The Louise “Sugar” Flanagan Scholarship was established by her family as a recognition for the lasting influence that Sugar has had on her family, friends and community.
Sugar, of Raymond, raised three children with her husband, Loyd, while working with the Postal Service in town for 38 years. She began a second career in 1999 at Hinds Community College’s Raymond Campus, as an administrative assistant in the Art and Speech Department for 22 years.
In that remarkable 60 years of employment, she touched many lives locally, especially the students and staff at Hinds. Many say her childhood nickname describes her perfectly. Her daughter, Debra Ball, who works as a Student Success Coordinator at the Raymond Campus, says they know her as “Meme” and her family is blessed to have her as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
“We are thankful for all the opportunities that Hinds presented for our mom, and this was the perfect way for her and us to give back,” Ball said. “She has over 60 years of serving others, including almost 40 years with the United States Postal Service and 20-plus years at Hinds, and this is a way to continue to do so even after retirement.”
Students eligible for the scholarship must be enrolled full-time at any Hinds location and maintain a 3.0 GPA or better in either high school or at Hinds, among other routine requirements. Preference is given to students from Raymond or Hinds County studying art or speech.