JTC 24: Joy for Life and Learning

No one seems to know when Nya Thompson sleeps. A Stamps scholar, Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program scholar and citizen scholar, the Ridgeland native has certainly maximized her opportunities at the University of Mississippi.

When she first visited the Ole Miss campus in early spring 2020, Thompson felt nervous, but the people she met soon persuaded her that she belonged there.

"The honors ambassadors were really reassuring, and being on campus was enlightening because I felt supported and comfortable with everyone," she explained. Just four years later, Thompson is graduating with a bachelor's degree in English education with minors in history and special education.

A strong student in elementary school, Thompson felt a little lost in middle school, but playing French horn in the band was her daily respite. When she won a band award in eighth grade, she realized she could dive into her high school years by prioritizing her academic potential.

Thompson developed a love of learning at Ridgeland High School, and her eyes light up talking about influential teachers, such as her AP language and composition teacher, Christine Davidson.

"Nya Thompson is a lifelong learner," Davidson said. "Nya's intellectual curiosity and openness to new experiences and differences will serve her well in life, and her joy for life and learning is one of her greatest contributions because it is contagious and she makes everyone around her more eager and open to learn."

Inspired by her high school experience and a handful of teachers, Thompson decided to pursue a degree in education. Her mom was the first college graduate in the family, and Thompson considered attending her mom's alma mater, Belhaven University.

"I was so surprised by my invitation into METP and the (Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College)," Thompson said. "That acceptance really shaped how I felt about coming here, and after having a good understanding of the coursework I would pursue and meeting the people, I knew UM is where I wanted to be."

Pulling a double shift on a Saturday and interacting with the patrons is more fun than sitting at home."

David Rock, dean of the Ole Miss education school, was impressed by Thompson's drive and personality.

"Nya is an outstanding future teacher and an energetic, enthusiastic and caring educator," Rock said. "She has been a fantastic representative of METP, and I am proud that Nya is a graduate of the UM School of Education."

For her first two years on campus, Thompson played mellophone for the Pride of the South marching band and French horn during concert season. She stopped after that because the METP required her to fulfill classroom observation hours.

So, she moved on to other activities, including serving as a Mission Acceleration academic guide for Bramlett Elementary School; a peer educator through AmeriCorps for Scientific Research 1, a five-week STEM-based summer camp at Millsaps College; and an AmeriCorps VISTA for Oxford Boys & Girls Club. For the past two years, Thompson has also worked part-time on campus during the week and at a local restaurant on weekends.

"Pulling a double shift on a Saturday and interacting with the patrons is more fun than sitting at home," she said.

Thompson is also a member of the Lambda Sigma Honor Society, Who's Who and the Mortar Board Tassels Chapter, which reflect her academic excellence and outstanding leadership.

As a head honors ambassador for the past two years, Thompson and her co-head ambassadors have led the Honors College to its highest number of applications and largest yield of incoming honors students ever. A quiet and thoughtful leader, Thompson ensures others feel welcomed and valued.

Her Honors College peers attest to her conscientiousness.

"Nya is like my other half," fellow METP scholar and Stamps scholar Azurrea Curry explained, "I could not imagine my life – or a world – without her in it. Nya is effortlessly hilarious, warm, patient and a light to all around her. She practices reflection both inward and outward.

"Being one of her best friends is nothing short of an honor and a joy, and I remain immensely grateful that Ole Miss, and more importantly the Honors College, brought me a lifelong friend and sister like Nya."

Thompson has a gift for making any space she's in feel like home and won the "top tour guide" award as an honors ambassador for her welcoming nature with prospective students and their families.

Finding home abroad also comes naturally to her. During the past four years, Thompson has traveled to Ireland, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, along with numerous places in the States. These trips were made possible through the METP and Stamps programs.

Thompson and a couple of peers traveled to Sydney, Australia, for a political science course in development, poverty and human rights earlier this year. She also participated in the International Higher Education Conference in Cuba and went to Portugal for a one-month study abroad on contemporary Portuguese history, presenting a research paper there.

She has traveled the world with a primary motivation of observing, learning and appreciating, spending her undergraduate years connecting with others.

"Nya has worked with me and my international students as a volunteer conversation partner for more than three years," said Tracy Koslowski, lecturer and associate director of the university's Intensive English Program.

"Nya's friendliness, compassion and genuine interest in each individual are traits that go a long way in helping international students adjust to their unfamiliar surroundings, and her own pursuits of international educational experiences have been an inspiration to those who have met her. Nya has contributed to the education of many in countless ways."

Ask Thompson about her success, and she'll talk about everyone but herself. Repeatedly, she gives praise and credit to her family, mentors, friends and middle school students.

"Sometimes I think she may be the only person in this world who doesn't see how awesome she is," Curry said. "I've seen our peers, teachers and friends be attracted to her presence. Her joyful energy is genuinely contagious."

This fall, Thompson will attend the University of Pennsylvania to pursue a master's degree in education, culture and society. Afterwards, she plans to return home – to central Mississippi – to teach high school students.

See more photos from Nya Thompson's Journey to Commencement