Michael Farmer — Spirit of State Testimonial

Speakers: Michael Farmer

Michael Farmer: What does receiving Spirit of State mean to you? Well, for starters, it's truly an honor to receive Spirit of State. If you would have told me this two and a half years ago when I transferred here, I would have probably told you that's not possible. I would not be getting Spirit of State, but Spirit of State is something that I really never dreamed of. But I have somehow got it today and I am truly honored. It's honestly uplifting that I have received this award and it kind of just like everyone around me that has also received it. It has shown me just everyone that's just done their own part of Mississippi State and been been able to succeed in different ways. Everyone that I've heard that has received this award has just done their own path and created themselves in such this high standard that I adore. But for myself, um receiving Spirit of State, it's honestly just so awesome to have this. Now Spirit of State that's going to signify an on campus involvement or off campus involvement. But more than that, just an enhancement to the Mississippi State community. I walk around campus every day. And I always see somebody I know whether that's a short walk from McCool Hall to Old Main or whether that's just sitting in line at Chick-fil-A for the Union and being able to receive this award, just kind of helps me as a person say, you know, you have made a huge positive impact to Starkville, Mississippi and more than that Mississippi State in general, but receiving this award has honestly opened my eyes up and seen, wow, like all that involvement and all that, it really shows and there is an award for it that for people that have really went above and beyond. And Mississippi State has provided me as a transfer student with so much more than I could ever imagine. And being able to reciprocate that into the university is something that I absolutely love and I love Mississippi State and I always will Hail State.

Michael Farmer: What has been your most rewarding experience while you've been at Mississippi State University. So this might be a little long. But my first uh experience really that I ever got that I was like, wow, I'm a Mississippi State Bulldog was opening up my letter for Roadrunner. I opened up that letter and it said welcome to Roadrunner. And I was like, wow, there's no way that I have got this position and we had our ice cream social that night and ever since then, it was just kind of a very uphill rewarding experience and I absolutely have loved it. But the first day, Avent Van Horn, our advisor, said to me, you have 24 hours in your day, use it as you should. If you say you're gonna do something, you're gonna show up and you're always gonna hold yourself accountable and kind of held me to this professional standard and believed in me a lot more than anyone that I ever imagined. And so that was one of the most like impactful things. I remember calling my mom after, and I said, 'Hey, I think I messed up. My advisor thinks I have 24 hours in a day. And I just do not have 24 hours in a day.' And that was one of the first things that I kind of realized like, wow, like there's someone that just met me that fully believes in me and sees me in such a higher place than anyone has ever seen me in my eyes, which was awesome.

Michael Farmer: In what ways can you continue to embody the Spirit of State? So Spirit of State that's going to embody a student that has really provided campus with a positive light and just involvement and non involvement just really been there for the whole community as a whole in Starkville and Mississippi State. And I think that if you continue to embody that, that's gonna be still promoting Mississippi State, whether it's a good day or a bad day, always looking for somebody to say, hey, have you looked in the Mississippi State? Because for me, when I was interested in college, Mississippi State was on the list, but I didn't know what they had to offer. And if I would have had someone in my life, say, hey Michael, let's sit down, let's talk about this. That would have been really great to have to have another uh external site on Mississippi State. But to continue to embody the Spirit of State, just be a positive light in your area wherever you end up, whether that's still in Starkville, whether that's Mississippi or whether that's another state, there's always gonna be areas where you can continue to just love Mississippi State and always say Hail State and just pursue happiness around here. Mississippi State is a very big family atmosphere and there's a lot of people here that just love each other. And I can't express that enough, but embodying Spirit of State, you just have to maintain that positive energy that we had in our undergraduate and that involvement that we had and just keep going and bouncing our schedule. I think that we can all pretty much do it and just be an uplifting light to everyone around you. And when you wear the Mississippi State watch that we get, be proud to wear it, be proud to say that you're a Mississippi State alumni and be proud to say what you've done at Mississippi State. Your accomplishments, when you talk to people and you wear that watch and they say, 'Oh, where'd you get that from?' Be able to talk about it Don't make it a simple deal; make it something big because this is a very high award that we are receiving and it's awesome that we are all standing together and getting it. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity. Hail State.