Those words have never meant more than they do today. What an unusual year it has been with COVID-19, Dr. Clyde Muse’s retirement as president and the selection of our new president! We have survived and thrived and are very grateful that we are still in the business of changing lives.
We are most thankful for the support that we received from so many sources. We are excited to see the return of students to our campuses. Our faculty and staff have implemented new protocols and new methods of teaching, all to meet the needs of our students. Alumni and donors gave so that students could continue their education. The entire college community has responded well to all the challenges of 2020.
We are grateful to have Dr. Stephen Vacik as our new president to lead us and serve beside us. His mantra is “Be Better, Be Different, Be Purposeful.” I believe that he is the right person to lead us forward.
If there was a disappointment in 2020, it was that we were unable to fully recognize and honor Dr. Muse as we had planned. We had multiple events that were cancelled. This visionary leader who dedicated his life to serving others — 42 years of that service at Hinds — deserved so much more. As a result of cancelling those events, we fell short of reaching our goal for the Muse Legacy Endowment. Please read Mr. Rhodes’ letter, which contains more details about the endowment.
If Dr. Muse has touched your life in any way, please consider making a gift to the Muse Legacy Endowment before his 91st birthday on Dec. 25. We will present a birthday card to him with the names of all who give to the endowment.
It is a blessing to work at a place that truly believes in helping people and making a difference in their lives. Help us continue this tradition!
Jackie Granberry
Executive Director of the Hinds Community College Foundation
It has been my pleasure to be involved with Hinds Community College since the 1950s when I was a student at the then-Hinds Junior College. It is remarkable to me the impact that Hinds has had on the counties it serves – Claiborne, Hinds, Rankin and Warren counties. Not only is the college providing a quality education to the students, but it is also providing workforce training to help companies, which helps our communities.
For the past 42 years there has been one man with a vision and a heart of service who has been the driving force behind all the growth that has made Hinds the largest community college in the state — Dr. Clyde Muse.
As you know, he retired in June after serving 68 years in public education in Mississippi with 42 of those years at the helm of Hinds Community College. The Hinds Community College Foundation set a goal of raising $250,000 for the Muse Legacy Endowment, thus forming a perpetual tribute to this outstanding leader. Unfortunately, we fell short of that goal by about $70,000. I feel confident that goal would have been exceeded had the pandemic not occurred.
Please consider a gift today to the Muse Legacy Endowment to honor Dr. Clyde Muse and to provide funds to keep his servant spirit forever a part of Hinds Community College. This endowment will provide funds for student scholarships, faculty and staff recognition, and for supporting the college’s involvement in worthy community endeavors — all of which are very important to Dr. Muse. In the center of the magazine is an envelope to make it easy for you.
Irl Dean Rhodes
Chairman, Hinds Community College Foundation Board of Directors