Student Spotlight: Kailey Clinton
November 6, 2020
Kailey Clinton represents what it means to be a Mississippi State fan through and through. Just a few weeks after her birth, Clinton was in attendance at MSU’s 1999 Homecoming game, decked out in maroon and white.
Senior biological engineering major Kailey Clinton
“I like to tell people I came out the womb as a proud Bulldog,” Clinton said.
A senior biological engineering major from Brandon, Mississippi, Clinton has never missed a Homecoming game with her family. As a young girl, she admired the girls in the Homecoming Court. She loved to watch them walk across the field, each representing their own major and academic department.
This year, Clinton added her own connection to the game when she decided to apply to be a Homecoming Maid. She went through an extensive application and interview process and was selected by the university and student body to represent the senior class as a Homecoming Maid.
Clinton was awestruck when she found out she was selected as maid. She is most excited about sharing the MSU Homecoming experience with her father, a Mississippi State alumnus.
“I am so honored to be able to represent the Bagley College of Engineering as a woman engineer, and to walk out with my dad,” said Clinton. “We have shared this Homecoming experience together every year, and I am eager to finally represent MSU as a Homecoming Maid like all the girls I looked up to growing up.”
When making the final decision of which school to attend, Clinton decided on Mississippi State because of the Bagley College of Engineering’s Global Engineering Leadership Minor. Clinton is also minoring in math and Spanish and has completed a study abroad in a small town near Madrid, Spain.
Clinton said the Bagley College of Engineering has allowed her to experience so many different things from study abroad and internships to undergraduate research.
“I came to Mississippi State because I knew I would not be limited in any study program or organization I wanted to get involved with. I knew I would have so many opportunities at State to experience different things,” said Clinton.
Clinton immediately started to look for clubs and student organizations to get involved in upon her arrival at MSU. She is active in Engineering Recruitment Leaders and serves as a Study Abroad Ambassador. She’s also active in the Biomedical Engineering Association, the American Medical Students Association, Dresses of Hope, STEMpact, New Maroon Camp, Montgomery Leadership Program and Chi Omega Fraternity.
In the past, Clinton was a part of MSU Student Association’s Freshman Forum, Dance Marathon, Donald Zacharias Leadership Conference Breakout Speaker, I AM GIRL Middle School Conference Volunteer, and a Pinelake Care Center Volunteer.
Clinton is also a Community Health Intern with the MSU Extension Service.
“I work on the PROMISE Initiative which aims to prevent opioid misuse among rural populations specifically farmers. Through this program, we raise awareness for mental health and educate community leaders on spotting the signs of a person experiencing a mental health crisis,” said Clinton.
Clinton also serves as an undergraduate research for Bagley College of Engineering.
“I currently work on developing additive manufactured biodegradable bone scaffolding to be used in the treatment of large bone defects,” said Clinton.
“I am truly amazed at everything the Bagley College of Engineering and MSU has to offer. The faculty and teachers are so welcoming. I could have not gotten a better college experience anywhere else,” said Clinton.
By: Abbie Kate Hancock