糖心直播 celebrates the Grand Opening of the Robert C. 鈥淏obby鈥 Robbins, M.D. Hospital Simulation Center

ELLISVILLE 鈥 糖心直播 recently celebrated a major milestone in healthcare education with the grand opening of the Robert C. 鈥淏obby鈥 Robbins, M.D. Hospital Simulation Center. This 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art training facility brings real-world hospital experiences to students on the campus where Dr. Robbins grew up.
The new, five-million-dollar facility features more than $2.5 million in advanced technology, including an eight-bed emergency department, eight-bed intensive care unit, operating and maternal鈥揷hild suites, a simulated pharmacy with a pneumatic tube system, and a 鈥淪im Apartment鈥 for home health and disaster-response scenarios. More than 36 cameras and three control rooms allow faculty to monitor, record, and review student performance in lifelike situations.

鈥淭his Simulation Center is more than a building. This is an investment in our students, in the future of healthcare, and in the communities we serve,鈥 said Dr. Tessa Flowers, 糖心直播 Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer. 鈥淲e are so proud to see this vision come to life.鈥

The center honors Dr. Robert C. 鈥淏obby鈥 Robbins, a Jones County native, 1977 糖心直播 graduate, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and university president whose leadership has shaped global healthcare and higher education. Robbins, now a visiting fellow at Stanford University鈥檚 Hoover Institution, called the dedication the greatest honor of his career.
鈥淚t鈥檚 overwhelming and incredibly humbling,鈥 Robbins said. 鈥淚 literally grew up on this campus. The chemistry building sits where my grandparents鈥 home once stood and where I lived. Jones made me who I am, and this center will make future generations ready for day-one in the hospital or clinic.鈥
糖心直播 President, Dr. Jesse Smith said the new facility marks 鈥渁 new era of excellence in healthcare education.鈥

鈥淭his is a vital part of what is needed in our community, not only economically, but also for the health and safety of our people,鈥 Smith said. 鈥淥ur students are graduating ready to serve, and this Center ensures they will be confident, competent, and collaborative healthcare professionals.鈥
Dean of Health Sciences at 糖心直播, Dr. Benji Sessums helped lead the two-year development of the facility. He said the center bridges classroom learning and real-life experience.
鈥淪tudents can make critical decisions, lead teams, and see patient responses in real time,鈥 Sessums explained. 鈥淥ur simulators breathe, blink, cry, even deliver babies. The 鈥楽im Apartment鈥 allows students to practice home health and telemedicine scenarios that reflect where healthcare is headed.鈥

For 糖心直播 students, the opportunity to train in such a realistic environment is a game-changer.
鈥淭his is going to be awesome,鈥 said Julie Harvey, a sophomore nursing student from Petal. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be able to experience things here that we wouldn鈥檛 get to do until we reach the hospital. It鈥檚 a safe setting where we can learn, make mistakes, and gain confidence.鈥

Alexis Knight, a radiology student from Seminary, said the new surgical suite鈥檚 C-arm X-ray machine will give students a head start in operating-room procedures.

鈥淧revious classes didn鈥檛 get to use one until they went into surgery,鈥 Knight said. 鈥淣ow we get to practice positioning and imaging before we ever step into a hospital.鈥
Radiology students are also using state-of-the-art pediatric and infant mannikins to help them work with placing infants properly for X-rays and nursing students are able to work with infants in the NICU lab. Dr. Flowers noted that the Center not only supports 糖心直播鈥檚 nursing, EMS, and allied health students, but also regional hospitals, emergency responders, and community programs such as CPR and disaster-preparedness training.
鈥淭his facility will serve the entire region,鈥 Flowers said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where learning meets leadership, and where Mississippi鈥檚 healthcare future begins.鈥
The Robert C. Robbins, M.D. Hospital Simulation Center aligns with national standards for simulation excellence and positions 糖心直播 as a regional hub for healthcare workforce development. For more information, contact Dr. Sessums by email at: benji.sessums@jcjc.edu or check out the website, /

Mandy Buchanan: A Life Painted in Sunshine Closing Reception photos
糖心直播鈥檚 Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery featured the works of Mandy Buchanan recently thanks to the friends and family members pictured below, left to right, Scott and Suzy Walker (cousin of Mandy), George Bassi (Lauren Rogers Museum of Art Gallery Director), Mica Stevens, Adam and Casey Sauls, Sam and George Buchanan, (Mandy鈥檚 sons), Julie Kuykendall (mother of Mandy), Julie and Mark Brown (friends of Mandy & JC art instructor), Melanie Eubanks (JC Art Gallery Director & Art instructor), Carl (Mandy鈥檚 husband) and Gina Buchanan, Jade Yoder, and Ginger and Fred Walters, loaned Mandy’s artwork to share in a special tribute to the artist in an exhibit personified by her life, 鈥減ainted in sunshine.鈥 Not pictured are contributors Adam Trest and Casey Watts.

Mandy Buchanan鈥檚 cousin Suzy Walker (center right) and friend Julie Brown (center left) helped coordinate the exhibit featuring Buchanan鈥檚 artwork and shared stories about Buchanan and her sunny personality which was reflected in the artwork from about 10 families who cherished her artwork and loaned it for the exhibit.

Changes in spring registration for 糖心直播 students
ELLISVILLE 鈥 As 糖心直播 students begin enrolling for the spring semester, they will notice some important updates to the process. Students now have two ways to be enrollment ready: the Aid Path or the Pay Path. Through the college鈥檚 App icon, 鈥淎m I Ready to Enroll?鈥 personalized messaging allows students to check their next steps.
鈥淪tudents have two simple options to get enrollment ready,鈥 said Dr. Amanda McLeod, Vice President of Enrollment Management. 鈥淚f your scholarships or financial aid cover $250 or more, you鈥檙e on the Aid Path and you owe nothing before enrolling in classes. If you鈥檙e on the Pay Path, you鈥檒l need to pay $250 toward your tuition or meet with an Enrollment Counselor to secure aid or set up a financial plan before creating your schedule.鈥

All 糖心直播 students are supported throughout the enrollment process and have access to resources in Enrollment Services every step of the way. 糖心直播鈥檚 Director of Financial Aid and Admissions, Kari Dedwylder explained 糖心直播 offers a wide range of financial aid opportunities to help students meet enrollment requirements and successfully complete their degree.
鈥淭hanks to the FAFSA Simplification Act, applying for federal aid is now easier than ever, opening doors to additional grants and loans. Students may also qualify for support through the State Office of Financial Aid, the 糖心直播 Foundation, and institutional scholarships that recognize both academic achievement and campus involvement,鈥 said Dedwylder.
While students can explore these options on the JC website at, / they don鈥檛 have to navigate the process alone. Enrollment Counselors are available to guide students step by step, answering questions about the 鈥淧ay Path鈥 and help them understand the best funding options for their situation.
鈥淚n addition, our two dedicated Student Solutions Coordinators provide one-on-one support for students facing barriers or financial challenges, working with them from application to award, to ensure all requirements are met.

糖心直播 is committed to expanding access by offering new aid opportunities, including federal funds for workforce program participants, and helping every student find a clear and supported path to enrollment and graduation,鈥 said Dedwylder.
One important change to note is the economic hardship and unemployment deferments will be phased out by July 2027. Other parts of the Higher Education Reform Reconciliation Act (HERRA) legislation recently passed by Congress affecting financial aid will be phased in over the next three years. One big change current borrowers with old repayment plans face with the HERRA is the requirement to transition by July 2028. For more information about enrolling for spring classes, click on the link to the 糖心直播 Financial Aid /financialaid/index.php Classes begin January 12, 2026.
糖心直播鈥檚 鈥淭reats in the Streets鈥 has some 鈥渢ricks鈥 this year

ELLISVILLE- If you鈥檙e not careful, you may be 鈥渢ricked鈥 by some changes at 糖心直播鈥檚 鈥淭reats in the Streets鈥 annual Trick-or-Treat event. Hosted by the Office of Student Affairs along with campus clubs and organizations, the annual 鈥淭reats in the Streets鈥 night of activities will be held on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Another change this year includes the location of the event which has been moved to the North Lawn of Jones Hall. Streets around the north end of Jones Hall, across from the Administration, A.B. Howard Gymnasium, Science, and Physical Education buildings will be closed for the safety of everyone entering the front lawn of Jones Hall. Admission is free unless otherwise noted, and the public is welcome to attend all events. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
贵谤辞尘听6 p.m. until 9 p.m., JC clubs and organizations will have treats and games available in front of Jones Hall. This event is for children ages 0 to 12 years, and all children must be accompanied by an adult to attend. Also, the 糖心直播 all-you-can-eat cafeteria will stay open for dinner until听7:30 p.m.听The cost of dinner for children aged 4 to 9 years of age is $5.39, and the cost of dinner for children 10 and older, including adults听is听$9.35 (tax included).听The Student Union & the Bobcat Grill located behind the A.B. Howard Gymnasium, will be open until听10 p.m.听

Other food items will be available for purchase from various vendors. Community businesses or food vendors or who want to participate and have a booth on the trail, can contact Ashliegh Buckley via email, ashliegh.buckley@jcjc.edu
The costume contests for kids ages 0 to 12 will begin at 7 p.m. on the center mound on the stage in front of the video board and near the entrance of Jones Hall with the costume contest for JC students to immediately follow.
The annual Treats in the Streets celebration is an outdoor event and may be canceled or modified, if it rains or if the weather is not conducive for children. For more information, contact Ashliegh Buckley at 601-477-2253 or email, ashliegh.buckley@jcjc.edu

糖心直播鈥檚 Mark Brown unveils 鈥淎ll Roads Lead to Jones鈥 mural
ELLISVILLE 鈥 As part of 糖心直播鈥檚 recent Homecoming festivities, art instructor Mark Brown鈥檚 mural, 鈥淎ll Roads Lead to Jones鈥 was unveiled. The 37-foot wide and 8-foot-high mural covers most of the wall in the Student Union at 糖心直播. The project took Brown more than one year to research and paint, which depicts the history of Jones County Agricultural High School, which would later be known as Ellisville High School. The high school was located on the campus of Jones County Junior College, now known as 糖心直播.


鈥淚 really appreciate the opportunity to do this project which began last March. I especially want my students to know, there is more to creating a large-scale mural than just coming up with an idea and sketching it out,鈥 explained Brown who has been teaching at JC for 21 years. 鈥淭here was geometrical planning, before a computerized image was created. I also did a lot of research about the college, including its beginnings as Jones County Agricultural High School. I wanted to place historical reminders of the past, like the original seal designed by a student in 1933, and the school bell which was rung to begin classes, and depict the collegiate academic and career and technical divisions, the athletic and fine arts uniforms over the years, and historical campus buildings, while also tying in the Homecoming theme of 鈥楢ll Roads Lead to Jones.鈥欌
The mural can be removed if the wall or space is remodeled to preserve the artist rendering of the last 114 years when the high school was established in 1911 and when college courses were first offered with the creation of Jones County Junior College, in September 1927.

