Ocean Springs mother and daughter follow same career path
Kathy Griggs is following in her daughter’s footsteps. In a strange twist of fate, Griggs finished the Logistics Technology program in May at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus a year after her daughter, Natasha Gilbert.“I finished and graduated in May 2011. Mom had to work full time all the way through. While I also worked full time most of the time, I had already earned my associate degree in Automated Manufacturing Technology and only needed the Logistics classes, so I finished faster,” said Gilbert, the 2011 Logistics Student of the Year at Gulf Coast.
Griggs completed her degree this year with Special Honors and was recognized at a ceremony on May 25 at the Jackson County Campus. John O’Hara, Logistics Technology instructor presented Griggs with the Outstanding Logistician Award of MGCCC 2012 Class, awarded by the International Society of Logistics Engineering Organization (S.O.L.E.).
O’Hara said that both mother and daughter were outstanding students. “Natasha is now an adjunct instructor for the Logistics Technology program at Gulf Coast, which says a lot about her as a former student,” he said. “Kathy has been a joy to teach and already knows so much about logistics that she was able to share a lot of practical experience with other students. They have been assets to the program during the time they have been here.”
Both Griggs and Gilbert work as logisticians in companies providing support to the U.S. Navy in Jackson County. They plan to continue their academic careers at The University of Southern Mississippi.
“Getting a degree has been a challenge, and continuing in college will be tough, but we know that it will be worth it in the end," Gilbert said.
Griggs agreed that going to school while working is difficult but manageable. “We have a great support system in each other; we have always been there for one another. Having Natasha so young, we grew up together, and we’ve always pretty much shared very similar likes and dislikes, uncanny at times. So, we know the one always has the other's back and, there isn’t anything we can’t do once we’ve set our mind to it.”
