Browsing: People

Our greatest asset in Mississippi is our people. Get to know the people who make up our Mississippi home!

Say the name Larry McKay to anyone in North Mississippi, and the first word that comes up for discussion is basketball. If the discussion continues, talk of Baldwyn High School invariably comes up – Baldwyn Bearcat championship basketball, to be precise.

Gulfport, MS– Ashley Tucker of West Wortham Elementary School, Lester Dempsey of Harrison County Career and Technical Center, and Shelley Silvas of Harrison County School District have been nominated for National Life Group’s 2024-25 LifeChanger of the Year award. Sponsored by the National Life Group Foundation, LifeChanger of the Year recognizes and rewards the very best K-12 educators and school district employees across the United States who are making a difference in the lives of students by exemplifying excellence, positive influence, and leadership. 

Tessa Keating, an alumna of The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), never thought her job at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center would allow her to contribute to historic events within the space program. Now, she helps promote Artemis, a series of ongoing lunar missions, to everyone who visits the space center’s campus, showcasing a new generation of explorers.

“Well, it’s a long way from Star, Mississippi,” for some. However, the small town is home to some notable people, and the town’s history is rich with stories of resilience and community. Star continues to be a place of significance in Mississippi’s cultural landscape.

Bozo’s Grocery is celebrating 68 years of serving up the finest fresh seafood, shrimp, crawfish, and signature seasonings on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Pascagoula staple has become a popular tourist attraction and a local favorite, and for a good reason — it’s delicious. 

Dr. Holly Huye, professor in the School of Kinesiology and Nutrition at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to Service Learning in Higher Education Research by the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning in Higher Education. The award is given to an individual who has demonstrated excellence in community-engaged research and/or scholarship on the teaching and learning of service-learning.