Vicksburg resident Dr. Terrance James has been named the 2024 Young, Gifted and Empowered Educator of the Year.

James is Vicksburg Warren School District (VWSD) administrator for the Career and Technical Center at Hinds Community College.

Under James’ leadership, career and technical education high school graduates have earned more than 12,951 semester hours of college credit, saving more than $9 million in college tuition.

“I felt like it was divine intervention that led me into education,” James said. “Education is a calling. You have to be passionate about it. You have to care about the children. You have to love what you are doing. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into it, physically and emotionally. But at the end of the day you know that you are doing something great.”

The Young, Gifted and Empowered Awards’ mission is to empower and uplift the voices of the African American community by providing a platform for diverse and inclusive storytelling. The program strives to challenge and shift negative narratives, promote understanding and representation, and inspire positive change through the power of media.

The awards celebrate young African Americans from Mississippi and the South who are positively affecting change at local, national and global levels.