In a remarkable achievement for the town of Hickory, three students from the community were recently accepted into the prestigious Mississippi School of Arts (MSA). Cadence Thames, Baylee Walker, and Jazmine Morgan, who are currently sophomores at Newton County High School, are slated to join the MSA this fall.
The MSA, located in Brookhaven, is a statewide residential school that provides advanced programs of study in music, theatre, visual arts, dance, literary arts, and media arts for artistically gifted eleventh and twelfth grade students. Given that the school has a student body made up of around 84-100 students, and a limited number of openings each year for students across the state, the acceptance of the three best friends from Hickory is a remarkable feat.
Pursuing Their Artistic Passions
Cadence Thames will study vocal music arts at MSA, which combines musical theater with traditional choir elements.
“It’s basically just musical theater mixed with a regular choir,” she explained. “I’m going to be learning how to act and how to sing and how to dance at the same time, but also just other musical things that you could learn in a regular school.”
Thames said that she has been singing since she was young, starting in church and continuing through middle school choir. “I tried out for choir and to see if I’d like it, and I did.” The soprano aspires to attend college in New York and eventually perform on Broadway one day. And she can’t wait to begin her junior year at the MSA.
“I’m personally excited,” she shared. “Not really nervous, I guess, because I think it’s like a new journey.”
Baylee Walker and Jazmine Morgan will both pursue visual arts. And just like Thames and her singing, both have been drawing for as long as they can remember.
Morgan recalled loving drawing since she was in art class in second grade, while Walker traced her early interest to watching YouTube tutorials on an old laptop and practicing poses, bodies, arms, fingers, and hairstyles.
“Nobody starts perfect,” Walker noted. “Once you learn one thing, you’ve really got to just branch out.”
Morgan credited Walker with initially inspiring her to draw seriously.
“Bailey is actually the one that got me into drawing,” she said. “I remember in elementary she would always show me her drawings and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so cool’. I would go home and study her drawings so I could learn from her because I was so fascinated by her art style.”
The visual arts program at MSA focuses on honing existing skills, preparing students for potential careers through experiences like art galleries. Walker expressed interest in becoming a graphic designer, seeing the associate’s degree option at MSA as a strong stepping stone.
A Challenging but Rewarding Process
With several school friends joining the three sophomores in trying out for MSA on February 28, they described the process as “demanding” and “scary.” Requirements included recommendations from counselors and principals, a strong disciplinary record, a solid GPA, and a decent ACT score. Visual arts applicants were asked to submit a portfolio with specific requirements, while Thames auditioned by singing.
For the in-person audition, visual arts students had to create a still-life drawing on the spot during a two-hour session.
“It was really risky because there were so many people there,” Walker recalled.
Morgan recalled a student looking at the subject they were asked to draw for several minutes before getting up and exiting the room. The experience included an interview as well.
Acceptance letters arrived shortly after spring break. The students described a mix of emotions: joy mixed with sadness that not all their friends who tried out made it. “Only three out of seven of us made it, and that was just like shocking to me,” Morgan said.
Despite the nerves about moving away from home to the Brookhaven campus (close to two hours from Hickory), the young ladies are enthusiastic about the opportunities. MSA offers the chance to earn an associate’s degree while still in high school, along with access to substantial scholarships — up to $5 million awarded annually. Students also gain independence in a college-like setting, with privileges earned through maintaining grades and responsibilities such as keeping dorm rooms clean.
Support from Family, Teachers, and Community
The young women said that support was plentiful through the years from school and the community, and praised their parents for unwavering support in pursuing the arts. Thames highlighted her choir teacher, Emily Massey, for teaching her everything she knows about music. Both Walker and Morgan mentioned digital media teacher Missy Johnson, who encouraged her artistic pursuits. And all three sophomores mentioned English teacher Dr. Cynthia Slaughter, who provided ongoing encouragement and advice throughout the application process.
Looking ahead, move-in is scheduled around late July, with classes beginning August 1. The students will experience dorm life, greater freedom (such as walking up to 10 miles off campus with a buddy), and a diverse community of talented peers.
Yet the three friends, who recently learned that their grandparents actually went to school together, noted the value of attending MSA together. “We all expect that we’re going to make new friends up there,” said Morgan. “But It’s good that I know when you go up there, you’re already going to have someone that can have your back.”.
