I am a 1990 graduate of Jackson State University. I came here from Shaw, MS, a little small town in the Delta. After attending JSU’s Senior Day, I became hooked on the University. When I got ready to come back here to start school as a freshman, I had to hitch hike a ride. My mom gave me $20. I caught a ride with a guy and got dropped off at the corner of Lynch Street and Prentiss Street. I gave him $10 of the $20 that I had. I didn’t know anything about college, but Jackson State took me in and found a major for me. I finished my undergraduate degree in industrial technology and later earned my Master’s in Industrial Engineering at Mississippi State, and my Ph.D in Industrial Engineering at North Carolina A&T, and worked for many years.”

“How did you survive on $10?”

“As a freshman, we ate a lot of potted meat in the can, like vienna sausages and Spam. Also, I worked in the cafeteria during the evenings, and I was able to take some of the left over food with me. My mom would send me maybe $5 every two weeks. We didn’t have a lot of money. But, God blessed. We were poor, but in abundance in not knowing that we were poor. I got home for Thanksgiving Break by looking for cars with Bolivar County, Sunflower County, or Washington County tags. I figured that if I could catch a ride and get halfway home, I could get someone to come pick me up. I found someone from Bolivar County who was riding alone, so that’s how I got home.”

“How did the experience help shape you as a person?”

“I realized that not everything has to be perfect. Things may not always go the way that I plan, but God has not abandoned me. He blessed me to come to Jackson State University broke and he blessed me to get a ride home for Thanksgiving. So, it taught me that regardless of the situation, there’s always a silver lining.” – Douglas, assistant professor of management