Caleb Smith stood illuminated under the stage lights in the Jones College auditorium in Ellisville, Mississippi, on Jan. 28, 2026. Smith gives a lecture to his students in his classroom located in College Hall on the Jones College campus in Ellisville, Miss. “It’s one of the biggest teaching awards I’ve ever gotten to be selected by the Mississippi Humanities Council.” The following year, Jones College offered him a teaching position, and he has worked at the Jones County school since accepting the role six years ago. The Jones College professor said he hopes his classroom is an inviting, friendly environment where students can learn and explore their own interests.