Trojan Highlight

What degree did you receive and what was your major?

BS in Industrial Engineering Technologies with a minor in Business Management from the University of Southern Mississippi

What is your current occupation?

Vice President of Sales & Operations of ShipConstructor Software USA, Inc. a 3D CAD software solutions suite targeted at the manufacturing and construction of military and commercial ships of all types

Why did you choose to attend MDCC?

I received an offer to extend my baseball career as a member of the MDCC Trojan baseball team in 1989. With my hometown being in Greenville MS, and my family being close enough to come watch me play baseball with very little travel required, it just made sense. Also several of the guys that I had grown up playing baseball together or against had all went to MDCC to play under Coach Thompson. Guys that I had grown up playing with and ones the we all had family ties were already at MDCC or were going to go to school there, so it just seemed natural to "Keep the Family Together".

Another factor was that I took some summer school classes after graduating from Greenville Christian School in the summer of 1989 and commuted from Greenville with a friend each day. I grew to love peaceful drive, the local communities, the size of the MDCC campus, administration, and professors. It felt a bit like going to 13th and 14th grade and it allowed me a bit of a transition as a sheltered kid growing up in a Christian home to step into a college atmosphere that was on a smaller scale. It was also sized perfectly such that I could still find friends within the football team, the band, the cheerleaders, the Delta Dancers the basketball team, the ambassadors, and all of the campus groups because it was sized in such a way that one could be exposed to all of those other students.

But probably the main factor was money and being able to afford college. I am 1 of 4 siblings, the oldest. My parents spent a great deal of their money sending us to a Christian School, private school. Mainly because of religion, the size of the school, my mother taught K5 - 3rd grade there, and we were able to be very well rounded in leadership, athletics, and service within a Christian atmosphere. My parents couldn't afford to pay for my college and it required met to get academic and / or a athletic scholarship so that I could attend college. My parents wanted me to earn my spot to go to college vs giving it to me. My solid choice was to firm up on MDCC as it gave me the opportunity to avoid extra expensive Universities and still get the prerequisites I would need to take the next steps into a 4 year university.

Also being a 17 year old kid, I did not really know what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to play baseball and knew that my aptitudes were good as solving problems in Math, Chemistry, and associated Sciences. If felt like taking the prerequisites at a 2 year community college made more sense from an economics perspective since I really didn't know what I wanted to do in a life career. Not too many people get to play baseball for a living so the likelihood that if I did get to play beyond college, I would still need some education to fall back on after needing to hang up the cleats. Coach Thompson at the time was working in financial aid and with my making the MDCC baseball team and my academics graduating from GCS with a 94 grade point average as a 4 year letterman in 4 sports, I was able to piece together the required funds to help with paying for my 2 year education at MDCC. This was primarily the main factor that allowed me to go to college. My parents guidance in my "buying into college on my own nickel, my own efforts, while still being able to further my education and baseball experience."

Who was your favorite teacher during your time at MDCC and why?

I couldn't narrow it down to one:

Dr. Herman Thigpin was one. He always had extra time for me and supported me through week days where we were playing baseball out of town and would allow me to make up test in his classes. I ended up winning the Herman Thigpin scholarship in 1991 which I used to go to the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Alan Snowden was another. He was a hoot to say the least. He was always giving up "pop quizzes" randomly. I remember one time he said, "Ok, if I walk into class next week I will not give you a test." So all the students assumed he "had" to "walk" into the classroom the follow week for class. We all showed up thinking that we were not going to have a test.

Dr. Snowden, rolled into the classroom in his office chair that had wheels as he waived printed test papers in his hand saying, "I told you if I walked into the classroom you wouldn't have a test, I didn't say anything about rolling into the classroom." Several weeks later he did something similar, but he climbed in through the window with the test.

Close runner ups would be Dr. Becky Doyle and Dr. Robert Strawbridge. The sciences they taught, and the Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and In-Organic Chemistry classes were courses I really enjoyed due to Dr. Doyle delivery and patience she gave to all of her students, including me.

But like I mentioned before Coach Terry Thompson was probably the most influential "teacher / coach" that I had at MDCC. The level of improvement in my baseball skills were cranked up to a level that I did not know could be achieved. I was able to see a different level of the game through the eyes of Coach Thompson and Coach Brock McMurry. My skills were tweaked and enhanced but the work ethic that I have today was also heavily influenced by the lessons we learned both on and off the field. To this day I still live by those principles and disciplines that I learned while being a part of the MDCC Trojan Baseball team playing under the direction of these two men.

What is your best memory from your time at MDCC?

I would say there were four that really stick out:

• Winning the Mississippi State Junior College Baseball State Championship in 1990

• Winning the Mississippi State Junior College Baseball Regional Championship in 1990 and playing the Eastern District Championship series at MDCC (finished runner up)

• Winning the Winning the Mississippi State Junior College Baseball State Championship in 1991

• Receiving the Highest GPA award of all Male Athletes at MDDC in 1991 with a 3.81

For you personally, what encapsulates the term "Trojan Spirit"?

I think I could sum up the "Trojan Spirit" in a saying that Coach Terry Thompson instilled in the minds of his baseball players he coached. It has always stuck with me through my life, career and in teaching & coaching my own kids and employees to this day;

"Practice doesn't make Perfect, Perfect Practice makes Perfect." We can all do things to just get by and it be good enough. However, applying this philosophically in life suggests that if you are going to do something you should do what it takes to be "Perfect" at it. No sense in doing it 1/2 way or just good enough. In order to achieve perfection at your craft or skill, you have to do your best to practice that craft of skill "perfectly" to become great at it. God gave each and every one of us all certain talents, skills and aptitudes. In honor of him granting those things, we should practice perfection of those talents, skills or crafts to share those with other in His name.

The true meaning of the "Trojan Spirit" to me is; believing you can achieve greatness while also understanding that there is a correct path and plan to execute in getting there. Understanding that being perfect in your execution of the plan to achieve greatness, requires you to be consistently perfect in you life practice. Coach Thompson always said that it takes 29 consecutive days to form a "good habit", and it only takes 1 day of not being perfectly consistent for that good habit to fall into a potential bad one.