Mary McRae Leads Mississippi College Student Government Association
Mary McRae’s hometown of Tishomingo sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains where it’s a bit risky to go rock climbing.
Taking on new challenges far from home at Mississippi College, McRae remains focused on meeting key goals as the university’s Student Government Association president.
The biggest items on the SGA leader’s to-do list?
Helping students become more familiar with the many things Clinton offers is among her priorities.
Putting her words into action, Mary joined SGA leaders at Thursday’s Back to the Bricks festivities putting MC students in touch with area merchants. Free ice cream, lots of games, discount coupons, and lively street music helped attract hundreds of festival-goers in Olde Towne.
The Clinton Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Clinton, and the City of Clinton sponsored the annual fun event to make MC students feel welcome.
Back to the Bricks, Clinton markets, and the city’s quaint shops in the historic business district are literally just a few steps away for Mississippi College students.
Besides trumpeting the benefits of life in Clinton, with its many churches, outstanding schools and service opportunities, McRae has other items on her SGA agenda.
“I’m working to get more athletes involved in student life,” McRae said.
Whether they’re on the MC Choctaws football team, play volleyball, soccer or other sports, student-athletes were out in big numbers on Move-In Day. Despite the summer heat, student-athletes wore their uniforms as they helped hundreds of MC freshmen move into their residence halls.
In turn, Mary and SGA leaders want to see more students packing the stands at Robinson-Hale Stadium to cheer the Choctaws football team. Playing on newly installed artificial turf, MC opens the 2015 season against Texas College on September 5. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. that Saturday. MC begins its second year making the transition to NCAA Division II and a return to the Gulf South Conference.
Enrolling 5,050 students last fall, MC should top that mark when final numbers are released on September 1, officials predict. The August opening of residence halls, the addition of innovative programs like electrical engineering, and the move to Division II explain why enrollment remains strong.
The 21-year-old North Mississippi resident sees plenty of reasons why Mississippi College remains an attractive choice for students and parents.
“MC’s size is a big factor – you don’t get lost in the crowd,” McRae says. “It’s small enough where you can get involved. Mississippi College is a place where you find great community.”
A senior this fall, the SGA leader isn’t the only one in her family to become a Choctaw. Her younger sister, Annsley, is a sophomore on the Clinton campus.
America’s second oldest Baptist college, Mississippi College appeals to many students because of its Christian atmosphere. “It brings us students who pursue Christ.”
During the summer months, Mary grew in her faith as a Centri-Fuge Camp staff member in Ridgecrest, North Carolina. She recently returned from a Pinelake Church (Clinton) mission trip to Honduras to tutor children. McRae hopes to enter the mission field after her MC graduation in May 2016, and later pursue a business career.
Besides her duties with SGA, activities with the Laguna Social Tribe, involvement at Pinelake Church, and playing the guitar, Mary succeeds in the classroom. The former MC cheerleader is a math major and business finance minor. McRae worked hard as SGA vice president last year and in her election campaign last spring to earn the top leadership post.
Attending Mississippi College music camp in 2011 put the Christian university on her radar. After considering bigger schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State, “God kept bringing me back to MC. This is my home.”
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