Mississippi Native: Haley Prowant

"The best thing we can do for this state is to leave it, gain experience and knowledge, and bring it back. If we want to see it change, we cannot abandon it."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Haley Prowant spent four years overseas before returning home to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She admits that she, along with many young Mississippians of her generation, experienced a “hate for our home, with dreams of escaping one day.” However, Haley found that traveling throughout Mississippi and outside the U.S. allowed her to embrace and appreciate the parts of her home state that she loves best. Today, Haley shares with us why she remains rooted in Mississippi.

Haley Prowant lives in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Where are you from?

I am from Biloxi, Mississippi.

How long have you lived in Mississippi?

I have lived in Mississippi my whole life. I’ve lived overseas in temporary moments of my life, but have always found my way back home.

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

The meaning of home is not always easily defined, and I think it changes in different seasons of your life. At the root of it, home is familiarity. It’s nostalgia. It’s comfort in knowing the oak trees you drive under to get to your childhood home still stand strong.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?

I have been lucky enough to spend time in each corner of Mississippi. Each time I found myself looking in the nooks and crannies of these towns for individuals who both cherish this state and also reject its convictions.

Haley after a day of skating on the Back Bay of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

What’s the weirdest question or assumption you’ve encountered about Mississippi (or about you as a Mississippian) by someone who’s never been here?

I can sense a hesitation in meeting new people when telling them I am from Mississippi. I can see them building their wall. In those moments, I find myself trying to give off signals of inclusivity, acceptance, openness, trying to break their notion that I could be a bigot, close-minded, or an enemy because of where I call home. 

How has living in Mississippi affected your identity and your life’s path?

A lot of us from around here have gone through a growing hate for our home, with dreams of escaping one day. As I’ve moved through life and moved through the corners of Mississippi, I’ve found the cultures and foundations that Mississippi was built on. It’s encouraged me to find a new perspective and to share it.

Haley seeking refuge under the shady oak trees of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

What is something that you’ve learned about Mississippi only by living here? In what ways has Mississippi lived up to your expectations?

There are tremendous people out here, people who are unique and courageous and eager to stand up for what is good. People who make pottery, sing with the cicadas, and write poetry in gardens. They are out there, they are preserving what is nourishing to the culture here, and they fill up my love for Mississippi. 

Do you ever consider moving away someday? Does a sense of duty keep you rooted here?  Do you have a “tipping point”?

The best thing we can do for this state is to leave it, gain experience and knowledge, and bring it back. If we want to see it change, we cannot abandon it. Hate remains if we abandon it. If we come back, nourish it with all that we’ve learned, Mississippi can be a place to love.

What do you wish the rest of the country understood about Mississippi?

What it has to offer is so rich and rewarding. It’s hard to understand with the current climate, but there are people here doing extraordinary things to try and clear the murky waters.

Haley and her husband Ty are awaiting the arrival of their first child, Thea.

If you had one billion dollars to invest in Mississippi, how would you spend your money?

I would pour it all into our education system, especially areas in the northwest where I used to teach. If we want Mississippi to head in the right direction, we must start with giving our future the education they deserve to go out and make change.

What or who do you want to shamelessly promote? (It can absolutely be a project you’re working on, or something you are involved in.)

Currently, my husband is starting a non-profit organization called Gulf Coast Skateparks Association. Its aim is to provide public free-use skateparks across the Gulf Coast. There is a major gap in outdoor activities available to the youth in the community, and the organization aims to change that. Please visit the website www.gulfcoastskateparksassociation.org to learn about the organization and how you can help.

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Haley Prowant was born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi, but her schooling has brought her to all corners of Mississippi. As a high schooler, she attended school at the Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven. She then attended the Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. Right after, she completed her Master’s degree at Ole Miss while she taught in Panola County for two years. She left Mississippi behind for a while and spent four years traveling Europe, gaining new knowledge, experiences, and traditions. Currently, she is teaching Cyber Fundamentals at Keesler Air Force base back in her hometown of Biloxi. She lives here surrounded by her family, new and old friends, and her loving husband, and is expecting a baby girl in August.