17 minute read
The Chosen One
PEOPLE ON A Mission THE CHOSEN One!
With a tenacious work ethic and a winning spirit all his own, Travis Macon has been selected to lead the Coahoma Football program. Macon’s experience at Northeast Mississippi Community College and Northwest Mississippi Community College, both perennial rivals of the Tigers, has prepared him to guide a group of hungry young men to the next level at Coahoma.
Macon’s journey to Coahoma began many years ago in Starkville, Mississippi, with his early beginnings in football. Macon was a productive football player at Starkville High School. He shined as the starting tight end for a team that won two consecutive MHSAA state championships in 1994 and 1995. Chuck Friend served as the head coach and became a significant influence in Macon’s life. He arrived at Starkville High in 1994 when Macon was a junior. The team would lose only two games in Macon’s first two seasons at Starkville. He ended his high school playing career there with a bang by winning 30 straight games.
“Coach Friend was a great coach,” said Macon. “A lot of things I do as a coach, I learned them from Coach Friend.”
After graduating. Macon first spent two years at Northeast Mississippi. Then, Ole Miss Head Coach David Cutcliffe came looking to make Macon a member of the Ole Miss Football program.
Macon played his last two years at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). He was part of back-to-back bowl seasons bowl seasons and played with some of the greats at Ole Miss. Eli Manning (twotime Super Bowl champion), Terrence Metcalf (Chicago Bears), Charles Stackhouse, and Marcus Johnson were more than just his teammates. “Those guys took me under their wings and showed me the way,” said Macon. “Sometimes,
you get off track as a college student, but they showed me how to become a better man.”
After his playing career, Macon decided to get into coaching by returning to Northeast Mississippi in 2008. He started as a student assistant and moved his way up. He coached the offensive line then transitioned to the other side of the ball, working with the defensive line as defensive coordinator for five seasons. The Tigers were nationally-ranked and made their first playoff appearance in six years in 2011.
“Northeast Mississippi will always be my first home. I have a lot of respect for the administration and staff over there. It will be very emotional when we play them in Booneville. It will be a good party,” said Macon.
Macon sought to do some maturing. During his time in Booneville, Mississippi, he married the love of his life, Deimara. The couple has three children: Haleih, Brian, and Ambrielle.
In 2014, Macon received a job opportunity at Northwest Mississippi. He coached the defensive line under Head Coach Jack Wright and Coach Benjy Parker.
The Rangers boasted the MACJC’s top scoring defense (19.5 points per game) and second-ranked total defense (302.3 yards per game) in 2017. That same year, Northwest had also achieved 93 tacklesfor-loss and 32 sacks a year after breaking a 24-year-old school record with 117 tackles-for-loss and 46 sacks.
“Coach Wright showed the ability to turn around a football program. Coach Parker took me under his wings, taught me how to be a position coach and a head coach. I was blessed to be taught by some good head coaches,” said Macon.
Before Macon set out for Tiger Nation, Northwest faced Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the 2019 MACJC State Championship, a matchup in which he had to compete against Coach Wright, his mentor. Wright was now the head coach of Mississippi Gulf Coast. Gulf Coast snagged the win in a 22-19 victory. Macon knew this was a unique experience going against his former boss.
On November 21, 2019, Macon arrived at Coahoma Community College, becoming its new head football coach.
Coahoma President Dr. Valmadge T. Towner is confident that Macon’s expertise and professionalism will bring transformative change to the Tiger football program. He believes Macon’s experience will help shape a new age in Coahoma athletics.
“He has a track record of success from the vantage point of being a supporter of head coaches. When you speak to his former supervisors, they speak highly of him,” said Towner. “He has been an integral part of helping teams win.”
Reggie Hankerson, CCC athletics director, is pleased to welcome Macon to Tiger Nation. He believes Macon’s vast experience in the MACJC will bring huge dividends to Tiger Football.
“It is a great joy and pleasure to welcome Coach Macon as the next head football coach of Coahoma Community College,” said Hankerson. “After the process of filtering through the many applicants, Coach Macon’s experience and the admiration from his peers proved that he is the right person to lead our program to the next level. We welcome his family, staff, and experience to our Tiger family.”
Macon has watched the CCC Football program progress, and now he wants to take it to a level of consistency. He wants CCC Football to compete for championships. The most important thing that Macon wants is for CCC to win big in the classroom and on the field.
Macon has hit the ground running with his staff. Kareem Moore and Jeremy Patterson hope to improve Coahoma’s defense. William (Bo) Wallace, Pearce Price, Emmanuel McCray, and CJ Bailey seek to give Coahoma’s offense a makeover.
“I hit the ground running by calling a bunch of coaches about this opportunity. When you get assistant coaches with a whole lot of college and NFL experience, it helps you in recruiting. We are blessed to have this coaching staff,” said Macon.
Macon has longed for this moment. His dream was to become a head football coach. His introductory press conference was exciting but bittersweet because his mother, who passed away in April 2018, was not here to witness it. “I was thinking about my mom that day because she was the one who said I’m going to become a head coach. If she would have been there that day to see the success,” said Macon.
“It means so much for these players to play for me,” said Macon. “After they leave Coahoma, they can go to a fouryear institution and graduate with a degree. It’s time to take that next step with the CCC Football program. The players are going to understand that we are not going to accept losing. If they’ve got that in their mind, we will find a way to win the game. I think God was leading me to Coahoma. It’s all about timing, and everything started to fall into place. God has a place for me here at CCC, and I’m excited about that.”
DORSEY PLACES SECOND AT BRONNER BROTHERS HAIR SHOW
ested in cosmetol-
ogy, I would recommend that you attend CCC. “
Since a very young age, Christopher Dorsey has had a love and talent for hair design. The Shaw native is a freshman here at Coahoma, and his skills recently garnered him a second-place award at the Bronner Brothers 2020 Hair Show in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dorsey is excited to have received such a coveted honor and credits the assistance of his instructors in him achieving this long-sought goal.
“I registered for the competition one week before the competition day! I had to create a total look. I didn’t have any ideas in my head in the beginning,” said Dorsey. “Then, multiple ideas filled my head. My goal was to put all my ideas into one, and that’s exactly what I did! On the day of the competition, I was very nervous, but I knew that I had to suck it up and remember everything Ms. Hicks and Ms. Howard taught me.”
Shirley Ferguson-Hicks, cosmetology instructor, is proud of the accomplishment made by Dorsey. She says the win is huge for a first-time competitor.
“When I found out that the student placed, I was excited and proud as an instructor. I felt like it was my first win of my career,” said FergusonHicks. “I knew that he had prepared and worked very hard for the competition despite his nervousness as a first-time competitor.”
According to Ferguson-Hicks, events like this are essential for CCC students because they offer diversity and external exposure to the cosmetology industry. Students can network with vendors about the newest products and possible employment with their companies.
Dorsey is no novice to the beauty industry. He says that the main reason he wanted to study cosmetology is that he’s been involved in hair styling for about four years. He has used his craft to make money while continuing his education. He decided to step out on faith and pursue advanced skills, gaining formal training at Coahoma.
“My favorite part about attending Coahoma is interacting with the staff. They’re friendly, and they don’t mind helping you,” said Dorsey. “It feels like home at Coahoma.”
Dorsey’s ultimate goal after graduating from CCC is to further his education at Jackson State University, where he plans to major in English education.
“I still have plans to become an English teacher. In the process, I plan on opening up a beauty salon in my hometown, where I will do hair in my free time,” Dorsey added. “I will also have workers and assistants there to handle my needs when I’m not available to be at the salon. But the overall ultimate goal is to be blessed and successful.”
Dorsey believes that Coahoma Community College is a place where anyone eager to make positive choices can be successful. He recommends the institution to all who want to make positive life changes.
“If anyone is interested in joining the cosmetology program, I would highly recommend it. The instructors are very helpful, and they will make sure you know everything you need to know,” said Dorsey. “If you’re looking for a second family and you’re interested in cosmetology, I would recommend that you attend CCC.”
The cosmetology program has plans to attend other competitions in the future, giving students the opportunity for more exposure.
For more information about the CCC cosmetology program, contact Shirley Ferguson-Hicks at 662-6214180 or sferguson@coahomacc.edu.
THE Mission CONTINUES
COAHOMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE: ENVISIONING THE NEXT 70 YEARS AND BEYOND
In the first 70 years of Coahoma Community College, sustainability was paramount. The drive for service and the need to understand cause and effect ushered in decades of eureka moments in labs, classrooms, and in the minds of students and professors alike as relationships between things revealed themselves.
In 2019, Coahoma Community College celebrated its 70 years of existence. The year was full of commemorative events that paid homage to an institution that has had a long-standing mission of serving the Mississippi Delta region.
The college was birthed from Coahoma County Agricultural High School, which was established in 1924, becoming the first agricultural high school in Mississippi for Negroes under the existing “separate but equal” doctrine. The junior college curriculum was added in 1949, and the name of the institution was changed to Coahoma Junior College and Agricultural High School.
Since that time, Coahoma has grown.
Today, Coahoma acts as a cornerstone in higher education in the region. The institution enrolls a majority population of African Americans, as well as substantial numbers of low-income, firstgeneration, and nontraditional students, continuing to be of service to the underserved.
But what will the next 70 years bring? What can we learn from its past? During the first year of operation, Coahoma Junior College was supported entirely by county funds. In 1950, Coahoma Junior College became the first educational institution for Negroes to be included in Mississippi’s system of public junior colleges and to be eligible to share in funds appropriated by the Mississippi Legislature for the support of public junior colleges. Other counties also began to support the junior college, including Bolivar, Quitman, and Sunflower.
“When we consider the way that Coahoma began, it is extraordinary to see that Coahoma is still here 70 years later and to see how well it is doing, 70 years later,” said Towner. “You have so many HBCUs that started out during that time frame and before that are no longer in existence.”
Dr. Valmadge T. Towner, the current and fifth president of Coahoma, is charged with the oversight of the Clarksdale-based institution. He recalls how Coahoma was once known as the college that would never be, but despite insurmountable odds, the college still stands and flourishes.
“The sort of nonintimate language that was used by the state of Mississippi in legislation at that time suggested that the institution was not highly regarded,” said Towner. “Coahoma was developed initially with a very temporal mindset. So, in essence you have a college that was set up like a tent and now it’s a Taj Mahal.”
Artist rendering of the newly approved Student Services Building. The complex will house a variety of spaces and offices geared at addressing student needs.
Image provided by Durrell Design Group, PLLC
Over the years, Coahoma has grown exponentially. From expanded facilities to diverse and relevant course offerings, Coahoma is maintaining the vision of those intrepid dreamers of times past.
Towner is never shy about stating that it’s okay to dream and challenges his campus community to innovate on all levels. Coahoma is a far cry from its humble beginnings, but the work is still not done. There is a need, purpose, and mission that will continue into the future.
“Obviously, everyone dreams about facilities, but my dream in addition to that is to outreach digitally,” said Towner. “I would love for Coahoma to become like Arizona State University, Georgia State, those schools that have a physical presence but their digital presence rivals that of institutions like the University of Phoenix Online and so forth. We should be able to reach everyone in our five-county area, even if they don’t come to our campus.”
Currently, the institution is working to, indeed, increase its digital capacities. Many committees and subcommittees have been formed to evaluate the needs of both institutional departments and the needs of students and potential students. One area, in particular, is the college’s initiative to streamline the admissions and registration process. The hope is to remove as many barriers as possible, making a smoother flow in the process of its students.
In a day in age when all things digital is the name of the game, Coahoma keeps in mind that there are those students who want a traditional college experience. So, a need does still exist in the areas of on-campus improvements and adornments. Towner keeps this notion in mind as he looks down the proverbial road toward the future.
“We would like to be able to have it where students we serve will not have to leave our area to have something nice. So, we want turf for baseball/softball, we want improved lighting, we want to have nice dorms and a variety of food services,” said Towner. “We want to be able to have state-of-the-art classrooms and great internet access. We want students who are in Lambert, Mississippi, to come right here and not have to go to other areas to have a campus that they feel good about and they can be proud of.”
The institution has been intentional in its pursuit of planning to grow and improve its campus and facilities. The conversations are commonplace in leadership and board meetings alike. There is an air of optimistic hope in the air, and that permeates throughout those who are proud to be of service to the college.
Towner also sees his institution playing a significant role in the revitalization of the Mississippi Delta region. For a number of years, the Delta landscape has been in a state of change. Industries have made moves out of the area, and with that so goes the people.
That’s why Towner is excited about the college’s growing outreach and workforce development initiatives. The various programs of the college aid the embattled area in enticing industry by provid-
Artist rendering of proposed dormitory to be located on Coahoma’s main campus.
Image provided by Durrell Design Group, PLLC
ing a capable and competent workforce, as well as vital training programs that speak to the viability of the area.
“I think we should prepare our students, particularly those who are not from here, to connect with those companies and end up getting jobs with those companies and end up staying here,” Towner explained. “We are providing human resources to those companies, but also we need to learn from those companies. If you sit down and talk with companies like PeopleShores or Automation Anywhere, they have a lot of great ideas and insight that we need to parlay into our curriculums here on campus.”
“We have to continue to have a dialogue, and continue to be at the table with company reps, find out what they are doing and see how we can infuse that into our system. We can have our students already, while they are in school here, learning what some of these companies are doing,” Towner added.
Over the past two years, the Clarksdale area has seen a number of industries make their home only a stone’s throw from Coahoma. Through the work of the local chamber of commerce, city and county officials, and because of the training/support services offered by Coahoma, the Delta region has seen an uptick of opportunities once thought long gone back and envisioned anew. Silicon Valley-based PeopleShores was one of the first to make a move to the area. The tech company provides digital transformation and business process management services such as robotics process automation, artificial intelligence machine learning, customer experience management, and image processing to large corporations. The company’s goal is to provide job opportunities with promising career paths to disconnected young adults and members of the community by developing, honing, and enhancing their professional skills and offering them gainful employment. The company partners with new and emerging technology companies, such as Automation Anywhere, to streamline business processes for its clients, which include FedEx and Microsoft.
“When we have a relationship with companies, they know when our students graduate. Those students can do one or two things. They can go straight to work for those companies, or they can continue to go to school for a four-year degree, as well as still doing something with those companies,” Towner explained.
One thing is evident, and that is Coahoma’s commitment to serving as the starting point and refuge to those underserved persons only seeking an opportunity to better themselves and the lives of their families.
“That’s our specialty. We don’t mind getting our hands dirty, we
don’t mind bending our backs,” Towner proudly expressed. “I like to think that we still have the capacity to serve the high-end too, but that’s not our motif. We were created, in the beginning, 70 years ago, to educate black poor farm people.”
“So, obviously now, we have expanded beyond black, farmers, and poor, but that motif is still there. That inaugural mission is still there. It’s sort of a valedictory ritual that we still embrace to this day. That’s still what we do. The path that lies ahead for the college is obviously unpredictable, but if we use the insight of the sages of our beginnings, like McLaurin and others who helped put the college together, we will still move forward with just trying to offer a light and hope to people,” Towner added.
One has to believe that over 70 years later, the institution’s founders are looking down on Coahoma with smiles on their faces, as CCC moves to its next phase, the next 70 years.
