Meredith Sessums, operations supervisor at the Center for Mathematics and Science Education, has been named Staff Council’s Staff Member of the Month for December. To help us get to know her better, she answered some questions for Inside Ole Miss.
IOM: How long have you worked at Ole Miss?
Sessums: I will have worked for Ole Miss for a total of three years in April.
IOM: What is your hometown?
Sessums: I am originally from Tupelo, Mississippi; however, I have lived in Oxford for 10 years and consider it my home.
IOM: Talk about your favorite Ole Miss memory.
Sessums: It is difficult to choose my absolute favorite Ole Miss memory because I have been fortunate enough to have so many. If I had to choose my favorite memory, it would have to the moment the Ole Miss football team beat Alabama in 2014. During the game I was tailgating in the Grove with my family and friends while watching our victory on TV. The moment Ole Miss won, you could hear and feel the roar of the crowd from the stadium that was echoed by thousands of fans in the Grove. To date, no other Ole Miss memory can compare to that victorious feeling!
IOM: What do you enjoy most about your position or the department in which you work?
Sessums: My employment at Ole Miss and the CMSE has created a wonderful sense of job pride and purpose; I truly feel like I work for an organization that makes a positive impact on our state, Mississippi K-12 teachers and their students. In my opinion, I work for and with some of the best people on campus! I’m truly blessed to work in an environment that always inspires and encourages me to grow as an individual and a professional. In my position at the CMSE as the operations supervisor, I am able to experience new situations and meet new people, making my job one that is never boring and always exciting!
IOM: What do you like to do when you are not at work?
Sessums: When I am not at work, I enjoy traveling with my husband. I also love spending hours gardening, listening to music, spending time with friends, family and, of course, our two pets, Charlie (cat) and Boomer (dog).
IOM: What is one thing on your bucket list?
Sessums: I would love to visit Iceland and experience the northern lights. Life is too short not to experience the world!
IOM: What is your favorite movie?
Sessums: “Pride and Prejudice”; I personally feel this movie does my favorite book justice.
IOM: What is your favorite Ole Miss tradition?
Sessums: My family has been tailgating in the Grove for Ole Miss football games since I was a child. My Saturdays during the fall would not feel complete without this tailgating tradition, and it will continue to be my favorite.
IOM: What is a fun fact about you?
Sessums: Fifteen years of my life was dedicated to learning and teaching ballet. I miss ballet every day, but my feet do not!
IOM: If you could have lunch with anyone alive or dead/fictional or real, who would it be and why?
Sessums: If I could have lunch with anyone, I would chose to spend it with my grandmother. My grandmother was always a wealth of knowledge, advice and encouragement every time we spoke. I love and miss her every day.
IOM: What are three words you would use to describe yourself?
Sessums: Trustworthy, passionate, and loyal
IOM: If you could visit one time or place in world history (past, present or future), what would it be?
Sessums: I would love to visit the Roman Empire during its peak. Ancient history fascinates me!
IOM: If I could be an animal for a day I would be _____ .
Sessums: If I could be any animal for the day, I would chose to be a cat. Sleeping and sunbathing all day sounds like my cup of tea.
To nominate a colleague for Staff Member of the Month, email staffcouncil@olemiss.edu with the name of the individual you’d like to nominate as well as why you feel he or she should be recognized.