Decatur gained a fine young couple from the Brandon and Forest areas, when Melisa and Scott Hill moved here to teach school. My grandkids had asked me to write about Mrs. Melisa Hill, one of the Newton County Talented and Gifted teachers, whom I much enjoyed interviewing. I learned her husband, an instructor and coach at East Central Community College, was also an asset to our community.
Melisa Polk Hill was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on March 25, 1973, to Bill and Georgia Downer Polk of Brandon, Mississippi. Her younger brother is Will Polk of Brandon, who owns a construction company. Melisa’s father owned a concrete pipe business, making pipes for roads and bridges. During her childhood, her mother stayed home, after which she was the 4-H Youth Agent for Rankin County for 25 years.
Melisa attended Brandon Academy, a Christian school, from the first through sixth grades, where she remembered having “really caring teachers, who had a wonderful Christian influence on me.” When she entered the seventh grade, her parents decided she needed a challenge, so they sent her to Jackson Prep. Commenting that it was a good school, she told me she studied hard, got ready for college, and was very involved, serving as manager for both girls’ and boys’ basketball teams. She also worked at Brandon Discount Drugs during high school.
When she learned I was from Gautier, Mississippi, she told me her father and a friend shared a boat that they kept at the Mary Walker Marina in Gautier. She had good memories of fishing trips until a hurricane swept the boat away. One of her fondest memories, though, was of the summers she spent at the Camp Wesley Pines in Gallman, Mississippi, beginning from the fourth grade on until she became a counselor there in later years.
In fact, it was when she was in the fourth grade that, at one of the camp’s worship services, Rev. Riley Burton presented the gospel message and gave an invitation to which Melisa responded. She had been sprinkled as an infant, but this was her own personal salvation experience with Christ. She joined the church on Easter of that year. This brought back more memories, as she said, “That was a great fourth grade year. I had Ms. Hilda Mayers at Brandon Academy as my teacher. She did devotionals and was a great influence.
Melisa went on to tell of her church background, saying, “I grew up in a Christian home, loved my time at Brandon First United Methodist Church under the direction of wonderful Sunday School teachers and children and youth workers and volunteers.” She said, “Camping events such as Spiritual Life Retreats and Disciple Groups helped mold my Christian walk and spiritual life.” Her husband Scott, son of Richard and Lib Hill, was an active member of Forest United Methodist Church growing up and attended Camp Wesley Pines during the winter retreats that were held there for high schoolers. Later, their sons, Joel and Lee, have benefitted from the same camp all their summers from first through the eighth grades. Melisa still goes with the youth group from their church to camp during the summers, as she declares, “There is nothing like getting a good dose of spiritual nourishment at a summer camp-retreat, even if you are not a youth anymore.”
In 1991, after graduating from Jackson Preparatory School, Melisa lost no time completing her Bachelor’s (1995) and Master’s (1999) in Elementary Education from Mississippi State University. Her first teaching job was in 1995 in Forest teaching elementary and middle school gifted students. She offered, “My mentor at Forest was Ms. Linda Mason of Lawrence; she took me under her wing and taught me so much about the gifted classroom.” Melisa taught TAG there for twelve years.
During that time, Melisa said, “I became friends with some wonderful people while working in Forest. One of these couples, Allan and Lynn Atkison, decided Melisa and their friend Scott Hill had to get together. Melisa agreed on a date if they could double date. They went out and, as the old saying goes, “That was all she wrote!”
Scott Hill, son of Richard and Lib Hill, was born in Jackson and reared in Forest with two brothers, Rob Hill of Jackson and Rich Hill of Forest. Their mother still lives in Forest, but their father passed away in 2009. Scott graduated from Forest High School in 1987, from ECCC in 1989, and was awarded his Physical Education degree from Mississippi State University in 1992. He continued on to earn his Master’s in Sports Administration from MSU in 2003. He taught elementary PE and coached for Meridian public schools for one year before taking a position as head baseball coach at Philadelphia High School.
Melisa and Scott were married December 27, 1997, at Brandon First Methodist Church. He was coaching baseball at Philadelphia High School at the time. Melisa continued to commute from Philadelphia to Forest. Their first son, Joel, was born April 15, 2000, and Lee was born May 8, 2003. Scott’s mother kept Joel and Lee as she taught school, then from 2003 until 2006 she worked part time, which made it possible for her to be with her boys more.
In 2003, Scott took the position as Head Softball Coach at East Central Community College, so they moved to Decatur. Scott said, “It’s like coming home, because I had a great ECCC experience while a student.” In 2007, Melisa took a position teaching TAG at Newton County Elementary School. Melisa commented, “When I took the job at Newton County, Ms. Pam Keith helped me a lot.” They had met at East Central TAG competitions while she taught at Forest. She is also grateful to Mr. Lindsley for his support at the elementary school, and Mr. Stringer, who gave her the opportunity to teach at the middle school.
Melisa has taught for the Newton County School System now for thirteen years, which means she has completed 25 years of teaching talented and gifted students. She exclaimed, “I love the students! It is where I feel God has called me to work. I feel like I am on the mission field and do life lessons in my classroom.”
The Hills attend Decatur United Methodist Church, of which Melisa informed me, “This church has just loved on us since we’ve been here. We love our church! They are family!” Melisa and Scott serve as Youth Coordinators at the church.
As we sat on her back porch, with soccer balls and a big back yard beckoning, she told me that sports keep their family busy. “The boys are avid soccer and tennis players. We enjoy attending all kinds of athletic events together, especially Mississippi State events.” Joel just graduated from ECCC and will be a junior at Mississippi State University in the fall, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Lee will be a senior this year at Newton County High School.
She concluded, “I feel blessed for our boys to have been able to go to such a great school. It’s ‘small-town America,’ a wonderful place to raise a family!”
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
