Built By Meridian: Alumni Spotlight

Everyone needs a great start and a strong foundation. In addition to the examples my parents set for me, Meridian Public School District was my strong foundation. I started as a child in the Childhood Development Program in Ross Collins under Ms. Myrna Crane. I matriculated through Poplar Springs Elementary, Carver Middle School, Northwest Jr. High School, and THE Meridian High School where I graduated in 2003. My teachers, my school experiences, and even my classmates helped shape me into who I am today. I am a strong supporter of MPSD because I know the next doctors, lawyers, and even judges are currently being educated in those classrooms. We have a duty to bring those that come after us through a path we have cleared for them and I, like many other alumni, is dedicated to continuing to clear that path.

I am a 2000 graduate of Meridian High School. It took some time, but I’m doing what I love. I drove trucks for 11 years before becoming a Commercial Truck Driving Instructor at Meridian Community College.

I am a 1998 graduate of Meridian High School. I have had the privilege of being a Certified Pharmacy Technician for 22 years.

I’m a 1995 graduate of Meridian High School. After high school, I attended THEE Jackson State University. I had big dreams of becoming a News Anchorwoman, so I enrolled in the Mass Communication program at JSU. I suddenly realized I was afraid to SPEAK in front of people after taking my first Mass Communication class at JSU. I quickly changed my major to Accounting. I attended Meridian Community College and Mississippi State University and earned my Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting. I later earned my Master of Arts in Secondary Education from MSU.

I am a proud product of the Meridian Public School District and a 1997 Graduate of Meridian High School. Currently, I am the Executive Director of the United Way of East Mississippi. Before that, I was the Box Office Manager for the MSU Riley Center.

My name is Alex Wilson and I am a 20017 graduate of Meridian High School. After graduation, I attended Meridian Community College majoring in Culinary Arts & Hotel-Restaurant Management.

I am a 2000 graduate of Meridian High School. I graduated from EMCC in 2003 with an associates degree in liberal arts and the University of Southern Mississippi in 2005 with a bachelors degree in general theatre, and the Mississippi University for Women in 2021 with a Masters degree in creative writing.

I am a 2005 graduate of Meridian High School. I’ve been an educator in MPSD since 2013, starting as a science teacher at Magnolia Middle School. In 2018, I moved to the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment as an academic coach. Currently, I am the district’s Science Instructional Specialist.

My name is Jamie “Temple” Buxton and I am a 1998 graduate of Meridian High School. I’ve worked as a lab technician for United Blood Services and my teaching career began at Kate Griffin Jr. High School and currently serve as an Academic Coach/Biology Teacher at Meridian High School.

My name is Latasha Perrien Stabler and I am a graduate of the Meridian High Class of 2000.
I went to Grambling State University and received a
bachelor’s in psychology and received my Master’s in Physiology from North Carolina State University.

My name is Khadija Easley and I am a 2017 graduate of Meridian High School. Three days after graduation, I started at Meridian Community College and graduated with my associate’s degree in December of 2018.

Brig Gen Curtis R. Bass, a graduate of the MHS Class of 1990, is the Senior Executive Officer to the 22nd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. He serves as the principal military advisor on staff, and leads a team of 25 members supporting the daily operations of the CSAF. He is the CSAF’s coordination authority across the Department of the Air Force, Military Services, Joint Staff, OSD, US Govt, Industry, and with Allies/Partner nations around the world. Brig Gen Bass has served in the USAF for 26 years and he is the son of Vivian Bass Wright, a retired MPSD educator.

My name is Ashley Wilson Tanksley and I was born and raised in Meridian, MS. I graduated from Meridian High School in May of 2013 and attended Jackson State University. I had dreams of becoming a speech-language pathologist, which led me to earn a bachelor of science in Communicative Disorders.