Dr. Tylon Crook is the new counselor at The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Dr. Crook is originally from Mobile, Ala., and comes to MSMS from Cincinnati. He retired as a staff sergeant.

“It was a huge learning experience with regards to my personal self, the country and the world.” Dr. Crook says. He originally joined the Air Force to pay for college. In high school, he planned to be a fighter pilot, but was not able to because of his eyesight being short of 20-20 vision. He participated in the ROTC program at Auburn for a while. 

“My first job as a chaplain assistant introduced me to the counseling concepts and aided my decision,” Dr. Crook says. He changed his major about five times and felt his job as a chaplain assistant helped him to settle down. He knew he had to pay for college somehow because scholarships do not cover everything, so he went the military route.

“The best part of being a school counselor is working with students and helping them plan their course in life,” he said. Dr. Crook was a counselor at high schools and middle schools during his time in Atlanta. He also worked privately in psychology and mental health.

“There is always a spark of light that gleams in their eyes when I tell them that I could connect them with someone that I know in their field of interest,” Dr. Crook said as he spoke about how important he feels connecting students with people in their future job fields.

Dr. Crook was working as a college professor before he came to MSMS. He knew that the only way he would leave Cincinnati would be if a unique opportunity came up, and that opportunity was MSMS.

“It is a unique opportunity to work with students who are at a level above their peers,” Dr. Crook said. He felt that it gave him the opportunity to do what he was trained to do.

When not counseling, Dr. Crook hopes to renew his hobby. “I am looking forward to getting back to DJ-ing,” he said. Although his history as a DJ is known, his DJ name is yet to be revealed.