Mississippi University for Women unleashed 430 graduates on the world Saturday, but not all of them will jump right into the job their dream jobs. And the president of the Mississippi Economic Council says that”s OK.
Blake Wilson, president of the MEC, addressed the graduates in two separate graduation ceremonies Saturday in Rent Auditorium on the MUW campus. His advice to students was concentrate less on your job title and more on your job”s impact.
“It relates to the fact they”ve got to define their own measure of success,” said Wilson after the morning ceremony. “Being successful is not always what”s on your resume. Don”t get caught up in your resume and lose sight of what makes a difference.”
Wilson pointed to visionaries such as Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, Bob Pittman, father of MTV, and Fred Smith, founder of FedEx. All lived in Mississippi at one point and all began their endeavors amid recessions.
“They took the road less traveled, and they made all the difference,” said Wilson.
The students who heard Wilson”s words will take a number of different paths, all leading to their own standard of success.
Ciera Morton, 23, of Columbus, plans to put her nursing degree to work as soon as possible and has opted to stay local.
“I”m going to stick around. It”s my hometown so I want to give something back,” she said. I just want to be the best I can be and excel in nursing.”
She says her time at MUW was challenging but “well worth the ride.” With her graduation moments prior still seeming unreal, she stressed that anyone can earn a degree if they”re willing to work for it.
Verdia Verdell, 34, of Brooksville, put in the work and earned her degree the long way. She earned her bachelor”s in business administration after going to work for the Noxubee County tax collector”s office, having a daughter and getting married. She made it back to school after years away from academics, and now she can”t get enough. She plans to pursue a master”s degree, possibly at Mississippi State University.
Suzanne Moore, 22, of Decatur, also chose to come back for more. She”ll return to MUW in August to begin work on her master”s in speech language pathology.
“It will be a short summer. A bit of a break then back in school,” said Moore.
She didn”t have to think long about how she plans to make a difference one day. The progress her grandparents made from working with speech pathologists after suffering strokes inspired Moore to enter the field. She hopes to one day join a nursing home or rehabilitation center staff to do the same.
Scott Gerald Davis, 23, defines success as good eating. The Baton Rouge, La., native came to MUW because it”s the “only school I can get a bachelor”s in culinary arts for less than $30,000 a year.”
Davis plans to become a sous chef at a catering business and eventually work his way toward his own restaurant.
He described his four years at MUW as “long.”
“I like the school. I do quite a lot. But it”s been long and not even because of classes. That”s just life. But driving 5 hours every time I wanted to go home was just tedious,” he said.
Raymond Hallera, 23, of Columbus, traveled much longer than five hours to find himself at MUW, but stayed close to home at the same time. The Guam native moved to Columbus when he was 13 when his father took a job at Columbus Air Force Base.
Hallera was surrounded by family Saturday as he accepted his degree in business administration, with the notable exception of his father, Antonio Hallera, who passed away recently.
“I did it for him, but mostly I did it for myself,” said Hallera. “I”m proud of myself. I”m proud of my brothers” and sisters” support. That”s all I could ask for.”
Hallera didn”t express any concrete plans Saturday, but remained optimistic despite the prospect of possibly having to “work for the man, now.”
“There are no worries right now. I look forward to whatever the future holds for me. Who knows? I might be going back to school,” he said.
Joshua Weatherby, 25, is another Columbus student with strong family ties. With his business administration degree in hand, he”ll attend the Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Services in Decatur, Ga., to carry on a family tradition.
Weatherby plans to pursue a career in funeral services and says the business department at MUW gave him the educational foundation he needs.
“The business department (at MUW) made me who I am. They taught me to be dignified,” he said.
Wherever the students begin their journey, Wilson asked them to make the most of their starting points.
“The experience they get in whatever job they take will end up being the prologue to their careers,” Wilson said. “It may be the best thing that ever happened. The biggest challenge could be your greatest opportunity. It”s how you deal with the challenge.”
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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