Kelly Jo Thomas still remembers the anger and depression she carried as a child because people close to her made her feel like she didn’t matter.
Those feelings bled into her school days in the Columbus and Lowndes County School districts, where she would fight other students and have frequent outbursts. Thomas said counselors never fully understood her struggles and could not give her the resources she needed at the time.
“It’s really hard being a kid and not having anybody to turn to,” Thomas said. “(Feeling) like nobody cares, nobody loves you, nobody wants you, and that’s what you feel. And then what you feel is what you become. … (I needed) guidance; kids need to know that they are not alone and they are allowed to speak up. They should not be scared to talk about it.”
That’s why Thomas, 28, wants to become the resource she never had. Now a human and social services major at Madisonville Community College in Kentucky, she aims to transfer to Mississippi University for Women this fall and eventually become a middle school counselor in Lowndes County.
Thomas said the road to that dream started in a very dark place.
Growing up in Columbus, Thomas said she suffered significant verbal and physical abuse as a child, and was regularly sent away to live with her aunt and grandmother.
From kindergarten to senior year, Thomas changed school districts 16 times, and because of that, she said she always felt in flux. Those feelings contributed to several mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder, she said.
“I want to say the biggest effect that it’s had on me is like my self-worth and my sense of belonging,” Thomas said. “Because I was passed around so much, it was like I wasn’t good enough for anybody.”
While attending Caledonia Middle School, Thomas had her first interactions with Randy Finch, then the physical education teacher.
Finch said he could tell at the time that Thomas was harboring anger because of the difficulties of her home life. He tried to give her reassurance and show her ways to channel her anger through sports.
“She wasn’t as fortunate … (and) she didn’t have the support group that a lot of kids at Caledonia had coming through,” Finch said. “… (I) just tried to always give her words of encouragement, and not necessarily just sit up and talk about her home life every day.”
Thomas said though she left Caledonia Middle School after seventh grade, and lost contact with Finch, those lessons left a lasting impression.
‘A success story’
After graduating from Columbus High School in 2016, Thomas enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard. After years of disarray, Thomas hoped to find some consistency in joining the military.
But after two years, she ran into health problems, including seizures and recurring issues with Lupus – a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy organs – which led to her medical discharge.
She also had a miscarriage around that time, adding to what she calls one of the lowest points of her life.
“I lost myself,” Thomas said. “I went into full darkness. … It was so traumatic after being abused all of your life, and then you finally think you have somebody that’s never going to leave you, and then it just gets taken away from you. … I did not come out of my room for three months. I didn’t eat, I didn’t sleep. All I did was lay there and cry.”
She found her purpose again with the birth of her sons, Kassius and Kreed, in 2018 and 2019. To provide for them, Thomas worked odd jobs as a tattoo artist, server and grocery bagger.
While the work made ends meet, Thomas said she was still searching for a career with meaning.
While staying in Columbus in 2023, Thomas ran into Finch again while attending Vibrant Church. Thomas said she asked for prayer during a service and was shocked to be met by Finch and his wife Kristen in the middle of the sanctuary.
After that reconnection, Thomas said the pair became “the parents (Thomas) never had” and even bought Thomas her first MacBook after she told them she had been using her phone to get through her courses at Madisonville Community College after enrolling in 2025.
“We decided to gift her with that MacBook because … we knew we weren’t going to waste that MacBook,” Randy Finch said. “We knew that it was going to be a success story.”
That investment has already paid dividends, as in her second semester Thomas was named to the President’s List for her academic success. Thomas said she hopes to build on that momentum as she eyes a transfer to Mississippi University for Women next semester to be closer to her friends and the home she wants to give back to.
“I really do want to be in my district in Lowndes County, (which is) my home,” Thomas said. “I want to help my people (and be) all the people I never had.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
