Cellular South: Mississippi Student-Athletes Score Big With New Cellular South Gameplan

Cellular South, the nation's largest privately held wireless provider, today introduced the new Cellular South Gameplan aimed at increasing the success rate for college admission for Mississippi high school student-athletes.

Cellular South has teamed up with the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), the Mississippi State Department of Education and Sports Dreammakers Inc. to launch the Cellular South Gameplan -- an in-school program designed to inspire, prepare and inform teenage athletes about college opportunities and the possibilities of reaching their dreams through academic excellence. This ground-breaking educational program will help the more than 90,000 Mississippi high school athletes understand NCAA academic standards and scholarship funding opportunities, while providing the tools to master the skills necessary to be successful.

"At Cellular South we are dedicated to helping provide Mississippi's youth the ongoing support they need to succeed," said Hu Meena, president and CEO of Cellular South. "We realize the potential of thousands of high school student-athletes throughout the state and are excited to launch the Cellular South Gameplan to make the dream of attending college a reality for so many talented young athletes."

With the goal of putting the student back into student-athlete, the Cellular South Gameplan is designed to help young Mississippi athletes prepare for college and achieve their full potential through a series of in-school educational workshops and follow-up sessions. Each workshop will include a specially designed curriculum that provides students with information on the necessary course and GPA requirements needed to meet NCAA standards and will offer tools and training on a variety of topics ranging from goal-setting to NCAA Clearinghouse eligibility. Follow-up counseling sessions will be available for additional support to help student-athletes continue on the right path to becoming a success at the next level.

"Educating today's young people cannot be the sole responsibility of schools. It takes business, industry, the community and schools working in partnership," explained Dr. Hank M. Bounds, state superintendent of education for Mississippi. "We have seen lots of examples of this over the past year. I appreciate Cellular South getting in the game to help our student-athletes graduate and fulfill their academic potential while excelling in their athletic endeavors."

The Cellular South Gameplan will be rolled out to more than 25 high schools throughout the state, with a goal of more than 100 schools in two years. However, high school students throughout the state can receive support and guidance from the Cellular South Gameplan by visiting www.cellularsouthgameplan.com.