Clinton Math and Science School senior vying in national Super Kid contest

High school senior and Clinton resident Jeremy Burwell is on track to go from being a fan of comics to starring in his own.

He is one of 840 quarterfinalists in Stan Lee’s Super Kid contest. If he wins the national contest, he’ll get a $25,000 honorarium, four VIP passes to Los Angeles Comic Con 2027 and a comic book character based on himself.

Parents must submit an entry form on their child’s behalf. LaToya Clarke-Horne, Burwell’s mother, nominated him to the competition. However, knowing her son can be pessimistic, she waited until he garnered positive results to tell him about the contest. 

“I’m not really sure how to feel…surprised, definitely,” said Burwell, when asked how he felt about the support he’s received.

Clark-Horne describes her son as kind and intelligent. 

“His heart is unmatched,” she said.

“He loves the Lord, he loves people, he loves his family, he loves annoying his sister.”

At the time of publication, the contest is in the quarterfinals. Contestants, who must be between the ages of 5 and 17, are divided into groups. To advance in the competition, a contestant must get the most votes out of his or her group. Supporters can cast one vote per day, or donate to the Stan Lee Foundation to cast multiple votes at once.

During the final round, the votes will be reset, and a single winner will be chosen. One quarterfinalist will be the “Critic’s Pick” winner and appear in the comic book along with the Grand Prize winner.

According to Burwell’s profile, he got into comics when his mother was a high school librarian.

His mother said on the profile page, “He would read everything he could get his hands on, and he gravitated to superheroes because of the core values they taught. He often talked about fighting for those who couldn’t help themselves, and I think it just took root. That’s part of the reason why he does his best to help others.”

His favorite heroes are Iron Man and Black Panther, and his preferred super power is healing. Reading is one of his favorite hobbies, along with video games, napping and more.

If he wins, Burwell wants to donate the prize money to local charities and his high school, the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus.

At school, he’s in the Model Security Council, Tales from the Crypt, is an English peer tutor, a senator in Student Government Association and more. He also does tutoring and manages the livestream at his church, Faith Christian Center Ministries in Utica.

Outside of school, he’s part of the Mississippi Department of Education’s State Superintendent Student Advisory Council.

Voting ends on Nov. 19, and the grand prize winner will be announced on Dec. 17.