Millsaps College is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Alumni Awards, honoring three outstanding grads whose achievements and service reflect the enduring values of leadership, community engagement and excellence.
The awards will be presented during Homecoming Weekend festivities on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Selby and Richard McRae Christian Center.
This year’s honorees include:
- Lloyd Gray, Sr. ’76 – Distinguished Alumnus Award
- Jade Hewitt ’12 Outstanding Young Alumna Award
- The Rev. Katie Sorey ’11– Jim Livesay Service Award
Lloyd Gray, Sr., recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award, has devoted his career to journalism, public service and educational philanthropy throughout Mississippi. As executive director of The Phil Hardin Foundation, Gray leads one of the state’s most influential philanthropic organizations, supporting educational opportunity, community development and civic revitalization across Mississippi.
A native Mississippian and longtime journalist, Gray spent more than two decades as executive editor of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo. Earlier in his career, he served as state Capitol correspondent and managing editor of The Sun Herald, editor of The Meridian Star and an Assistant Secretary of State for Mississippi. His leadership in journalism earned widespread recognition, including four J. Oliver Emmerich Awards as Mississippi’s top editorial writer.
Since joining The Phil Hardin Foundation in 2015, Gray has focused on expanding the organization’s educational investments while increasing its statewide impact. Under his leadership, the foundation has supported educational, civic and business initiatives throughout Mississippi, including numerous efforts in Jackson and at Millsaps College.
Gray has remained actively involved in community and nonprofit leadership, serving as past president of the Mississippi Press Association, past board chair of Mississippi Methodist Senior Services and current vice chair of the Mississippi Alliance of Nonprofits and Philanthropy. While at Millsaps, he served as editor of The Purple and White and president of Kappa Alpha fraternity.
He and his wife, Sally, are members of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Jackson and are the proud parents of three children, including two Millsaps graduates.
Jade Hewitt, recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumna, , has built a remarkable career using photography and storytelling to elevate women’s sports and champion female athletes on some of the world’s biggest stages.
After graduating from Millsaps in 2012 with a degree in studio arts focused on digital arts and a minor in art history, Hewitt earned a Master of Fine Arts in film production from the University of New Orleans. At Millsaps, she was a standout member of the softball team, earning four varsity letters, All-Conference and All-Tournament honors, and serving as team captain during her junior and senior seasons.
Today, Hewitt serves as Director of Photography for Athletes Unlimited and the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, overseeing photography for the league and its six professional teams. Her work has helped bring greater visibility to women’s sports and the athletes who compete at the highest levels.
Hewitt also serves as an official photographer and videographer for USA Softball. Among the highlights of her distinguished career was documenting Team USA’s silver-medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics, an experience she describes as one of her proudest professional achievements. She continues to work closely with USA Softball and the Women’s National Team.
Guided by a mission to champion female athletes and expand opportunities for women in sports, Hewitt has used her talents to tell powerful stories that inspire and connect audiences around the world.
Jade is not simply photographing the growth of women’s sports; she is actively helping propel that growth by elevating female athletes, building their brands, preserving their accomplishments and inspiring the next generation of women and girls to see greater possibilities for themselves in athletics. Her professional achievements, pioneering work and connection to her own experience as a Millsaps student-athlete make her an outstanding example of leadership and promise this award was created to recognize.
The Rev. Katie Sorey, this year’s Jim Livesay Service Award has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service, inclusion and community throughout her career and her ongoing relationship with Millsaps College.
Currently serving as an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of East Tennessee, Sorey has dedicated her ministry and professional life to creating welcoming communities and fostering meaningful engagement across lines of difference. Her work is marked by a commitment to interfaith engagement, LGBTQIA+ inclusion and racial justice.
Sorey’s connection to Millsaps has spanned multiple roles. As a student, she emerged as a campus leader committed to service and involvement. She later returned to Millsaps as a member of the Student Life staff, serving from 2018 to 2022, supporting student programming focused on inclusion and engagement.
Even while studying at Sewanee’s School of Theology, she proudly displayed a Millsaps College flag from her seminarian apartment, reflecting her enduring affection for her alma mater.
Her dedication to improving the student experience earned her the Harrylyn G. Sallis Community Service Award in 2020 and the Jack Woodward Award for Student Life in 2021. Through her leadership, volunteerism and continued support of Millsaps and its students, Sorey exemplifies the spirit of the Outstanding Young Alumna Award.