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The Led County Ledger
Your Hometown Source Of Local News
Hometown Newspaper of Carol and Eddie Lisenbv
Volume XLIII- Number 49
Leesburg, Georgia - - August 11, 2021
Fifty Cents
Getting to Know Our 2021 LCHS Distinguished Alumnus
Jefferson C. “Cal” Callier, LCHS Class of 1980
Special to the Ledger
Jefferson C. “Cal”
Callier, LCHS Class of
1980 graduate, had an
outstanding academ
ic record as a student
leader and as a champion
debater while attend
ing Lee County High
School. Cal joined
the Debate Team his
freshman year of high
school. In 1980, Cal and
his teammates brought
home Lee County High
School’s first-ever State
Debate Championship.
Not only did the team
achieve great success,
they mentored the
younger debaters who
then went on to achieve
equal and even greater
successes. The 2021
Lee County High School
Distinguished Alumni
board is proud to recog
nize Cal Callier as one
of this year’s recipients.
While in high school
Cal was not only an
excellent student,
graduating third in his
class, and an outstand
ing debater, he was also
voted Junior Class Pres
ident and then Mr. Lee
County High School.
During his senior year at
LCHS, as a dual enrolled
student at what was then
Albany Junior College,
his academic success
was recognized by his
professors when he was
asked to tutor full-time
upperclassmen college
students.
Through his debate
experience while in
high school, Cal decid
ed that his life’s work
would be as an attorney.
Following graduation,
Cal enrolled at Mercer
University in the fall
of 1980 and completed
his Bachelor of Arts
degree, graduating Cum
Laude in 1983. He then
continued his education
at Mercer Law School
graduating Cum Laude
in 1987 with his Juris
Doctor degree. After
passing the Georgia bar
exam, Cal worked on
the Georgia Supreme
Court where he was
recognized by those he
worked for and those he
worked with as a gifted
student of the law. Since
that time Cal has earned
a reputation as one of
the outstanding lawyers
in this state with a work
ethic that out works and
out thinks his opponents.
Cal is listed by Martin-
dale-Hubbell as an “A
V Preeminent” attorney,
which is the highest
peer-review rating an
attorney can achieve.
Cal knew he wanted
to have a law practice
that drew upon the
skills learned while on
the Lee County debate
team. The Callier Firm
opened its doors in 1988
in the private practice
of law specializing in
personal injury litiga
tion, wrongful death,
and medical malpractice.
Cal’s law practice has
been devoted exclusive
ly to representing real
people and families. Cal
believes that the first and
most important role of
an attorney is to serve as
“counselor.”
Cal has given back
to his profession in
many ways, serving as
Chairman of both the
Federal Bar Association
for the Middle District
of Georgia as well as
the General Practice
and Trial Section of the
Georgia State Bar. Upon
appointment by the Su
preme Court of Georgia,
he has served as “special
Master” in disciplinary
cases against attorneys
accused of wrongdoing
as well as serving as a
mentor to young law
yers. He is a Sustaining
Fellow of the Georgia
Bar Foundation which
recognizes lawyers who
have made significant
contributions to both
the legal profession and
to the community and
funds law-related proj
ects to local nonprofits
throughout Georgia.
While in law school,
Cal met his wife Linda
Henry. They married
in 1988 and moved to
Columbus, where he
has practiced law since.
Linda and Cal have two
children, Matt and Mary
Helen. Matt attended
Mercer and Mercer
Medical School. He is
currently in residency in
New Orleans in ortho
pedic surgery. Mary
Helen is a graduate of
UGA and was accepted
into the graduate writing
program at Washington
University in St. Louis
where she received her
Masters Degree in 2021.
She will be returning for
a third year at WashU
with teaching responsi
bilities.
Congratulations Cal
Callier, a 2021 LCHS
Distinguished Alumni!
Auburn doctoral candidate making a difference
by leading academic readiness program
Jalia Taylor is a 2008 Graduate of Lee County
High School. She is a resident of Smithville,
and a member of New Hope African Methodist
Episcopal Church. She is the daughter of
Kimberly and David Page and Lafayette Taylor
and the granddaughter of Lawrence Gay of
Smithville GA and Missionary Lois Taylor of
Warner Robins, GA. Jalia and her two sisters
are graduates of Lee County High School and
all three hold Master’s Degrees.
Special to the Ledger
Ja’Lia Taylor wants
to make a difference in
people’s lives, and she’s
using her time at Auburn
to do so.
Taylor, a special educa
tion doctoral candidate in
the College of Education
and master’s student in
the Raymond J. Harbert
College of Business,
recently formed the
Young Professionals
in Training program at
Auburn as a mentoring
and tutoring program
for students grades 5-12
from underrepresented
populations near Auburn.
The program—aimed at
exposing students to ma
jors and career paths at
the university—involves
faculty, staff, students
and alumni serving as
mentors who meet with
mentees once a month
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50 Years of Lee
County High
School Football
1971 Football Players,
Coaches
and Cheerleaders
You are invited to a
reception
in your honor.
August 27, 2021
7:00 PM -
Pre-game fellowship
Lee County High
School Lecture Hall
Half-Time recognition
For more information
contact Donna Jones -
jonesdo@lee.k12.ga.us
to build relationships
and discuss topics, such
as social and emotional
health, community proj
ects and career paths.
Young Professionals in
Training, in partnership
with nonprofit commu
nity service organization
The Curtis House, sup
ports college readiness.
Students who participate
in Young Professionals
in Training will gain ac
cess to Auburn First, Au
burn’s dual-enrollment
program. Those who
earn at least six credit
hours and maintain a 3.0
cumulative GPA by Aug.
15 of their senior year of
high school qualify for
automatic admission to
the university.
Taylor started a similar
mentoring and tutor
ing program near her
hometown of Smith
ville, Georgia, and was
inspired to start Young
Professionals in Training
at Auburn while serving
on the Presidential Task
Force for Opportunity
and Equity.
“President [Jay] Gogue
is one of my mentors
here at Auburn, and
he talks a lot about the
power of the individual,”
said Taylor. “I figured I
could just jump out there
and get it started since
I had a similar model
that I started back home.
The difference is this
program will also offer
a pathway to Auburn
University.”
Taylor believes all
students deserve a fair
opportunity to improve
their circumstances, no
matter their socio-eco
nomic status.
“This program will
provide students and
their families with the
necessary support for
them to improve their
lives,” she said. “We do
this by providing the
mentoring and tutoring
sessions for the students
and the workshops for
the parents.”
Many Auburn facul
ty and staff members,
including Gogue, will
welcome the first cohort
of students this month,
support the program and
cheer on Taylor for her
efforts.
“Faculty and staff
have been crucial in
the development of the
program, as well as Ta-
marcus Milner, president
of The Curtis House,”
said Taylor. “Faculty and
staff consist of George
Flowers, Cheryl Seals,
Venus Hewing, Kim
berly Mulligan-Guy,
Adrienne Duke, Soledad
Peresin, Jason Bryant,
Alii Bracewell, Andrew
McGill, Michele Cole,
Wendy Franklin and
Martina McGhee, who
developed the curricu
lum for the students in
the program.”
McGhee is working
with a team of faculty to
implement a curriculum
that focuses on social
and emotional aware
ness, and the importance
of air, soil and water
quality. The curriculum
also inspires change in
the community through
a tailored, year-long
community project that
allows participants to
learn about, research
and share a solution to
empower the community
through environmental
sustainability.
“I want the students
to explore in a way that
makes sense to them
and engage with their
community in an authen
tic way that is relatable,”
said McGhee, assistant
clinical professor of
elementary education in
the College of Education.
“Each grade level will
learn how to be an active
agent in sustainability
and be academically
encouraged to explore
career paths that might
be unique. The team is
excited to see the curric
ulum implemented and
looks forward to kicking
off the program.”
Taylor first presented
the idea for the program
to Joffery Gaymon, vice
president for enrollment
at Auburn, and Provost
Bill Hardgrave, who
quickly offered their
support.
“When Ja’Lia shared
her idea for the program,
I knew it was some
thing that would make
a difference and allow
the Auburn Family to
participate in something
bigger than themselves,”
said Gaymon. “I’m excit
ed to see what amazing
things come from this
program.”
Students on the adviso
ry board for the program
also contributed great
ly to its development.
Those students are Jailin
Sanders, Lane Jemison,
Mya Strickland, Donielle
Fagan, Elizabeth Devore,
Oluchi Oyekwe, Shikia
Carter and Jeremy Gray.
The Office of Univer
sity Outreach and the
Truman Pierce Institute
will house the program.
The program begins on
Aug. 28.
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