When Shalyn Smith moved to Columbus in the early 2010s from Little Rock, Arkansas, she thought she was headed toward Ohio.
The mixup that led her and her family to the Friendly City during her high school years is one that has allowed her to thrive and get her feet under her.
“We moved here because my mom, who was in the Air Force, thought it said Columbus, Ohio,” Smith said. “That’s why we moved here. When she put it in the GPS, she was like, ‘Wait. This is Mississippi. Well, let’s go.’ We got here and it wasn’t bad. … Now I’m here, and I’m content to stay to get my bearings and save up while I have the support.”
Smith was used to the city life in Little Rock and said it was an adjustment moving to the Golden Triangle where there isn’t as much “hustle and bustle.” She said the people are friendlier in Mississippi.
“My first teacher when I moved here was Taylor Brackin, and she helped me so much with more than just class,” Smith said. “She helped me get into color guard and helped me find friends. It’s hard picking up and moving somewhere you’ve never been before, and I know in Little Rock that wouldn’t have happened like that.”
Smith, who is originally from Crossett, Arkansas, finished high school in Caledonia then ventured over to Starkville to attend Mississippi State University. Before graduating from Mississippi State, she worked various jobs to pay for her rent and activities.
“I chose to go to State to be closer to my mom,” Smith said. “And, I know they tell you not to stay somewhere because of a man, but I did and it’s worked out. Yes, I stayed because of my man.”
Upon graduating from MSU in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in communication, she began looking for jobs in her field and landed one as the communications coordinator for Graham Roofing in West Point, where she has now been for eight months.
In her role, she curates social media content, creates marketing material for job fairs and organizes events and activities for Graham Roofing like National Roofing Week.
Christee Holbrook, president and owner of Graham Roofing, said the work Smith does is invaluable, and other roofing professionals have noticed.
“It’s really important to have someone like Shalyn so they can tell our story whether it’s through social media, direct mail outs or email blasts,” Holbrook said. “… To me, her role is huge. I can’t do without her. I go all over the state to different meetings, and I have people coming up to me saying, ‘Oh that series you did (on social media) about your employees was awesome.’ All of that is Shalyn.”
She didn’t set out to traverse the Golden Triangle, but Smith said she had enjoyed living and working in the area even after college.
Though for right now Smith sees herself staying in Columbus with her mom and her boyfriend of seven years, Omar Johnson, she has bigger dreams. Eventually she wants to move to Dallas, Texas, to start her own communications and marketing firm because communication allows her to tap into her creative side while also helping others.
“My dad lives out there and has some land,” she said. “I want to … be my own boss. I want to help people design materials like flyers and social media posts for their businesses or for politicians. I want to help people and be able to make my mark on the world.”
Whenever the time comes for Smith to leave Mississippi, she said she will always fondly remember her time here.
“People talk really bad about Mississippi until you actually get here,” Smith said. “People don’t treat you like a stranger, and I like that a lot. … Living here, the people are friendly, and it’s more of a town — more of a home.”
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