Mississippi College Communication Student Richard Morris Joins MEMA Team

Mississippi College senior Richard Morris of Clinton. The 2008 Terry High graduate is serving as a MEMA intern at the state agency's headquarters in Pearl from January through May.

Winter weather dumped snow and ice on north Mississippi, while endangering lives. Driving remained hazardous for days and the late February storm created power outages for thousands of residents.

Responding to emergencies like this as well as floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters goes with the territory year-round for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

For Mississippi College senior Richard Morris, the winter storm provided invaluable experience as a MEMA intern offering assistance as Gov. Phil Bryant and other officials faced the crisis.

When the winter storm caused havoc for the Magnolia State with up to nine inches of snow reported in cities like Tupelo, the MC communication student stayed on the job at MEMA headquarters in Pearl.

 Behind the scenes, the 24-year-old Clinton resident worked with the media as TV, radio and newspaper reporters arrived on site for interviews with Gov. Bryant and MEMA Director Robert Latham. The 2008 Terry High graduate frequently posted updates to MEMA’s Facebook page, attended weather briefings, and handled much more as an external affairs intern.

“He started to learn in a trial by fire,” says MEMA external affairs director Greg Flynn. “Richard walked right in and has been integral in the distribution of news releases.”

MEMA employs about four student interns each year, and the Mississippi College student immediately proved his worth. His internship began in January and extends through May.

Working closely with Flynn, MEMA public information officer Brett Carr and other division leaders, Morris said he “gathered information on what the ice and snow was doing across the state and was making sure we are prepared and the public is informed on what is happening with the weather.”

The storm resulted in Mississippi Highway Patrol troopers working more than 150 weather-related accidents. The wintery weather led to three fatalities statewide. The list included a University of Mississippi student in a sledding accident in Oxford, and a two-year-old girl riding in a car that hydroplaned and left the road in Simpson County.

Interning at MEMA remains a perfect fit as Morris pursues a career in emergency management. He wants to work with FEMA in Washington, D.C. as the federal agency tackles disasters across America. Morris recently applied for an 11-month FEMA post to lead a team of a dozen students in emergency management studies.

Mississippi College Department of Communication Chairman Cliff Fortenberry believes the senior on the Clinton campus is receiving incredible experience at MEMA.

“He is learning much more than he could in any classroom,” Fortenberry said. “He is involved in all of the activities and has proven to be invaluable in his work there.”

Fortenberry supervises the university’s communication interns.

Other Mississippi College communication interns include: Amber White at Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Morgan Boone at the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, Stephen Collier and Bretton Crosby with church media, Pili Yang with Main Street Clinton, and Xeng Xu with the Radio People in Ridgeland.

 The program has also taken students to internships as far away as Alaska, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. in recent years.

Whether in metro Jackson or thousands of miles away, the internships “have proven to be an excellent source of contacts outside of the campus learning environment,” Fortenberry said.

The experience often opens doors as students begin careers.

“Companies always enjoy having an MC communication intern because they know they will be getting a hard-working student who will represent the company and university well,” says communication instructor Reid Vance.

 Communication grads at the Baptist-affiliated university have landed jobs in their field throughout Mississippi, the Southeast and around the nation.

Once Mississippi officials wrap up their response to the latest winter weather emergency, there’s little time to relax for interns like Richard Morris and MEMA colleagues. Preparing for hurricane season starting this summer is among many things coming next on MEMA’s to-do list.