Southern, Smart, and Proud: How A Mathematics and Science High School Changes Lives and Challenges Stereotypes

Of the many Southern stereotypes, one that affected me early in life is that Southerners aren't smart. Luckily, I was able to embrace my intelligence by attending the best public high school in Mississippi: the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS). It was there I first felt comfortable embracing my nerdiness and my love for knowledge. I found "my people."

In this episode of Belonging In The South, you’ll get exclusive access to a panel discussion from our last annual alumni weekend. Joining me in this live recording is Ms. Dawn Barham (faculty in music and theater), Dr. Donnie Cook (alumnus and current Executive Director), and Ms. Alana Andrus (alumna, c/o 2018).

We discuss how the school was a crucial part of our personal growth, and what alumni and faculty are doing to give other students the same experience. We also address issues affecting the school, such as a lack of support from the government, misunderstanding with other school districts, and more.

Tune in to learn how MSMS is experimenting with curriculum to teach the next generation in new ways, while simultaneously encouraging independence and authenticity!

Questions answered in this episode:

• [6:00] - Alana, what have you been up to since graduation? How did your sense of belonging change when you became a student at MSMS?
• [9:07] - Dawn, how has being an instructor affected you and your ability to feel like you belong? How do you feel that the school has done with helping students feel like they belong?
• [13:18] - Donnie, how has your experience of belonging been affected by MSMS?
• [17:06] - What do you attribute the school’s culture to?
• [18:23] - Alana, was there a culture shock in leaving MSMS and going into the real world?
• [21:28] - Are you optimistic about the students who are here now, and the kind of the people that have come after us?
• [26:29] Are there things alumni can do to help the culture and the students?
• [32:50] What are your thoughts or ideas on the balance between us grabbing the best and the brightest from Mississippi, and being innovative?
• [39:45] Is there anything we can do to get more support from politicians?
• [43:22] - What is MSMS doing to be a safe space, especially trans and non-binary students?
• [45:43] - What is MSMS doing to support learning the humanities as a STEM-based school?
• [48:00] - How does MSMS change the attitudes of other schools in the state that feel their gifted students are being “stolen?”

Visit the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science website at https://themsms.org/

Learn more about the MSMS Foundation and how you can support the school: https://msmsfoundation.com/alumni/

See more from Belonging In The South: A Guide For Misfits:

https://www.belonginginthesouth.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dr.lauderdale/
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