Category: Our People

Hays, Harris build friendship, careers off Coastal youth theater collaboration Almost 30 years ago, Tonya Hays answered the phone at the Gulfport Little Theater. Hays, a theater director with big plans but a shoestring budget, wore many hats at the small organization. On the other...

Supporting both academics and athletics at Mississippi State University is something of a tradition in the Seal family. Twin brothers Leo III and Lee have recently reaffirmed their commitment to the cause, endowing a scholarship for students headed to Starkville from Harrison or Hancock counties....

Former NFL running back finds career in engineering Vick Ballard didn’t expect to lead the Southeastern Conference in touchdowns his first year as a Bulldog running back. The junior transfer from Pascagoula had made a name for himself at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, but...

Robinson’s life, success built on family, Bulldog values When Kenneth “Ken” Robinson left his family farm outside Eupora to attend Mississippi State in the 1970s, he had no idea the education, values and lessons begun at home, nurtured in high school and refined in Starkville...

Mississippi State alumnus Steve “Duke” Pigott stands at the Piedra Lisa Canyon Trailhead in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he trains in the Sandia Mountains. The 1994 Bagley College of Engineering graduate built a career in aerospace engineering, firefighting, exploration and archaeology, while pursuing extreme mountaineering....

Before every Friday night game at Dudy Noble Field, Tanner Allen had a ritual. The former Mississippi State outfielder would walk into the empty stadium, close his eyes and picture it packed with rowdy Bulldog fans. Then, he’d catch a few rays while the game-day...

In the world of sports, few things unite a fan base like an unlikely comeback. They become a thing of legend; a lore that unites generations and spawns countless “I was there when” stories. The chronicle of Mississippi State’s 2018 baseball season is one of...

MSU grad finds purpose, passion at roadside empire Richard Barkley says he was born with the hospitality gene. Watching his calm presence amid the opening-day chaos at the Pass Christian Buc-ee’s—the first Mississippi location—it’s clear how right he is. Barkley can’t help but serve: giving...

Roy Grafe is reserved and book smart. George McIntosh is outgoing and great with hands-on work. Yet, the two Mississippi State University graduates and military veterans share something that overshadows their differences—a lifelong friendship. “Their personalities are totally different, but that may be good,” Nell...

When opportunity knocks, Ridwan Ayinla answers—something he’s proven again and again and again. First, he earned a bachelor’s in physics in his native Nigeria. Then, he seized the fully funded chance to earn a master’s in Malaysia, which he used as a launchpad for further...