Don't Let Mississippi Get Hot: Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Thank you.

Congrats.

Thank you.

Well, I wanna ask y'all, so Michael, you mentioned the impact of seeing sort of a VIP, um, you know, a professional in the community that cared about you and your future.

What's y'all's experience? You have a statewide elected official who, you know, I know you, very approachable.

Um, it's not always typical that you see someone elected at the state level that does pour into the younger generation.

So I'm just curious what your experience is with both mentors, uh, both in the state at the Jackson level and in your local home.

Well, I know for me, um, especially growing up and everything, um, I always knew that I wanted to go into state government, public service somehow.

I just wasn't exactly sure what that was gonna look like, whether it was gonna look like law school or going up to Capitol Hill.

I just was kinda trying to figure that out throughout middle and high school, and I think one of the biggest challenges, um, I guess I was thinking about, um, all during grade school was, well, how do you get involved into it? Because, you know, politics, I feel like sometimes does get that bad rap of like, you know, politicians, they're hard to approach-

[laughs]

... hard to break into the industry, et cetera-

Mm-hmm

... with, um, you know, getting, just getting involved in that network because it, it truly is about who you know, um, and everything.

And so I think that's one thing.

Um, coming down to MC, um, a couple friends recommended the Secretary of State's office to me as a great place to intern.

And, um, I remember we had, um, a milk and cookies with Secretary Watson-

[laughs]

[laughs]

... where he, um-

I like that

... sat down.

True story

We had milk and cookies.

It's a tr- it's a tradition in our office.