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!

Alex Biggs, of Huntsville, Alabama, is the youngest of three Biggs siblings who have attended and graduated from Central Hinds Academy. Alex graduated in 2014, his brother Austin Biggs, Head Baseball Coach at Coahoma Community College, graduated in 2010, and his sister Hope Biggs Coots, Professional golfer and Director of Membership at Vanderbilt Legends, graduated in 2012. Alex began his time at CHA in the seventh grade after being homeschooled during his elementary years when he also spent time at the Fridays Veritas School of Classical Education. He grew up in Clinton where his dad was a youth minister, which laid a great foundation for his faith. He says "I am still learning that my walk with God must be my own. My life and the work I do are a reflection of the gratitude I have for Him." Alex was a multi-sport athlete at Central Hinds playing football, golf, and basketball where he served as team captain his senior year. He also played baseball and ran the 300-meter hurdles where he was awarded All-District honors in both. Alex excelled on campus as part of the Student Council as a representative, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Headmaster's List, and a Top Ten Cougar. When asked about the preparation he received from his time at CHA Alex says, "CHA was a safe place to learn, grow, fail, and try again. It made me realize I had to take chances or I would always be settling for less. Continuing to stay in my comfort zone would never lead me to where I wanted to be. CHA gave me the tools I needed to take chances and the encouragement I needed to believe in myself enough to try." He also says that he learned something from each of the coaches he had during his time as a cougar. "I learned something from every coach I had and those lessons continue to guide me today. Coach Harrell taught me the importance of having God in my life. Coach Sherer taught me the importance of always putting my best effort into whatever I chose to pursue. Coach Barrett taught me that preparation in life is key to any positive outcome and Coach Allen made me believe in myself because he believed in me. I am grateful to each of these men." After graduating from CHA Alex spent the first two years of his college career at Mississippi College where he played baseball. During an athletic physical his sophomore year, he was diagnosed with Wolff Parkinson-White Syndrome. After surgery he was able to return to the field and finish out his sophomore year. He says this proved to be a pivotal point in his education as he decided to move to The University of Southern Mississippi where he joined Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After his first year at USM he found he wasn't enjoying his current major of exercise science and couldn't see a future in that field. This led to some soul searching and becoming really interested in Space X's rocket novel technology. The following fall he decided to change his major to Electronics Engineering with the hopes of contributing to the aerospace industry one day. After graduating from USM with his bachelors in Electronics Engineering Technologies in 2021, Alex is currently working for Boeing as a Space Launch System (SLS) Avionics Engineer. His official title is Responsible Engineer for all core stage batteries and upper stage batteries of the SLS rocket. Alex is glad that he took a chance with his change of major and now serves as the youngest engineer in his division and works hard to become better at what he does every day. He also says "I am learning that what I achieve isn't as important as who I become in the process. The growth I experience along the way lasts far longer than any accomplishment. Personal transformation and make a difference are the true trophies."
Outside of work Alex tries to play golf as much as possible while also spending time with his girlfriend, Leah Cantrelle who is attending Physician Assistant School at The University of South Alabama. He loves to watch baseball, football and basketball and spend time with his dog Bella. Traveling across the US for his job is also something he enjoys. Join us in congratulating Alex in his current successes and we can't wait to see what this cougar continues to accomplish. We hope all CHA alumni will click the button and fill out the form so we can find more alumni to celebrate with our spotlight!