You better bring a smile if you see Huntley Massey.
If you don’t have one, the New Hope High School senior will dazzle you with an infectious one of her own that will dare you not to return the favor.
Even though Massey admits her smile may be “very cheesy” or even “toothy,” there is a lot going on behind that facial expression some may take for granted.
“I like to smile because I want to be the type of person when they see me down the hallway they’re like, ‘She’s having a good day. She has a nice smile. I want to smile, too, because smiles are contagious,’” Massey said.
A smile is just part of Massey’s welcoming and nurturing nature and serves as the gateway to a generous and kind spirit that is intertwined in life at New Hope High and in the community.
Massey was recently recognized for her giving spirit when she received the Silent Servant Scholarship Award from the Peter R. Marsh Foundation, which awards scholarships to public high school students for engaging in selfless, voluntary service to their communities. The award rewards students for benevolence, a behavior and a set of values that will sustain their families and communities for decades to come.
“When Mrs. (Jennifer) Box told me I had received the award I thought I was getting in trouble,” Massey said. “I didn’t know this scholarship was given out.”
Massey has been a member of the New Hope High cheerleading team since the seventh grade, is a leader in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and is the chaplain for the New Hope High BETA Club. She also does volunteer work at Mt. Vernon Church, where she is a worship leader and serves with the children, and is involved with community service projects through the church.
Massey credits her family for stressing the importance of being kind to others, even if it is a “small” act of kindness. She said she hopes to encourage others to have the same attitude and to have an impact on her peers at school.
Rachel Robertson, a teacher and coach at New Hope High, feels her daughter’s giving mindset started two generations before her with her grandparents. She said she watched her parents give their time and energy to disaster relief efforts stateside and internationally, and that Huntley’s volunteerism started when she was in middle school. Robertson said Huntley has been on several mission trips to Guatemala, and that she plans on serving at a youth camp to help disciple middle schoolers one week this summer.
“One of the hardest times in her life gave rise to her mindset of smiling and positivity,” Robertson said. “In our home, we commonly use the expression ‘beauty from ashes,’ so we often refer to that really difficult year of recovering from a severe concussion and Post-Concussion Syndrome as the ashes that brought out the beauty of her life, not only in her smiling and gratefulness but also her perspective.”
Massey said she tries to keep that perspective and to stay humble even when she is having a bad day and she may not feel like smiling. She said she doesn’t need to make someone have a bad day if she is having one.
Massey plans to attend Mississippi State University and study something related to the medical field so she can help others and be around people. Those plans may change, though, Massey said with a smile, especially if the Lord leads her in another direction.
Regardless of the direction, Massey will go that way armed with a smile that will bring you closer and invite you to join her in helping others.
“Once you realize it is not always about yourself, doing for others is something amazing,” Massey said. “When you start to realize that, it becomes kind of easy to do that because you realize the world isn’t revolving around you and it can be about helping others, too.”
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You can help your community
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 47 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
