Tyshun Hopson, a graduate of Meridian High School, was recently named the 2023 recipient of The Coates, Whitney, Porter Pastoral Scholarship at Historic First Union Baptist Church.

Hopson, the son of Latesha Hopson and Calvin Arrington, is a highest honors graduate and was ranked sixth in his class. Voted Mr. MHS, he was a member of the Wildcat Band and the choral ensemble. He was in AP biology and the dual enrollment program at Meridian Community College.

He was selected for the Leadership Lauderdale Youth Program, where his own project was to raise money for a new sign at The Playground for Jesus. He is a member of The Pentecostal Church of God where he participates in various activities. He has volunteered for community service work through his church and school.

Hopson plans to attend The University of Southern Mississippi to major in marketing.

The Coates, Whitney, Porter Pastoral Scholarship is named in honorable memory of three former pastors of Historic First Union Baptist Church in Meridian. They are the Rev. Dr. Benjamin W. Coates, pastor from 1929 until 1956; the Rev. Dr. Samuel Leon Whitney, pastor from January 1957 to December 1958; and the Rev. Dr. Richard S. Porter, pastor from July 1, 1959, until May 12, 1974. All three pastors were very prominent in the state and were responsible for building and promoting endless growth at HFUBC and the Meridian/east Mississippi community.

The scholarship is awarded annually to an African American high school graduate from Meridian or Lauderdale County seeking to enter college. It is based solely on scholastic achievement, financial need and personal involvement in church, school and community. An essay is also required along with a transcript and the application.

The scholarship was conceived, developed and financed by a former member of HFUBC who was strongly mentored and influenced by the three honored pastors. He is former Meridian resident the Rev. Dr. Eddie O’Neal Jr., an alumnus of Tougaloo College where he was initiated into the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and was trained at Andover Seminary in Maryland.

O’Neal pastored for several decades and is currently retired and living in Boston, Massachusetts.

The first annual The Coates, Whitney, Porter Pastoral Scholarship was awarded in 2022 to Northeast High School salutatorian Jayla Henry, who attends Mississippi State University, and Meridian High School honors graduate Johnny Moore, a student at Alabama A&M University. Their parents are Erin Henry and Parkeeta Graham, respectively.