from now.
News and Features Editor Lindan Garner said he does see himself coming back to Jackson; it’s his plan. Sophie Slade, or Editor in Chief, said that it would depend if a job opportunity arose whether she would be back in the metro area, and on the overall state of Jackson (city of Jackson, state of Mississippi).
Right now, Jackson is one of the fastest shrinking cities in America. The 2021 census revealed that Jackson’s population was below 150,000 for the first time since 1970, and since then, it has lost close to another 4,000. Whether JP Seniors will be among the exodus? Only time will tell.
