CHS Evans Selected as Alternate for State Board of Education

Corinth High School junior Max Evans was selected as the alternate junior student representative for the Mississippi State Board of Education. As alternate, if the current junior student representative (Gulfport High School’s Cannon Parker) is unable to fulfill his term for any reason, Max will step in and complete the term. 

Student representatives are non-voting Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) members who serve two years and provide input on policy decisions that affect Mississippi public schools. Each year after the senior representative graduates, the junior representative is promoted to the senior representative position and a new junior representative is appointed.

When learning of the news, Max was thrilled. “I can’t even put into words how excited I am to be selected as the alternate for the SBE student representative position!” said Max. “I was ecstatic when I found out I made it to the second interview. When I was given this opportunity to become the student representative, my mind started to race with all the opportunities that may present themselves. Although I was not named student representative, I have been truly blessed through this opportunity. I plan to take all that I have learned during the process and take it here to Corinth.”

The eligible applicant pool for the 2026-27 junior representative included 33 students. Max is one of the eleven semifinalists who will join the Mississippi Department of Education State Superintendent Student Advisory Council, providing input about educational opportunities and policy with the state superintendent of education. 

The semifinalists completed a multi-stage in-person interview process. “The interview process was completely new to me,” said Max. “I went into the interview looking for experience and that is exactly what I got. It was awesome to get to experience the state-level boardroom and all that came with it. I did not plan on having my second interview in the Dallas airport, but it is the unplanned that makes it so exciting.”

This experience has been invaluable to Max. “This experience has taught me how to communicate with people in higher positions than me,” said Max. “This is not only important in the work field but it also will follow me the rest of my life. I think this experience has most prepared me by challenging my belief about opportunity. Not every lion that chases a deer catches it, but every lion that catches a deer chased it first. You’ll never catch anything if you don’t chase it.”

At Corinth High School, Max is the vice president of the Student Council for the 2026-27 school year. He also is pursuing a Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma and is involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Future Business Leaders of America. Additionally, he is a multi-sport varsity athlete, competing in soccer, track, cross country and golf. He is also the founder and owner of Max and Co, a company that designs and builds AI-powered websites for small businesses to improve their online presence. At First Baptist Church in Corinth, he is a leadership team member in the youth group.

Overall, this experience will help him as he prepares for his student leadership role at Corinth High School. “This experience has helped me realize the importance of communication in high held positions by welcoming student involvement and opinion,” said Max. “I was also able to observe previous SBE student representatives and how they approached leadership. As Vice President, I plan integrate these methods into my leadership style as I develop.”

Approximately 15 state boards of education have successfully implemented student advisory programs. In 2018, the Mississippi SBE adopted a policy outlining the criteria for adding student representatives to the State Board.