Moss Point High School Alumni Association (MPHSAA) is a new nonprofit organization whose goal is to make the city of Moss Point flourish once again by bringing the community together around a specific population – students. And first on the agenda is rallying support for the organization’s plans to achieve this goal; by hosting/sponsoring events, creating scholarships, and partnering community members with high school students to mentor them on a variety of topics.
    Angela Glaude-Hosch, chairperson of MPHSAA, says the reason she felt comfortable devoting her time and talents to helping lay the foundation for the recently developed nonprofit is because of her confidence in other “Moss Point alum all over this nation who are wanting to see Moss Point not just return to what it was, but exceed that for now and future generations to come.” Though she and several fellow alum board members of Moss Point High School no longer reside in the city, their love for Moss Point and belief in the city’s capability to rise in greatness once more is what convinced them to join the organization.

    Members of MPHSAA believe the return of a thriving Moss Point will be achieved by involving citizens directly in the revitalization efforts through the use of targeted events and fundraisers that aim to boost community engagement, since the nonprofit acknowledges those who live in a city – its citizens – are the ones who “first and foremost…make up the city.”
    “Moss Point is poised to definitely be one of the most flourishing cities along the coast,” says Glaude-Hosch. “…And everybody, if we can…rekindle, I should say, the flame – that we would see burning from the baby to our elders; that love, that spark for the Tigers [MPHS mascot] that our students have. Our athletic program, our academic program, if we could see…if each individual could see themselves as having a vital role in this revitalization and restoration, could you imagine what that would be?…Amazing…there is nothing that can stop something that is built upon, rooted and grounded in, love…Love for the community…”

    Everything the members of Moss Point High School Alumni Association are currently doing to build the foundation of the organization speaks to the group’s mission of empowering excellence within high school students and sustaining the legacy of the people and city of Moss Point. Byron Booker, vice chairman of MPHSAA, expresses how board members of the nonprofit joined together in this endeavor because they all have a great interest in seeing Moss Point and its residents flourish, which Booker says he and fellow alum plan to accomplish by “inspiring our students at the Moss Point High School” in order to “[help] the city move forward.”
    Having a clear, reachable goal is vital for all organizations, just like ensuring that the foundational infrastructure is solid enough and sustainable in the long run to withstand any trials and tribulations that may one day appear. This is why MPHSAA’s advocates are strategically planning each upcoming fundraiser and event with the three key pillars that best describe the nonprofit’s practices in mind: trust, transparency, and truthfulness.
    Glaude-Hosch notes how “Establishing trust among our donation contributors, [and] maintaining transparency in terms of what we collect and do with those funds that are supplied” is how Moss Point High School Alumni Association will remain truthful to its mission of reinvigorating the city and providing opportunities to young citizens. 

     Having only officially started as an organization in September of 2024, MPHSAA is still in the strategic planning stage of development but already has plans underway for a variety of projects meant to engage with the citizens of Moss Point.
    The Moss Point High School Alumni Association is a 501c (3) nonprofit, tax-deductible organization that was originally founded by board members Denise Shattenkirk and Reginald Colley along with Gary Millender, treasurer. A body of 11 alumni who graduated from Moss Point High School, each member “[is] really committed to the cause,” states Vice Chairman Booker, since they all have “an interest and a desire to see our schools prosper and our cities prosper.”
    Even non-member individuals are beginning to show interest in the nonprofit, such as the mayor of Moss Point, who became one of MPHSAA’s first advocates after an introduction by Millender. Chairperson Glaude-Hosch affirms that Moss Point’s mayor “welcomed the idea and the foundation of this organization as it presents itself in its vocation and mission,” as well as disclosing she has additionally met with the Superintendent of Moss Point High School on behalf of MPHSAA to “[chat] about various things we desire to do.”

    When asked how to get community members involved and supportive of nonprofit organizations such as the Moss Point High School Alumni Association, Glaude-Hosch stated, “It’s all about relationships,” since she views trust, transparency, and truthfulness to be the three essential elements of fostering healthy community relationships. Because of these relationships, everyone involved – both board members and community partners – have willingly devoted their time, expertise, and effort to achieving the group’s mission and are enthusiastically working toward the projects planned for the year.
    Some of MPHSAA’s plans for 2025 include but are not limited to fundraising to create scholarships, hosting/sponsoring events, and connecting the larger Moss Point community together to propagate mentorships between local businesses/people and high school students. Though primarily focused on planning at the moment, the Moss Point High School Alumni Association has already begun reaching out to the surrounding community.
    During Moss Point High School’s 2024 Homecoming weekend, the Alumni Association held its first meet and greet with the public where members provided snacks and explained the organization’s goals to bring awareness and gain residents’ support. Booker affirms that the event went well – “We had some people come through. Just explain[ed] to them what we’re about, what we’re trying to do, and yes, definitely had some interested people,” – and hopes it to be a good sign of the community involvement MPHSAA can expect in the future.

    One method Glaude-Hosch hypothesizes will be effective in garnering support is through MPHSAA’s Outreach Committee, which she declares will be “focused on reaching out to alumni and those that…live within the community, as well as those who are spread abroad all over in areas totally opposite of the country” with the aim of gaining members who can then spread the organization’s mission even further.
    By increasing alumni engagement and strengthening ties between community partnerships, Moss Point High School Alumni Association will be one step closer to achieving its motto of empowering excellence and sustaining legacy.
    The nonprofit also plans to sponsor events with targeted activities, which Glaude-Hosch believes will “set in motion the things we’re working on now,” such as building funds for scholarships and identifying needs within the Moss Point High School.
    Thomas Dubose, MPHSAA’s fundraiser director, has plans underway for a Golf Tournament scheduled to occur in September of 2025 where the association hopes to raise thousands of dollars in donations to then use for programs and/or scholarships for students. A secondary event that was proposed by the vice chairman and another board member, Clement Malone, is named “Jazz on the River,” which Booker states has already gained traction with some individuals – “I’ve touched bases with one or two people in the community that are musicians that are on board.” The goal with such events as the Golf Tournament and “Jazz on the River” is to invite the public to form a relationship with Moss Point High School Alumni Association by being open and honest about its mission while also aiming to receive donations that will allow for the continuation of the organization.
    “[We’re] doing some events in the city where we invite the public out,” says Booker, “so we hope to get it where donations will begin to come in. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we’re chipping away at it.”

    Since the nonprofit is still in its foundational stage, Glaude-Hosch discloses the current aim of board members is to generate revenue via fundraising through “programming initiatives that will help fund scholarships and generally run the organization itself.” The organization will have both a scholarship fund and a general fund, with the secondary never pulling from the aforementioned and being used only for administrative needs and operational costs.
    Furthermore, the board members of MPHSAA do not want the public to worry over whether the funds are actually being used as designated, which is why the group intends to be fully transparent regarding all donations the nonprofit receives. “You want to know where the money is going? Hey, that won’t be a problem,” Booker declares. “We just want to build trust with our community so that they’ll know we’re doing the right thing and that…we’re actually doing what we say we’re doing.”
    Glaude-Hosch adds that “the giving has to first begin with our board” to encourage others to join, as the nonprofit ultimately wants people to say, “This is an organization that…demonstrates and walks out what they’re asking others to do,” which can only be achieved through transparency of funds, trust in the organization itself, and the truthfulness of its members. MPHSAA’s board exhibits this by showcasing how its members are not asking anything of anyone the alumni themselves would not contribute to, since each personnel pays annual dues that go toward running the nonprofit and funding scholarships.
    As graduates of Moss Point High School themselves, the members of the alumni association are interested in supporting the current students in attendance, primarily through scholarships but also by potentially having mentorships with community partners. “We are looking at bringing in different people to kind of speak to them, do some job fairs maybe. Just to kind of get them exposed to different things to let them know what’s out there. Just inspire them to go forward,” says Booker. Another idea under consideration for implementation in 2025 is a financial literacy program for high school students, a skill often neglected to be taught to young people.

    The Moss Point High School Alumni Association wants to address the needs of students on multiple levels, as the group aims to have the whole person in mind when planning future events, fundraisers and programs, rather than specific tangents, since they realize “we are not just [a] body, we are body and we are soul.” By not limiting what the organization focuses on, it allows many different areas of need to be treated rather than just one or two, thus opening up more avenues for Moss Point’s citizens to engage with. 
    Community involvement is a major component in determining how successful the Moss Point High School Alumni Association will be, especially since the members realize they cannot do everything themselves. “We need the community, we need as many people on the ground and involved as possible,” asserts the vice chairman.
    Only with the support of the residents, businesses, and corporations of Moss Point will the nonprofit be able to make true change for the city and assist Moss Point High School’s students, as Glaude-Hosch believes “there are pockets of ways we are able to move toward this collective goal” if everyone becomes involved. The chairperson of MPHSAA vehemently maintains that herself and fellow alum “were put here to do our part and partner with others who are doing their part” in support of the community they all love, as even though some have since moved away, Moss Point will remain as their home in spirit.
    She hopes individuals of Moss Point as well as those outside of the community will donate and join the Moss Point High School Alumni Association in either a membership or volunteer capacity to support MPHSAA as one organization out of several helping Moss Point thrive bigger and better once again.
    One-time donations are appreciated, as is becoming a legendary giver by donating monthly or quarterly and sponsoring community events (if a business or corporation) hosted by the organization.
    If interested in supporting the 501c(3) tax-deductible nonprofit, donations can be made directly on MPHSAA’s website MPHSAA.com or visit MPHSAA Go-Fund-Me to assist in their goal of awarding scholarships to Moss Point High School students.
    For more information about the Moss Point High School Alumni Association, visit their website MPHSAA.com and Facebook MPHSAA Official Page or email info@MPHSalumniassociation.org. 

On the Cover: Moss Point High School Alumni Association Board Members Gary Millender, Treasurer, Collierville, Tenn; Angela Glaude-Hosch, chairperson, Powder Springs, Ga.; and Denise Shattenkirk, director, New Candy, Texas; join City Mayor Billy Knight Sr. (third from left) to celebrate the group’s formation as a new nonprofit organization dedicated to the betterment of the city through funding initiatives, community engagement, and much more.

Maya Wood

Southern Miss Gulf Scholar! Maya Wood is a native Mississippi resident currently working on obtaining her bachelor’s degree in English at the University of Southern Mississippi ‘s Gulf Coast campus. She plans to continue on to a master’s degree with an emphasis in literature or creative writing and is currently a member of the inaugural class of the nationally recognized Gulf Scholars Program that focuses on supporting states and communities along the coast. Her stories highlight local citizens, businesses and organizations and their contributions to providing “the good life” for Mississippi residents and visitors. Maya’s long-term goal is to do what she loves full time: work as a writer and eventually become an author, as she finds great joy in reading and wants to spread that feeling to others.