Degree: B.A. in Public Policy Leadership, Economics, and Southern Studies
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship gifted me the flexibility to explore my various interests, and their intersections, during my college career. Both the financial support of Stamps and the network it gave me with college administration have been critical as my passions evolved, narrowed, and ossified. Stamps allowed me to live in and explore communities from Bangkok to Cape Town to the Mississippi Delta, and seeing areas around the world grapple with issues of segregation, opportunity, and bias has helped me ask better questions in the work I do in the South. Without Stamps, I do not believe that I would have felt confident changing my fields of study freshman year after learning about education issues in Mississippi; today, a dedication to education is a key component of how I see myself and my work in the world.
Tell us a piece of wisdom you’ve learned over the past four years.
Ask for what you want and be frank about what you need. I came to college not wanting to inconvenience anyone by asking for assistance, and not wanting to need anyone else’s help. The last four years have taught me that people – and especially the University – will give you incredible support if you have good ideas and quality plans to execute them. More importantly, they’ve taught me that it’s okay to need other people.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
Dr. Winkle, a political science professor at the University of Mississippi, has had an unrivaled impact on me throughout my college career. He is the epitome of the personal, individualized experience I trumpet finding at UM; he has helped me refine my academic interests, supported my career goals, and taught me to better reflect in pursuit of self-care and the work-life balance I desire. He has asked hard questions of me, and helped me learn to ask better questions of myself and others.
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
My cohort, and the entire UM Stamps community, is incredibly close. We frequently spend time together outside of our trips and University-sponsored functions, and that has been a highlight of my college career. My single favorite memory, though, is the service trip we took to New Orleans my sophomore year. I got to share my home with a group that is special to me, and we had some group conversations that were foundational to the community culture we’ve created.
What comes next?
Next year, I will be teaching high school English in Holly Springs, MS through Mississippi Teacher Corps while earning a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
“The best way to ensure a child gets ahead is to guarantee they never fall behind.” – Former Secretary Castro