“When I was about 2 ½ years old, my parents realized I couldn’t bend my left arm,” said Batte, 21, of Brandon.  After initial consultation locally, Batte was taken to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

The fashion design major on the Utica Campus started her college experience unsure of what she wanted to do after college. A long journey led to her recent big break interning with a clothing line in New York.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Memeh came to the United States at age 3 along with her family. Trouble at home landed her in a group home for children for a number of years, where she earned a GED and was provided a car. She enrolled at Hinds at 18, but was too lost on too many levels to succeed.

Protecting and serving the public has been a way of life for Matthew McCain for 12 years as a police officer in Flowood. Those ideals won’t change much in a new career he’s starting, thanks to Hinds Community College.

The former high school football player is concentrating on his career goals, not sports, as he takes heavy course loads to finish his credential in Industrial Mechanics & Maintenance program.

Earning a living while feeding a passion on the side worked out just fine for Robert (Donnie) Cain until parts of his world began to change.