Yesterday my friend from boarding school Desmond Walker and I reconnected for the first time in over 20 years. We were both thankful to reconnect but also so grateful for Mississippi’s investment in opportunities for excellence in us through our attending the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS).
We both agreed how the MSMS experience laid the foundation for our current ability to serve as national leaders of excellence in two careers: STEM education for me and Navy officer-ship for Desmond. As natives of rural Mississippi and graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), we both discussed how people with backgrounds like ours are sometimes not sought out to lead. However, when you pray, believe, and work hard so that you are ready for extraordinary opportunities that arise, the sky is the limit on God’s plan for your life as well as the lives of those you love and surround yourself with.
Thanks Desmond for taking time out of your day as Special Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations to give us a tour. I look forward to watching you continue to soar and using you as an example of educational and career excellence!
What are the ROIs (returns on investment) on the opportunities for excellence you have received? I’d love to hear some of them. I know they, like ours, have been beyond your original thoughts and dreams!
