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“I used to walk in the shade
With those blues on parade
But I’m not afraid, baby
My rover’s crossed over.”
– From Louis Armstrong’s “On The Sunny Side of the Street”
After looking over her resume, one might assume Ashleigh Pierce hails from the sunny side of the street.
The transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) now pursuing a degree in social work at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gulf Coast brought with her to Southern Miss a stack of accolades and accomplishments from her former school that would be the envy of any student:
- Excellence in Honors award from the MGCCC Honors Program
- President’s List scholar
- Selection for membership in Who’s Who and the MGCCC Harrison County Campus Hall of Fame
- Member of the MGCCC student government association
- Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Golden Key award recipient and PTK Pinnacle member award
- Leader of PTK team that wrote children’s book featuring Mississippi Gulf Coast beach and seawall
- Graduating with two associate degrees and a certificate
And that’s just a sampling of what the Bay St. Louis, Miss. native has achieved since exiting the dark road she traveled heretofore that included collisions with drug addiction and toxic behaviors, an arduous battle to secure custody of her children, and recovery from a deep depression following a beloved brother’s suicide that made her consider taking her own life.
“I couldn’t work, I couldn’t parent, I couldn’t wife,” she said of the aftermath of her brother Terrel “Joey” Paul Lee Jr.’s death. “I was in bed grieving like never before. I could hardly bear the pain; I almost put myself in a mental home.”
To that point, Pierce had been on the path to recovery from addiction, even helping counsel and minister to other women dealing with the same challenges who were incarcerated in the Hancock County Jail for drug offenses, including connecting them with recovery resources, attending court dates with them and helping them to prepare and win their custody cases, all while still waiting to win hers.
“I thought getting sober and fighting a custody battle to get my children would by far be the hardest things I would ever have to do,” she said. But Joey’s death proved a major setback. “I almost let the enemy (the devil) take me out.”
Pierce’s recovery group mentor reminded her that the same God that pulled her through addiction and restored her children to her would pave a road leading out of her despair over her brother’s tragic death.
“Around November of that year, I began to feel it in my spirit,” she recounted. “Joey and God were both saying to me ‘Get out of that bed and do what you’re supposed to be doing,’ I knew, without a doubt, that meant to go and finally start my college education.
“Although volunteering and helping others was honorable, I needed the education to back me up and give me the tools I needed to support my family.”
Pierce entered school at MGCCC in January 2022; at the end of that semester, she was placed on the President’s List for earning a 4.0 grade point average. “In that moment, I was confident I was on the path God planned for me,” Pierce said. “Now I am so excited to say I am a college (MGCCC) graduate and excited to see what Southern Miss has to offer me.”
But the rewards for Pierce’s perseverance had just begun. She earned a scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, established to support undergraduate students with financial need. Cooke, who chose to go to work and help his family during the Great Depression instead of attending college, left much of his fortune to establish the foundation because of his belief in the benefits of higher education. The scholarship frees Pierce of any worries about how to afford school, and it also offers funding to attend conferences and study abroad.
“Knowing I can continue my education at USM without having to take out any loans to pay bills and help support my family is an incredible feeling,” Pierce said. “My husband is and always was fully supportive of my desire to get a college degree, but I always felt bad about the financial burden being all on his shoulders. Now we can let go of that stress, all because of the generosity of a man (Cooke) I will never know.”
After earning her degree from Southern Miss, Pierce says her plans include pursuit of master’s and doctoral degrees in social work, and then to open a facility specializing in addiction recovery and suicide prevention for the Gulf Coast community.
Ashleigh is an eager student who is ready to learn and grow in the field of Social Work.
Melody Davisson, a student support specialist and instructor in the Southern Miss School of Social Work, first met Pierce during orientation season and describes her as “an eager student ready to learn and grow in the field of social work.”
“I could tell right away she was passionate about helping others and would succeed in our program,” Davisson said. “Ashleigh has already sought out opportunities to attend conferences, speak with instructors, get involved within our school, and research opportunities. She wants to study abroad, present at conferences and so much more.
“The social work program at Southern Miss strives to create social workers that want to stay and work in the state of Mississippi,” Davisson continued. “We historically have several non-traditional students who have lived life and come back to school. It speaks to Ashleigh’s character and her dedication to her family, career, and the profession as to how committed she is to make a difference.”
About The University of Southern Mississippi
Since our founding in 1910, The University of Southern Mississippi has remained dedicated to preparing students for success. We deliver programs to more than 13,000 students in Hattiesburg and Long Beach, at teaching and research sites across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as online. We are a community-engaged Carnegie R1 university, earning distinction as one of the nation’s leading research institutions. Southern Miss is known for pioneering work in polymer science, ocean science, spectator sports safety and security, and bringing language to children with communication disorders. We are also a national leader in a broad range of disciplines, including cybersecurity, hydrography, nutrition, aquaculture, kinesiology, and economic development, among others. We produce graduates ready to enter fields that are leading the way in emerging technologies through programs such as computer engineering, information technology, and ocean engineering. We’re developing the next generation of business leaders, while also responding to critical workforce shortages by producing skilled professionals in education and nursing. With a tradition of excellence in the arts, we are one of only 36 public institutions in the nation accredited in four major areas of the arts. Home to the Golden Eagles, our student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division I sports. With a culture marked by passion and persistence, Southern Miss is delivering graduates who are ready for life.
