The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, The W, and Columbus, a successful combination for more than 30 years

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For more than 35 years some of the best and brightest high school juniors and seniors have called Columbus home for those last 2 years of school.

Since 1987, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science has been based on the Mississippi University for Women campus.

The current administrations of both schools would like to keep that relationship going.

That was part of the message at today’s Town and Tower Meeting at MUW.

The program was focused on the history, mission, and successes of MSMS.

Speakers included Ginger Tedder, the Executive Director and also an alum of the school, along with original faculty member and author of a history of the school, Emma Richardson, and the current Director of Academic Affairs Dr. Thomas Easterling.

The trio touted the unique opportunities MSMS students have, and the school’s strong bond with Columbus and The W.

“MSMS is a child of Columbus, in a sense. We were born here. We’ve been raised here. And the relationship that MSMS has, not just with The W, but with the larger community has been so important to our existence. Our public face, in many ways, involves our relationship with Columbus. You’ve got ‘Tales From the Crypt’. You’ve got the ‘8 of May’ program. We’ve had a science carnival for grade school students for decades. We make sure that our math outreach programs touch the lives of elementary students. So, in many ways, MSMS and Columbus have to be uttered in the same sentence.”

“Our diversity is one of the biggest strengths, and our people. We leave MSMS with an understanding of a lot of cultures we might not have been exposed to, and we bring those cultures into our education here at MSMS. It becomes part of our campus life for the 2 years we have as students.”

Town and Tower’s mission is to build relationships between MUW, Columbus and Lowndes County, and Columbus Air Force Base.