Friday, two pillars of education in Pearl River County were honored by their college alma mater with their induction into the William Carey University Hall of Fame.

The vice-president
Adam Breerwood is the vice-president of Pearl River Community College’s Poplarville campus and the Hancock County center.
According to his biography, Breerwood earned his bachelor of science in social science in 1997 and a master of education in 1999. In 2003, he earned his Ph.D in higher education administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.
In addition to vice-president, Breerwood has served as the college of dean of student services, director of recruitment and orientation, head soccer coach, assistant baseball coach and faculty member, his biography states.
Breerwood has earned many honors, including recognition by the Mississippi Business Journal as one of the state’s top 40 business leaders. He was also recognized by Rotary International as a “Paul Harris Fellow” and among the Who’s Who in American Community Colleges Administrators from 2011 to 2015, his biography states. In 2015, he was recognized at PRCC’s Administrator of the year by the Association of Educational Office Professionals and Mississippi Community and Junior College’s “Coach of the Year” in 2003.
According to his biography, Breerwood was inducted into the PRCC Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the PRCC baseball All-State and All-Region Selection from 1994 to 1995.
During his acceptance speech, Breerwood spoke of the pride he feels to be part of such an “outstanding institution.”
“I am humbled to be a part of the history, tradition and legacy of William Carey University,” Breerwood said. “I am truly in awe of the accomplishments of my fellow inductees. This is a moment in my life that I will never forget. Since that first time in 1995, I was simply a young man, searching for an education, searching to fulfill the dreams to play college baseball and searching for a career path. What I actually learned during this search is a new level of expectation for myself, socially, morally, ethically and certainly spiritually.”

The superintendent

Carl Merritt, Jr. is the current superintendent of the Poplarville School District.
According to his biography, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1978. In 1985, he earned his master of administration and supervision from Southeastern Louisiana University and in 1990, earned his specialist in education from William Carey University.
Before assuming the position of superintendent, Merritt also served as Poplarville’s assistant superintendent from 2005 to 2006. He was also principal of Poplarville High School, assistant principal and coach at Poplarville Middle School and assistant principal, athletic director and attendance supervisor at Pine High School in Franklinton, Louisiana, his biography states.
He serves on the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents. During his term at Poplarville High School, the school received a rating of 5, one of the highest possible ratings for high schools in the state, his biography states.
Merritt’s recognitions include Poplarville School District Administrator of the Year and was recognized by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, in Washington, D.C., his biography states.
According to Merritt’s biography, while he served as principal of Poplarville High School, the school was recognized as a Blue Ribbon School and received the program of research and evaluation for public schools award in 2002, 2005 and 2012 through 2015 for academic excellence.
“I’m truly honored to be inducted into the William Carey Hall of Fame,” Merritt said during his acceptance speech. “This is an honor that I will carry with me throughout the rest of my life. My education at William Carey has provided me a path in public education that has spanned 37-years and I still love it as much today, as I did 37-years ago. Twenty-six years of those I served as an administrator and eight years as a superintendent. Being an educator that’s around children, I say this to every adult that I can, never ever pass up an opportunity to acknowledge a child.”