Ryan Etheridge started his education at CHA from K2-K5. He wandered for a bit but returned in the 8th grade graduating in 2023. While at Central Hinds, Ryan was a multi-sport athlete playing not only baseball but also basketball and football during his time as a cougar. During his baseball career at CHA he was awarded CHA's Best Pitcher, MAIS All-Conference, Baseball Futures, and MAIS Co-Pitcher of the Year. While on campus, Ryan says he was impacted by a lot of staff members but mentions a few specifically. He says "Melissa Nix was ALWAYS there for whatever I needed and always listened. Chad Bradford helped forge me into the player I am today, which helped me earn the opportunity to play college ball. Rene Smith and Caitlyn Gates helped me find a love for Chemistry." Ryan is continuing his education at MUW where he is a pitcher on the Owls baseball team and is pursing a degree in Biology. He says that his time at CHA "helped in so many ways. One being the schedule we were asked to maintain. CHA made everyone attend class consistently and do what they were supposed to do. College is the same way if not more strict especially for athletes. The course material I took directly prepared me for the material I am seeing today. The opportunity to take college courses while still in high school was another huge bonus of attending CHA". He also mentions "A major statistic that rings in my head is 7%. Only 7% of high school athletes get a chance to compete at the next level and, thanks to my time at CHA, I am one of them." Ryan has big plans for the future. "I plan on finishing my playing and academic career at the W and then attend medical school. The long term "plan" is to pursue being an orthopedic surgeon, but that's way out in the future." When asked about his time on campus he has this advice for students, "People complain about this and that, small things, but I urge you to embrace the time you are experiencing at CHA. It truly is some of the best times of your life! Go Cougars!" We here at Central Hinds think the future looks extremely bright for Ryan and we can't wait to see what he continues to accomplish! Go Owls!
Alumni Homepage
Current Alumni Athletes At the Next Level
Etheridge Pitches for the Owls
Current Alumni Recognition
From CHA to Ole Miss
These ladies recently recreated their CHA graduation picture as they all graduated from the University of Mississippi. Those pictured are:
Grace Mae Pinnix - Bachelor of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications
Isabel Mashburn - Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a Minor in Chemistry
Sarah Kerr - Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry with a Minor in Biology
Claire Strong - Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
Kinlsey Windham - Bachelor of Science in Law Studies with Minors in Criminal Justice and Psychology
We love seeing our Cougars accomplishing great things!
Current Alumni Spotlight
Dr. David Henry, Class of 1995
Dr. David Henry is an alumni that Central Hinds is so excited to spotlight. Dr. Henry attended CHA from 1st grade until his graduation in 1996. While at CHA he played football, baseball and basketball. He says "We had some good teams in all sports. We made the playoffs in each sport one year or another. We played in the state championship game in football my junior year but sadly lost 10-7 to Prentiss Christian who we had beat earlier in the year." Dr. Henry made the all conference team his senior year in football and baseball. He was also a class officer in both junior and high school. As a student he was awarded the top two awards for his class being named both Valedictorian and Star Student. He was voted by his classmates as Most Intellectual, Most Likely to Succeed, Most Courteous, and Most Athletic. When asked asked if he has any fun memories of his time at CHA he says "Many! Sitting in the grumpy chair the first day of first grade for talking in class (I never really got in trouble again after that - lesson learned!). Mrs, Culipher teaching us the multiplication tables in 3rd grade; learning all the presidents up to Ronald Reagan in 5th grade to the tune of 3 Little Indians (that's how old I am now, Reagan was the current president then); and junior high when we finally got lockers felt like such a big deal. High school focused around sports and friends". He also had many staff members to mention when asked about those that impacted him. He says "Many great influences. Mrs. Culipher in 3rd grade was such a loving teacher. Mrs. Birdsong (who was Mrs. Chisolm then) in 4th grade who I still see regularly at church. In high school Mrs. Fleming was a great teacher, Mrs. Gordon was a legend at Central Hinds teaching English. Mrs. Myers taught us math and was my Star Teacher. I probably spent more time with Coach Gregory than anyone as our coach for football and baseball." Dr. Henry says that his time at CHA prepared him for future success in "so many ways. Learning discipline. School was busy with sports year around. You had to learn how to juggle all the different things and do your best in all of them. Keeping good grades was always internally important to me and sports was fun so I always wanted to get better there too. I think that carried on into adulthood. Learning how to prioritize time, not procrastinate and do your best all the time are important things that now I try to teach my kids and I am still trying to learn myself every day."
After CHA, Dr. Henry first graduated from Hinds in Raymond in 1997 and then with a BS in Physical Therapy from The University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1999. He worked as a physical therapist until 2009. During this time he also completed his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga in 2003 and then his Doctorate of Dental Medicine from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2009. He says " I did not consider dentistry coming out of high school. I settled on physical therapy with my love of sports and having dealt with an elbow injury in 7th grade received while pitching. While in physical therapy school I met some dental students and had thoughts that dentistry may have been a fit I never considered." After talking with a friend who had recently graduated dental school he made the decision to apply to dental school and was accepted. He says "Dentistry really fits me. I love the long term relationships you have with patients and families over a career of seeing them regularly. Dentistry is detailed and technical and artistic at the same time. It can be difficult and challenging but very rewarding too. The opportunity to own your own small business is interesting in its own right and has been rewarding as well. Fridays off isn't so bad either!" Dr. Henry has two dental offices: one in Clinton (Northside Dental) and one in Flowood.
When Dr. Henry isn't in the office he spends lots of time with family. He has been married to his wife Amy for 24 years. They have 4 children: Kate (20) is a sophomore at Mississippi College. Bryce (18) is a senior, Audrey Lane (13) is a 7th grader, and Max (11) is a 6th grader all at St. Augustine School. His family attends First Baptist Church of Clinton where he has served as chairman of the deacons and plays guitar in the praise band, his wife is in the choir, and his children are very active in youth and college activities. He is also a marathoner/ultra marathoner. He has completed approximately 50 marathons or longer runs in the last 15 years. He even completed his first 100 mile race in November 2024 in 21 hours 4 minutes. He says "this is kind of ironic because one of my least favorite things about Central Hinds football back in the day was when Coach Gregory had us run one mile before practice each day".
Please join us in congratulating Dr. David Henry in all of his successes since leaving Central Hinds Academy. We can't wait to see what he continues to accomplish in the future. We hope all CHA alumni will click the button and fill out our form so we can find more alumni to celebrate with our spotlight! Once a Cougar. always a cougar.
Current Staff Spotlight
Madeline Arthur, Librarian and Keyboarding Teacher
If you are around Central Hinds at all you are probably acquainted with Madeline (Bronson) Arthur. Her main title since coming to CHA in 2017 is librarian but she also serves as a keyboarding instructor, a sponsor for Student Government, Spelling Bee, and Reading Fair as will as assisting with car rider duty, Homecoming, and Beauty and Beau. Mrs. Arthur has strong ties to the Cougar community as Andrew, her husband of 14 years, is a CHA alumni. She says "CHA gives me the ultimate dream of being right where my own children are" as her son Bowen is currently a 4th grade cougar and Molly Kate is part of the faculty day care. Mrs. Arthur says "I was always told that I should be a teacher while I was growing up. My jobs were always babysitting, working in daycares, etc. But when it came time for college I went down different roads. So here I am...a beauty school drop out turned teacher." Mrs. Arthur graduated from Terry High School in 2004 and then attended Hinds Community College where she obtained her AA degree. After that she moved to Starkville where she attended Mississippi University for Women on a full scholarship and graduated with a BS in Education in 2010. She furthered her education in 2014 when she took the Praxis exam to receive her Library Media Specialist Certification. After graduation she says "CHA was actually the first place I interviewed when I graduated college, but I chose employment in the public school system. After working in Hinds and Vicksburg/Warren School Districts for 7 years, I decided to come back to CHA for another interview, took the job on the spot and have never doubted my decision. I can't begin to name all of the meaningful friendships I have made here at CHA. Some make work truly fun and some have literally carried me through the hardest times in my life." When asked about her favorite memories at CHA she says, "Pep rallies are always fun, especially when fan favorites like Coach Hannon make an appearance or the one where I got called and cheated out of a win at tug of war. The Dunk-A-Teacher game this year was pretty fun too! Athletic events are always so full of energy from both our students and patrons. There are also sentimental memories like having the honor of calling out the names of my very first class of cougars as they graduated last May (lots of tears were shed that night)." When asked what makes CHA different Mrs. Arthur says "Family. Even though I didn't attend Central Hinds or even grow up in Raymond, I feel like I've known everyone for ever. Being in the classroom first allows me to interact with my former students that are now upperclassmen as well." Mrs. Arthur also enjoys spending time her family and attending First Baptist Raymond. She and her husband love a getaway to a semi-local Bed and Breakfast but she also says that she loves her "me time' which is usually a nap or a trip to TJ Maxx. You will also find her cheering on her Mississippi State Bulldogs and "pretty much every NFL, NBA, and MLB team (if you know Bowen, you know why)". We are so blessed to have Mrs. Arthur as part of our staff at Central Hinds Academy. Please be in prayer for her as she works diligently to make our school a better place to learn every day!