Mississippi
Ben Rowley

University of Mississippi

As a lifetime resident of Mississippi, I have spent most my life living in small towns where educational and economic opportunities are rare. I was born in the capital city of Jackson, MS, and I grew up just fifty miles away in Brookhaven, MS, a city of 12,000. After working as a page in the U.S. Senate for a semester during my junior year of high school, I returned to Mississippi more aware of the state’s problems. After high school, I entered the University of Mississippi, where I am a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. At Ole Miss, I take advantage of the opportunities and resources offered to my colleagues and me by the Honors College to focus on problems in the state and the Southeast. Most recently, I have been conducting research into effective affordable housing practices across the nation with hopes of implementing some of these practices in my home state. Also, as a founding member of the University of Mississippi chapter of the Roosevelt Institute, my fellow members and I are working to study solutions to inadequate access to healthcare for low-income workers. I also enjoy playing tennis, and this summer my USTA men’s team will be playing for a state title and a trip to the USTA Southern Sectional Championships in Mobile, AL.