At MSMS, students develop and nurture their many different passions. For senior and emissary Mia Parker, she discovered her passion by expanding her political knowledge and leading the Beta Club.

Born in New Orleans, LA, Parker moved around a few times as a child before her family settled in Lucedale, MS. There, she attended Greene County High School.

Several years before coming to MSMS, Parker was involved in a car wreck. She feels that through this life-threatening event, she not only survived physically but was also saved spiritually. Since then, she has returned to her faith after a period of drifting away and continues to practice on her own. Parker was pulled to MSMS by one of her grand-seniors that attended the same home high school. With encouragement and insight on life at MSMS, she was drawn into what she now calls home.

Since she has joined the MSMS family, her math skills have sharpened, and her showers have shortened — as quick as five minutes, according to her roommate, Grace-Anne Beech. Parker says she’s learned that showers don’t necessarily have to be taken at a certain time of the day. Additionally, Parker has noticed that her personality has “toned down” from before; this has helped her become a classier person.

After living with Parker for a year, Beech recognizes little things that she enjoys about her.

“I like when we’re lying in bed, and we’re both on Instagram, and we don’t say anything, but we tag each other in memes. She can be funny sometimes, and when I’m in a bad mood, she yells at me until I laugh.”

When she isn’t doing schoolwork, binge-watching Parks & Rec with her roommate, or re-watching Vine compilations, Parker can often be found mentoring at the District Attorney’s office. Working in the courthouse has given her exposure to numerous cases and meetings with inmates. Additionally, she has attended several local events such as Ready to Run, a campaign training program for women in politics, and campaign meet and greets with politicians Randy Wadkins and David Baria.

Parker is also the president of the Beta Club. Having first joined Beta in 6th grade, her involvement has increased over the years. She even represented the state as an officer during her 7th and 11th grade years. Parker especially enjoys leading Beta because not only is it focused on community service but also on making connections in a casual and informal setting.

Following graduation, Parker plans on attending college and majoring in Economics. She is also thinking about Law School but keeps in mind that plans can always change. She envisions herself as a public defender or holding an elected position and going on to open a private practice.

Parker offers some advice to her classmates, juniors and future MSMS students:

“I’ve learned that you can never be too close to your roommate. I met the true love of my life actually when I was four years old. Little did I know that twelve years later, we would be roommates. Love your roommate. Fall in love with your roommate. That’s my advice. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.”