The Blending of a Calling and a Passion

March 16, 2023

"Millsaps College was always the plan for Faith Gilmore. Gilmore, who graduated with her undergraduate degree in 2022 and is pursuing her Master of Accountancy at the Else School of Management, felt a sense of being called to Millsaps. “I felt as though Millsaps College was where God wanted me to be,” she said. During […]"

Millsaps College was always the plan for Faith Gilmore.

Gilmore, who graduated with her undergraduate degree in 2022 and is pursuing her Master of Accountancy at the Else School of Management, felt a sense of being called to Millsaps. “I felt as though Millsaps College was where God wanted me to be,” she said.

During her time as an undergraduate at Millsaps, Gilmore enjoyed the close student-professor relationships she was able to develop. Her relationship with Dr. Stephanie Rolph, executive director of strategic initiatives and associate professor of history, played a pivotal role in Gilmore’s career path.

“I enjoyed Dr. Rolph’s approach to ‘Race in America,’ which inspired me in wanting to participate in an honors project,” said Gilmore.

Rolph’s course motivated Gilmore to pursue an honors project on the history of America’s legal system. Her honors project, titled “A Slave to Lynching,” delved into research on hate crime cases from different locations and time periods to analyze the ways in which America’s legal system established laws that coincided with the crimes committed. Gilmore’s project left the audience to ponder, “Are we, as a country, as Black Americans, taking the measures to prevent the next generation from experiencing this painful history of lynching, or is it too late?”

“Dr. Rolph afforded me the opportunity to write about a topic that I was passionate about, where I was able to explore various aspects of the law and its impact on African American history from the past to present times,” Gilmore said.

In addition to her honors project, Gilmore also studied abroad in accounting professor Dr. Jesse Beeler’s “International Business in Latin America” course in Yucatán during the 2021 winter term. The trip provided Gilmore with the opportunity to learn about the operations of an international business while leaning into her interests in the legal field.

Gilmore also found her place in the Millsaps community. She worked as an accounting consultant in the Center for Academic Success and Excellence (CASE) and a member of Phi Eta Sigma, Sigma Lambda and Beta Gamma Sigma. As a graduate student, Gilmore is a graduate assistant, working in the accounting lab at the Else School.

The opportunities for Gilmore continued after she earned her undergraduate degree. “I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as the inaugural ‘Stay in the Sip’ fellow for Mississippi’s Office of the State Auditor,” Gilmore said.

As a fellow in the “Stay in the Sip” program, Gilmore will gain valuable work experience while working for the Office of the State Auditor. After she earns her graduate degree this year and completes her fellowship program in 2025, she plans to attend law school.

“Millsaps has afforded me many opportunities to learn and grow as a student, but most importantly as an individual,” Gilmore said. “I can truly say that Millsaps has provided me with the tools necessary to conquer the workforce.”