Erin Fryfogle, a Leakesville native, was a member of the class of 2008 at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science.

Before moving to MSMS, Fryfogle attended Greene County High School. Like many of her classmates, she was drawn to the rigorous academics and countless opportunities that MSMS offers and considers herself “one of the Mississippians lucky enough to attend.” In retrospect, she is able to see the lessons she learned from her experience.

“The ones that come to mind are organization, time management, and independence but the list goes on and on. However, learning to love and accept others as they are was likely the most impactful.”

Fryfogle also recalled several memories, in both academic and residential settings, that stand out to her the most.

“My favorite academic memory is when Mrs. Richardson told me that I had a gift for narrative writing. I was always math and science focused, so I never considered myself great at writing. Coming from her, it meant so much. My favorite memory from res-life is when my roommate swore I ate her Oreo while she was in the bathroom, and she even got our suite mates involved. It was much-needed comic relief during the stressful exam season. For the record, I did not eat her Oreo!”

Although her career path changed from what she envisioned while at MSMS, Fryfogle is happy where she is now and carries on the things she learned from her time at the school.

“After MSMS, I attended William Carey University where I completed my Bachelor’s degree in biology with a double minor in chemistry and psychology with plans to attend medical school. God had other plans for me. My husband and I found the most precious K-8 school we could have ever imagined for our son. The director of the school asked if I would be interested in teaching math and science to the secondary education students that wanted to continue their studies at BDS. After much thought and prayer, I felt honored to have the opportunity to impress upon the lives of those students so much of what MSMS taught and gave to me.”

Fryfogle also shed light on the impact that MSMS made on her path in life.

“Although the waves of life often take us on unforeseen journeys and we might not completely follow the path we set out on, I feel that my influence on the kids that I teach has strong roots in the dedication and effort of the faculty, staff and my classmates from MSMS. Without MSMS, I may have never known what truly great teachers are or seen the opportunities that teachers have to influence the lives of so many. I cannot imagine what I might not know or feel today without attending MSMS and I am forever grateful.”

Although it has been nearly ten years since her graduation, she stays in contact with her classmates and stills feels the bond that MSMS creates.

“The first few years after graduation, we would meet for an informal reunion somewhere in Mississippi. As our families grew and our lives took us all over the world, we now rely heavily on social media to stay connected. We all were able to get together to celebrate one of our classmate’s wedding in January of this year. As always, it was as if we had not been apart for even a moment and were just as close as ever.”

Because she feels so indebted to MSMS, Fryfogle has made efforts to give back to the school in multiple ways.

“My husband and I give back financially as much as we can, and this year I served on the Application Review Committee. I hope to be able to do that again. I feel like Mississippi gave so much to me through MSMS, and I want to be apart of giving other students in our state the same opportunity I was given.”

Fryfogle now lives with her family of three in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.