Mississippi College Welcomes New Students

Earnis Collier envisions a career in the information systems industry in a few years and he believes a Mississippi College education will get him ready.

A 21-year-old transfer student from Ruleville, Collier visited the MC campus for a series of orientation sessions Friday morning. A cold snap cancelled the start of spring semester classes Monday, but thousands of students, including scores of newcomers, were back in classrooms Tuesday Jan. 11.

“I was referred here by a friend and did my research on the Internet and this seemed like the right choice for me,” said Collier, a 2010 graduate of Holmes Community College in Ridgeland. “I’ve received positive feedback.”

A 2007 graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, Collier was among 120 new students signed up for orientation meetings on the Clinton campus.

An MC junior who also works as a server at a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Jackson, Collier will study computer and information systems at the Christian university.

A transfer from the University of Mississippi, Mark Mathews, 23, of Jackson believes MC will open doors for him to pursue a career in the medical field.

“Somebody told me that graduates of Mississippi College are more likely to go to medical school,” said Mathews during a break between meetings at Anderson Hall. “That’s exactly what I need and I can live in Jackson,” added the Ridgeland High graduate, who’s a biology major at MC. “I love the Christian environment – that’s for spiritual reinforcement, so to speak.”

Sessions at Anderson Hall featured a parade of university leaders, including President Lee Royce, Ron Howard, the vice president for academic affairs, and Jim Turcotte, vice president for enrollment management and student affairs.

MC admissions counselors and scouts like senior Katie Rowland of Birmingham led campus tours and tackled questions before the students met with academic advisers.

Friday’s warm winter weather and sunny skies greeted scores of newcomers at the Baptist-affiliated university.

“I like the smaller campus and a lot of my friends are here,” said Jared Olson, 20, a transfer student from Holmes Community College in Ridgeland. “I’m looking forward to the opportunities in the Communication Department.” In a few years, Olson sees himself embarking on a career with a campus ministry.

The orientation sessions also attracted parents, including Freida Eggleston, a former Natchez resident who recently moved to Clinton. “The convenience is wonderful,” said Eggleston, who lives three miles from the Clinton campus.

Her son, Jamie Eggleston, a graduate of the Adams County Christian School in Natchez, is now an MC junior who will study computer science.

With a school record of more than 5,000 students in the fall, MC is Mississippi’s largest private university.

For more information, contact interim admissions director Kyle Brantley at 601.925.7634 or Brantley@mc.edu.