Ole Miss Experience Prepares Senior to Serve Mississippi

Now cancer-free, the Greenwood native and public policy leadership major spent his summer gaining valuable experience through internships that will help realize his dream of giving back.

"Growing up in Greenwood, I saw firsthand both the challenges and the tremendous potential of the Mississippi Delta," the Eagle Scout said. "My parents instilled in me that the success of small towns depends on the active participation and unity of all citizens."

His paternal grandfather and father also taught him a few things.

"They shared with me the history of the land, both the good and the bad, and instilled in me a love for the Delta," he said. "They taught me that the only path forward for the Delta is for the entire community to work together and that true leadership is a life of service. Those lessons took root early."

Those lessons ignited Brock's passion.

While in high school at Pillow Academy, Brock founded the school's Key Club and conducted a year of research on the Greenwood Betterment Study, which helped reinstate the Greenwood Mayor's Youth Council and get more youth involved in the community.

He carried that drive with him to Ole Miss, where he became part of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. His intentional involvement is aimed at bettering his community.

"I realized that if I am truly going to make a difference in Mississippi, and specifically in the Delta, I must have a greater understanding of the policymaking process," Brock said. "I had much to learn about identifying issues, setting agendas, formulating policies and the different stages of policy adoption, implementation and evaluation."

He also became a Catalyzing Entrepreneurship and Economic Development scholar, a program of the Grisham-McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement.

"CEED is an invaluable program that offers student leaders an even closer examination of the challenges that exist in the Delta and their home state of Mississippi as a whole," said Dom Novelli, instructional assistant professor of public policy leadership. "As a future state/national leader, he recognizes that his generation is being prepared at Ole Miss to guide and lead the public/private sectors well into the 21st century."

Brock is energized by the CEED program and his involvement.

"The program continues to inspire me with its unwavering commitment to rural Mississippi communities," he said. "They are molding us into changemakers for our state through networking, internships, research-based projects and modeling what it means to truly have a servant's heart."

Others noticed Brock's affinity for the Delta and his aspirations.

"Perhaps what I appreciate most about Andrew is that his commitment to the Mississippi Delta has been authentic and consistent over the years," said Albert Nylander, the Grisham-McLean Institute's director and professor of sociology.

"Long before arriving at Ole Miss, he was already studying the challenges facing Greenwood and the Delta. I have every confidence that Andrew will continue to use his education, leadership and experiences to make a meaningful difference in our state."

As an intern in U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker's office, he researched topics that directly affect the Delta, such as agriculture, infrastructure and economic development.

"I also observed how policy priorities are debated and advanced in real time, an invaluable window into the intersection of federal policy and the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities like my hometown," he said.

He also interned at the Delta Council in Stoneville as part of the CEED Initiative.

While there, Brock made a connection between federal policy and local economic development in 19 counties and numerous Delta communities. He updated population charts, tracked population trends and assisted with communications to state and federal officials on issues affecting the region.

Last summer, Brock interned with the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation, where he researched Greenwood's available sites and buildings for future economic development.

"My hope is that Andrew came away with a clearer sense of how economic development actually works on the ground, which is rarely as easy as it looks from a distance," said Thomas Gregory, the foundation's executive director.

"Every prospect visit, every project announcement, every new job that comes to this community begins with us knowing our inventory and being able to answer hard questions quickly and accurately."

The experience and knowledge gained from the summer will help shape Brock's honors thesis.

"After learning from leaders of communities that have successfully revitalized their local economies, I am seeking to identify solutions that can help the Delta improve its healthcare, educational system and economy," Brock said. "Too many young people leave after college and never come back.

"If we are going to change that, we have to give them real reasons to stay and raise families here. To achieve this success, people of different races must work together toward a common goal. None of this can happen in isolation."

Through his leadership, integrity and commitment to serving others, Brock represents the spirit of Ole Miss, said Wade Litton, Delta Council past president and president of Wade Inc.

"He's shown a strong work ethic, and a sincere dedication to his community," Litton said. "These are the qualities you see in Ole Miss students and in the next generation of leaders."

Gregory agrees.

"Mississippi's hardest problem is not attracting investment; it is keeping and developing the people who will lead these communities 20 and 30 years from now," Gregory said. "Andrew Brock is exactly the kind of person this state cannot afford to lose, and everything I have seen suggests he has no intention of being lost.

"Whatever he chooses to do after graduation, I believe that Greenwood and the Mississippi Delta will be better for it."

Brock plans to attend law school to gain more skills toward achieving his goals.

"Regardless of my chosen path, I know that I want to remain focused on public service in Mississippi and the people of my community who have given so much to me throughout my life," Brock said. "My hope for the Delta, as well as Mississippi, is not simply for us to survive, but for us to thrive."

Top: UM senior Andrew Brock interned at the Delta Council in Stoneville, where he made a connection between federal policy and local economic development in 19 counties and numerous Delta communities. The Greenwood native hopes to use his experiences and insights he has gained at Ole Miss to make life better for residents of communities throughout the Mississippi Delta and across the state. Submitted photo