MHS senior wins ‘Keeper of the Dream’ award

MHS senior wins ‘Keeper of the Dream’ award

Jones recognized by National Civil Rights Museum

Marion School District Marion High School senior Cameron Jones was recently awarded the “Keeper of the Dream” award, presented by the National Civil Rights Museum and sponsored by International Paper. The award honors 6th-12th graders in the Greater Memphis area 'who have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for others.'

Jones, a senior at Marion High School, learned at an early age the importance of self-sufficiency and going after what you believe in.

His experiences as a young man gave him an entrepreneurial spirit, first encouraging him to meet the needs of bus-riders in his community by creating and selling affordable solarpowered cell phone chargers that they could use on-the-go. In 2014, Cameron began volunteering for local political campaigns, handing out flyers and encouraging his fellow citizens to vote. Understanding the importance of voting to have a voice in one’s community, Cameron continues to be a solid advocate for voting rights. In fact, he always has voter registration cards on hand to give out! As the grandson of a person with HIV/AIDS, and seeing firsthand how the issue disproportionately affects African American communities, Cameron has also come to understand the importance and value of medical care in economically disadvantaged communities. For the past three years, he has worked as an intern for a medical clinic in a rural town and now aspires to be an Infectious Disease Specialist. As a member of Health Occupations Students of America, Cameron won first place in the State of Arkansas for

Extemporaneous Writing for his clinical research and writing skills.

By Lynn Lampkin