After learning that we are having a new principal coming to the high school, I was glad when he agreed to let me interview him for this column. He is finishing out his time as Principal of the Neshoba Central Middle School, in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he, his wife, and young son live. While there, I observed his encouraging interaction with a couple young graduates, special education students. The first thing Mr. Killen shared with me was this comment, “Before I step out of my truck every morning, I pray for the hearts and minds of my staff and students.” He also told me, “Every child knows I love them. They know I’m not mean, but, when I say something, I mean it!”
Cody Clay Killen was born December 5, 1985, in Meridian, Mississippi. His father Alvin Killen was from Neshoba County, and his mother Karen Clay Killen was a New Orleans native who visited her grandparents in this area every summer for years growing up. Alvin and Karen met at Northside Park in Philadelphia when they were young and have been married since 1983. Cody’s father worked at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans for a year before returning home to drive a log truck. After a while he began hauling heavy machinery and equipment across the country. His mother was a systems analyst for Molpus Company, a timber firm. Cody has one younger brother, Colt Killen, who works for Watkins, Ward, and Stafford as an accountant. He and his wife Alicia also live in Philadelphia.
Young Cody’s education began in kindergarten in Philadelphia and continued there until his early graduation in 2003 from Neshoba County High School. He played basketball a little, but when he realized he had enough credits to graduate in three years, he went for that instead and believes he missed out on some things. Having played tennis in school, he has a real passion for the game, and still plays regularly. He also loves deer hunting.
Mr. Killen has worked hard to advance his education and experience. Cody went on to East Central Community College for one year before transferring to Mississippi State University, where he graduated in December 2007 with a B.S. in Education, an emphasis in Social Studies with an add-on in Chemistry, Biology, Science, and Special Education, in 2007. He finished his Masters of Arts in Teaching in 2012 at the University of West Alabama. In 2020, he added a specialist degree in Educational Leadership from William Carey, where he is now working on his doctorate in Educational Leadership. He hopes to finish that by the end of next year. In 2019 he was Middle School Principal of the Year for the State of Mississippi, and was appointed to Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann’s 2020 Administrative Academic Advisory Board. He was asked to serve again for 2021.
He and his wife Courtney were both out of college and working in their careers when they met, through the influence of a friend and Providence. Courtney Rachelle Ingram from Carthage was doing occupational therapy at the nursing home in Philadelphia. They met and married June 15, 2013, and Mr. Killen said I should note that he gave me that date without hesitation when I asked that question!
He was teaching biology and chemistry, and coaching cross country, soccer, and tennis at the Neshoba Central High School at the time. He also taught Special Education his last year there as a teacher. Mr. Killen began his teaching career there in 2008, before moving to serve in 2016 as an assistant principal at the elementary school. In 2018, he became the head principal at the Neshoba Central Middle School.
Courtney has worked at Hilltop Assisted Living in Union almost a year. She originally did Home Health, but she finished the Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Hinds County Community College and now works in that capacity. Mr. Killen told me, “She’s solid. She’s my rock. She’s been a blessing.” Speaking further about Courtney, he referred me to Matthew 15:28, and to the words of Jesus, “Woman, you have great faith.” He continued, “She is that and has stood by me through everything. I know I could always go to her and have a supporter.”
The Killens have a five-year-old son they named Charlie Cruz Killen, born Aug. 23, 2015, about eight weeks early. He shared, “It was a scary time. I just prayed, ‘Let him be healthy!’ He was. He’s definitely been a blessing.” They call him Cruz. I saw a sweet video of Cruz and his mother singing a song at church, on Mothers’ Day, with the chorus including “This Little Light of Mine.” He told me, “Raising Cruz as a Christian is top priority. He and I pray together.”
Mr. Killen himself was ten years old when he became a Christian, at East Philadelphia Baptist Church, where the family was attending at the time. He was “kind of ready,” asked questions of his mother, then talked with the pastor, Rev. Dwight Falkenberry. Through receiving counsel and prayer, he ended up making the decision to believe and follow Christ. He was brought up in East Philadelphia Baptist Church until he was around ten or eleven, when they attended Ocobla Baptist Church.
At present he and his family attend East Philadelphia Baptist Church. He shared, “There’s only One perfect. I’m far from it, but I am forgiven. In the Christian faith, if you’re truly saved, we have the Good Shepherd. As Christians, we may begin to stray, and we may look and say, ‘Has He left me?’ But He will pull you back. He will put you on the right path. He may put you on your back to where there’s only one way to look, and that’s up.” He also emphasized, “Focus on Christ, when you come to church, and not on what others are thinking of you.”
As to his career path, he stated, “I’ve been wanting to get back to the high school level, helping mold young men and women, to help them be successful. Newton County School System is a great school system. I feel it is a place I can be successful, where I can be at the table to help NCHS be on the forefront of high school education in Mississippi.”
On the first day of this school year, during the pandemic, Mississippi Today magazine came to the Neshoba County Middle School to do a feature article on the school. The reporter told him, after his observations, “If every school in Mississippi were run like this, we’re going to be O.K.”
Sounds good!
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon!You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
