Brain Drain

While education is an important issue Mississippi faces, another issue has been rising as well. According to the US Census, nearly 8,000 people have moved out of the state of Mississippi than moved in since 2010.

In the last decade, Mississippi has lost the more people than the population of all but the five largest MS cities: Jackson, Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Southaven and Gulfport. No other state has had this wide scale of a population drain, except for LA.

Recent statistics explored by rethinkms.org suggest that individuals with higher education are more likely to leave the state of Mississippi after graduating from a four year level university. Data from Mississippi Lifetracks supports this theory by showing that Mississippi’s retention rate of newly grads is less than 50 percent.

One suggestion might be because recent graduates are outsourcing for work. With a higher education these young adults have a sharper skill set for jobs that Mississippi might not be offering.

“The corporations that are out there are not really in Mississippi. It’s a little bit limited and a little more small business oriented,” Chris Sparks, an assistant professor of IMC at the University of Mississippi, said.

Ole Miss alumni, Steve Vassallo, aggrees, saying it’s an economic problem. He believes that Mississippi will not fix the population problem until it passes legislature that fixes Mississippi’s economic development problem.

“I talk to more Ole Miss students who head off to Nashville, Houston, Atlanta, or New York for reasonable employment opportunities. Mississippi unfortunately does not have those numbers,” Vassallo said.

While certain jobs seem to be pulling new graduates from our state, the feeling of home and community seems to be drawing some alumni back to Oxford.

Director of Visit Oxford Mary Allyn Hedges is one of these people, saying she grew up here, moved away after graduation, and just recently moved back to Oxford.

“I think I felt like that leaving Mississippi was probably my best opportunity. If I wanted to go and explore other parts of the country that was the time to do it, and in the long run I probably would want to move back eventually to be with my family and my community,” she said.

When asked their opinion about what Mississippi could do to get residents to stay, Hedges and Vassallo had similar perspectives. “The primary reason would be to influence the people in the state of Mississippi to get Fortune 500 companies to relocate here,” Vassallo said. And unless they are willing to give incentives of significance, that’s never going to happen.”

Hedges believes more resources for young professionals is needed.

“I think there is also a lot of talk surrounding workforce in Mississippi and ensuring that there are job opportunities available to those students with various degrees and professions so that they have that opportunity to stay,” Hedges said.

The decreasing population is affecting revenue coming into the state. According to the International Revenue Service, nearly $1.4 billion of income was generated by individuals who left Mississippi between 2011 and 2016.

While certain jobs seem to be pulling new graduates from our state, the feeling of home and community seems to be drawing some alumni back to Oxford.

Director of Visit Oxford Mary Allyn Hedges says she grew up here, moved away after graduation and just recently moved back to Oxford.

“I think I felt like that leaving Mississippi was probably my best opportunity. If I wanted to go and explore other parts of the country that was the time to do it, and in the long run I probably would want to move back eventually to be with my family and my community,” she said.

She also feels that people wanting to be a part of the change helps to bring people back.

“I think that wanting to help change Mississippi and help make it better, especially if you’re from Mississippi. Seeing that opportunity to want to come back and roll your sleeves up and be a part of helping be that change to grow and prosper.” Hedges said.

Another individual who found herself back in the magnolia state was Sparks.

After living a corporate life and working for various companies like Coca Cola, Sparks says that she and her husband moved back to be closer to family.

After receiving news that his parents weren’t doing well her husband took an opportunity when his workplace was going through some reorganization to get a job back in Mississippi.

Sparks managed a few different positions before ending up back at the University as a non-traditional professor, but says she’s happy to back home in Oxford.

“I think that people are very proud to be a Mississippian. Anywhere you go in the world, it’s funny because when people find out you’re also from Mississippi they want to say hello and reminisce, and I think that’s unique about Mississippi.” Sparks said.

While some come and go, others like Lydia Siniard seem to stay right here in Oxford and end up owning their own businesses.

Siniard is the founder and owner of Hinge Dance Company and Oxford Academy of Dance Arts, and, even though she always wanted to teach dance, she never thought she’d be doing it here.

“I thought I was just gonna go on home to Carterville and run Cartersville School of Ballet where I danced, but here I am in Oxford running this studio because I feel like this need is here.” Siniard said.

After her graduation, Siniard took a job in Italy for a few months and says her plan was to come back, help finish producing Hinge Dance Company’s spring show and then leave town. But when that following summer rolled around she got a call asking her to find a space in Oxford to expand a studio she had worked for in Tupelo.

A final margin of the population Oxford seems to resonate well with are retirees. Vassallo and his wife had always planned to move back to Oxford at some point, and he says even though it’s not much like he remembers he still enjoys it.

“I say three things safe community, great central location where you can get to a number of major cities quickly like Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, New Orleans, Little Rock, and the cost of living here is very affordable,” Vassallo said.

The small town atmosphere and the sense of community were the reasons he fell in love with Oxford, He says that when he didn’t need a six digit salary it was as good a time as any to move back.

“There’s an outstanding school district here for people who have kids, and all the cultural amenities associated with Oxford or the University that makes it appealing. My wife and I tell other people living here is like being on vacation.” Vassallo said.