Three MCCers named among Top 20 Under 40 honorees
Their work reaches from the basketball court and athletic fields to classrooms and local businesses, but three Meridian Community College staffers, Jaterra Hurst, Parker Manley, and Matt Milner, share a common goal: helping others succeed.
These three MCC employees have earned kudos for the work they do on campus and throughout the community as they were recently recognized as members of this year’s class of The Meridian Star’s Top 20 Under 40. The annual program recognizes young professionals who are making an impact through their careers and community service.
Honorees represent fields such as education, business, health care, government and nonprofit work. They are also featured in the May/June edition of Meridian Magazine.
Hurst is an assistant women’s basketball coach who is entering her fourth year at MCC. She said the best part of her job is watching student-athletes grow as players, students and young women.
“I love seeing their growth from the first day they arrive on campus to the day they graduate,” Hurst said.
Her work with the team also extends beyond basketball. Each year, the players travel to Alabama and walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they learn about Black history. The program has also hosted Native American Appreciation Night for the past two years.
Hurst, a Douglasville, Georgia, native, earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management from Belmont Abbey College and a master’s degree in sport administration from Georgia State University. She said she is motivated to serve as a strong role model and make a difference in the lives of others.
Manley serves as MCC’s workforce development project manager. His work connects students and employees with training that can lead to new careers while also helping businesses meet their workforce needs.
“The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that the work we do creates opportunities for people,” Manley said. “Knowing that our work helps both individuals and our community grow makes every day meaningful.”
The Meridian native began his career working as a farmhand with cattle. He said the job taught him about hard work, responsibility, and taking pride in doing things the right way.
Manley earned an associate degree from MCC and a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University. He is completing a master’s degree in community development at Delta State University.
He said MCC’s people and culture make the college a special place to work. MCC has also played a major role in his personal life. He met his wife, Kristi, in a government class on campus.
Milner has worked at MCC for eight years and serves as director of sports media. He creates videos, graphics, broadcasts and social media content that share the stories of MCC’s student-athletes.
“I enjoy working with student-athletes to tell their stories and help them get to the next level,” Milner said.
A native of Richburg, New York, Milner earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree in integrated marketing and communications from the University of West Alabama.
His career has included working with the Netflix series “Last Chance U,” producing videos for Distinguished Young Women of Mississippi and helping tell the story of the Meridian Blues during the team’s first season.
Milner said he is motivated by the changing world of technology and by the chance to improve each day. He also credits his MCC co-workers for making the college feel like home.
“The people at Meridian Community College are some of the best people I know,” Milner said. “It is a pleasure to work with them and an honor to call them my friends.”
All three of this year’s honorees are also graduates of the Meridian Community College Foundation’s leadership program, MCC Eagles Leadership Convocation.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu.