When Mia Aurbakken Adjali first arrived at Millsaps College, she had already lived a life shaped by the wider world. Born in Algeria to United Methodist missionary parents from Norway, she grew up moving between cultures, attending school in France before completing high school in Hartford, Connecticut, and brought that global perspective with her to Jackson.
To her son, Madani Adjali, that openness to people and ideas was central to who his mother was.
“She was a very caring person who always put others ahead of herself,” Madani said. “She was a great listener and always eager to engage with people. Family was incredibly important to her, and family wasn’t just about blood.”
Pi Delta Phi, 1960. Professor Baskin, Linda Cooper, Mary Lee Stubblefield, Mia Aurbakken and Virginia Alice Bookhart.
Once on campus, Mia immersed herself fully in Millsaps life. She sang with the Singers, participated in Wesley Fellowship, joined Pi Delta Phi and the Women’s Council, and was a member of Beta Sigma Omicron Sorority (later Zeta Tau Alpha). Even decades later, Madani said he could see how much those years meant to her.
“I always heard how much she enjoyed her time at Millsaps,” he said. “I went back through the yearbook and saw her name pop up in all these different activities. She really took advantage of everything the college offered.”
Mia graduated in 1960 with a degree in sociology before continuing her education at New York University’s School of International Affairs. That foundation launched a remarkable career dedicated to global justice, human rights and peacebuilding.
She served as a non-governmental representative to the United Nations for the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, the Executive Secretary for Global Concerns for the Women’s Division and the Director of the United Methodist Office for the UN at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York City.
The 1959 Women’s Council, Mia is standing, 5th from the left.
Her work spanned continents and causes, from apartheid in South Africa and women’s political imprisonment to environmental concerns, poverty, communication rights and peacemaking. Her leadership was steady, thoughtful and grounded in a deep belief in the dignity and worth of every person. In recognition of that impact, Millsaps named her Alumna of the Year in 2008.
Following her death in 2022, Madani began thinking about how best to honor his mother’s life and the institution that helped shape it. While she gave back to Millsaps when she could, he wanted to create something lasting, something that would continue to reflect her values long into the future.
“I felt like a scholarship at Millsaps would have a more lasting impact,” he said. “That her name would continue to live on, especially in connection with a college she was so proud to have been a part of.”
Mia and Madani Adjali
That vision became The Mia Adjali Scholarship Fund, an endowed scholarship supporting Millsaps students majoring in sociology or anthropology, the disciplines that first helped Mia understand the world and her place in it. Renewable for up to four years, the scholarship is designed to give students stability and freedom to focus on learning, growth and service.
Madani hopes recipients will carry forward more than academic knowledge. “Never stop learning,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what field students ultimately go into. I hope they take their education out into the world and try to make it better, to give voice to people who might otherwise go unheard.”
Through this scholarship, Mia Adjali’s influence continues, not only in the memories of those who knew her but in the lives of students who will follow paths shaped by curiosity, compassion and a commitment to the common good.