In fall 2023, there were 2,607 staff members associated with the University of Mississippi. Of that number, 1,018 — around 39% — earned degrees at the university. These numbers beg the question: Why do so many students return to work for the university after graduating from it?
Savannah Dye became a staff member of UM in August 2021 as a special events assistant within the Alumni Association. In May of that same year, she received a Bachelor of Science at the university in integrated marketing communications.
“I entirely believe that my experience as a student set me up for success in my staff role at the university,” Dye said. “It was a smooth transition, as I already knew campus traditions and was familiar with departments and schools at Ole Miss.”
As a staff member, Dye simultaneously earned her master’s degree in hospitality management in August 2023.
Dye’s decision to return to the university in a professional capacity was not made out of convenience, but out of genuine love and adoration for what it offered her during her time as a student.
As an out-of-state student, Dye was nervous when she first joined the university, but she says that UM made the transition easier for her. Many years, two degrees and two jobs later, she feels even more at home.
“Ole Miss means the world to me,” Dye said. “Coming from Texas and being far away from home, I longed for a sense of home while in Mississippi. This university — its faculty, staff and the students who were with me — welcomed me with open arms and made me feel safe, valued and respected, which allowed me to spread my wings and grow.”
The Ole Miss Alumni Association, initially dubbed the Alumni Society, was formed by UM’s first graduating class in 1852. They work to strengthen and maintain the bond between the university and the Oxford community by sponsoring events, organizing reunions and hosting a multitude of other traditions.
“I quickly learned a lot about the Alumni Association that I didn’t previously know during my time as a student, and fell in love with my job and new career almost instantly,” Dye said.
Reagan Stone, who graduated from UM in 2022 with a degree in integrated marketing communications, is now an accessibility specialist in the university’s IT department. She works to make sure the Ole Miss website is accessible to users and helps handle any digital material surrounding UM.
Stone’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College thesis centered around museum accessibility, particularly for individuals with autism. Her work on this project inspired her to pursue a career in a similar field at the university.
“The work I did on my thesis made me really excited to learn more about accessibility work, and when I saw that Ole Miss was hiring for a position that would allow me to do just that, I was eager to apply,” Stone said.
Stone is grateful for the chance UM took on her.
“I am so grateful to the university for taking a chance on me and allowing me the opportunity to learn and grow in the digital accessibility field,” Stone said.
While some students choose to continue living in Mississippi after earning their degrees, the majority of graduates opt to relocate.
Christian Carew graduated from the university in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theater arts with an emphasis in acting for the stage and screen.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the University of Mississippi,” Carew said. “I never considered staying to work at the university, mostly because the point of getting a college degree for me was to get the means and education to move out of Mississippi and follow my dreams and aspirations.”
After graduating, Carew viewed his education as a jumping point from which he would explore career opportunities across the country.
“My major was set up for me to be able to be in a small pool of interested theater colleagues, but then take that knowledge to a larger world with more opportunities,” Carew said.
