A native of Mantee—a small Clay County town outside of West Point—Keisha Knox is a first-generation college graduate who today works as the advancement coordinator within Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Her role within the CAS Dean’s Office supports the development and alumni relations team, and she oversees anything from funding and donor stewardship to student support and cross-campus collaboration.

“I consider myself the ‘face of the office’ for the development team––making sure when students, parents or coworkers call or come by to inquire about scholarship funding, I’m here and available to meet with them.”

She chairs the college’s 15-member scholarship committee, serves as liaison to other campus offices and manages the Student First Undergraduate Excellence Opportunity program, which provides travel support for undergraduates.

As co-creator of the Student First Scholarship portal, Knox has helped streamline access to experiential learning funds. “It’s part of our broader student experiential approach,” she explained, “and it reflects our commitment to helping students apply what they’ve learned in the real world.”

Her favorite part of the job? Helping students in a moment of need. “What excites me most is when we can help a student with funding when they think all hope is lost. I like to see the excitement on their face or hear it in their voice when the answer is ‘yes, we can help with that.’”

Behind the scenes, Knox also helps ensure those who support MSU stay informed. “To me, stewardship is more than a process—it’s about cultivating lasting relationships that advance the mission of the university,” she said. “Whether it’s organizing a scholarship ceremony or resolving a student’s award issue, I try to handle it all with care and precision.”

Her journey from the quiet streets of Mantee to the heart of Mississippi’s leading research university reflects the very mission she now helps support. After earning her associate degree from Mary Holmes Community College in 2000, she paused her education to raise her son, LJ. She returned to college years later, graduating from Mississippi University for Women in 2020.

Before joining MSU, Knox spent 15 years in the West Point Consolidated School District, working in administrative support roles across elementary, middle and high schools. “After my son graduated in 2015, I figured my time in K-12 was done,” she said. “I was ready for new challenges, and I knew there were amazing opportunities at MSU where I could grow while staying close to home.”

She joined MSU in 2016, first working in admissions and scholarships before transitioning to CAS, where she first served as business coordinator for the research team.

Outside of work, Knox is surrounded by the love of her close-knit family, including her son, two grandchildren––Avery and Brooklyn––her sisters, and many cousins in the area.

“Home is wherever my family is,” she said. “It brings back a feeling of nostalgia from childhood and a feeling of security knowing I will always have their love and support through everything I go through in life.”