A veteran's new mission: Anita Floyd finds her path at MCC
Anita Floyd spends her mornings traveling from her home in Lake, driving nearly 40 minutes to class with lectures playing in the background and a peaceful view of Mississippi’s landscapes ahead.
The 42-year-old Southern California native is a wife, mom, and veteran. She’s also a full-time student at Meridian Community College, carving out a new career.
Floyd, an Air Force veteran formerly based in Washington, D.C., served with the presidential airlift security group, performing command and control of all posts and patrols on duty. “I ran control of all incoming security distinguished visitors, foreign nationals,” she said,
Today, Floyd is an honors student with a dream to become a naturopathic doctor.
“I have a bachelor’s degree in diagnostic cardiovascular sonography, but I didn’t want to stop there,” Floyd said. “I wanted to help people, not just tell them what the problem is or say there’s a problem,” she added.
Her original goal was to become an obstetrician/gynecologist, then an osteopathic physician, before realizing that her real passion was naturopathic medicine—healing through natural, preventive care.
Her journey to MCC started, in part, with a fall.
An avid runner with old knee injuries from high school, college, and military basketball, she was running one day with her dog when a squirrel changed everything. Her dog darted across her path, she fell on the previously injured knee. “I really couldn’t run for a while. So, I took up swimming,” Floyd said.
“MCC has a great pool,” she said. “That was one of the reasons I came here instead of going somewhere closer to our land in Lake.”
Now in her first semester, Floyd is thriving. She’s an honors student who's on track to earn her associate degree by December 2025. She praises her instructors—especially Dr. Angela Carraway, her chemistry instructor —for pushing her and supporting her as she balances her academic goals with raising four children: Aaliyahna, 13, Azariah, 9, Aniqa, 8, and Adona, 3.
“They see me studying at home and always reading, shows them how to focus, how to concentrate, how to prepare for school instead of telling them, ‘Go do your homework, go study.’ They see me doing it,” Floyd said.
At MCC, Floyd discovered more than just a place to study. She’s found support from staff like Shaquita Alfonso, associate director of military and veteran services, who helped her navigate the VA and transfer credits from other colleges Floyd attended.
“I’m glad I came because the school is fabulous. The teachers are great; they’re humble and yet very informative,” Floyd said.
“And the campus—it’s just so green. I love that. Even though blue is my favorite color,” she said with a smile.
With just a few MCC classes left, Floyd’s next stop may be Mississippi State University or the University of Southern Mississippi. Wherever her journey continues, it’s clear Floyd’s mission to help others is only just beginning.
For more information, visit meridiancc.edu.