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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nServe on the Mississippi Governor\u2019s School Staff<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Mississippi Governor\u2019s School is an intensive, two-week residential experience for gifted high school students from across Mississippi. The academic program is only one part of what makes MGS special. Much of the experience happens outside the classroom through friendships, traditions, recreation, conversations, challenges, and the experience of living and learning together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our Scholar Experience Advisors (SEAs)<\/strong> help make that possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs are the heart of the MGS residential experience. They serve as mentors, role models, community builders, program leaders, and supervisors while helping scholars navigate two weeks of learning, leadership, friendship, independence, and personal growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous residence life experience is strongly preferred.<\/strong> Current or former Resident Assistants, Head RAs, residence hall staff, and others with experience creating and supervising residential student communities are particularly encouraged to apply. We love RAs from other universities to come spend 18 days with us! <\/p>\n\n\n\n We also welcome applicants with backgrounds in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs are typically college juniors, seniors, graduate students, or young professionals. Many are former MGS scholars themselves. Your major matters less than your ability to lead, communicate, adapt, exercise sound judgment, work as part of a team, and genuinely enjoy working with young people.<\/strong> You need a large dose of patience, respect of others, and kindness for this work! <\/p>\n\n\n\n The SEA team includes several levels of leadership and responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Captain of the SEAs<\/strong> is the senior student residential leader and works directly with MGS professional staff to help plan and coordinate the scholar experience. Beginning 2027, the Captain will serve in an extended summer internship-style 10-week position from approximately early May through mid-July.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a hands-on program coordination position. Some days involve planning and leadership; other days involve binders, boxes, spreadsheets, supply orders, reminder emails, checklists, and making sure 100 small details are handled before they become problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the two-week residential program, the Captain is required to live on campus<\/strong> and serves as the senior leader of the SEA team. The Captain helps coordinate daily residential operations, staff coverage, scholar activities, concerns and incidents, special events, and communication between the SEA team and MGS professional staff. If housing is needed during the entire 10 weeks, please work with our Center for Education Support office. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Following MGS, the Captain assists with program closeout, inventory, evaluation, documentation, assessment, and preparation for the next program year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The extended position is designed to provide meaningful professional experience in areas such as higher education, student affairs, residence life, education, communication, event management, recreation, youth development, nonprofit leadership, and program administration.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Two Head SEAs<\/strong> provide an additional level of leadership during the residential program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Head SEAs work closely with the Captain and MGS professional staff to coordinate residential operations, staff coverage, scholar programming, activities, and the daily needs of the MGS community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous residence life or RA experience and MGS experience is strongly preferred for Head SEA positions.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every SEA is assigned to a residential crew (MGS Wing) and serves as a primary mentor for a group of scholars. But being an SEA is about much more than monitoring a residence hall. SEAs are mentors, encouragers, problem-solvers, activity leaders, and trusted role models throughout the MGS experience. Many scholars come to see their SEA as the “big brother” or “big sister” of their MGS experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs also take ownership of different parts of the program. Assignments may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs are encouraged to bring their own talents, interests, and creativity to the program. Whether you lead an Options session, organize a game, teach a skill, perform in the talent show, or help create a new MGS tradition, you have an opportunity to shape the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some years, MGS may also select a small number of SEAs-in-Training (SEA-ITs)<\/strong>. (Must be 18 at the time of camp.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n SEA-ITs are typically former MGS scholars who understand the culture and traditions of the program but are not yet ready for independent responsibility for their own Wing. SEA-ITs work alongside experienced SEAs and MGS staff to gain experience in residential life, scholar engagement, recreation, activities, program operations, and leadership. They may assist with Wing activities, special events, traditions, logistics, recreation, and other parts of the scholar experience while learning what it takes to become a successful SEA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SEA-IT experience is designed as a leadership-development pathway<\/strong>. We want you to “see-it” all in action and potentially grow into future SEA and MGS leadership roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of individual assignments, scholar safety, supervision, and mentorship are the responsibility of the entire SEA team.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every SEA is assigned an MGS Wing<\/strong>, a small team of scholars for whom they have primary residential and mentoring responsibility. The name is intentional. A Wing may represent a physical area of the residence hall, but at MGS it means much more than where scholars sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your scholars are under your wing. Your job is to help them grow their own wings.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs get to know their scholars, check in with them throughout the program, help them navigate challenges, encourage them to participate, celebrate their successes, and make sure every scholar has someone on the staff who knows them and is looking out for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each Wing will:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nightly Wing Meetings are a mandatory part of the MGS residential experience.<\/strong> Led by the Wing’s SEA, meetings include scholar check-ins, important updates, community-building, and a brief structured MGS Wing Curriculum<\/strong> tied to the annual program theme. These daily curriculum moments help scholars reflect on their experiences, celebrate successes, explore meaningful questions, and connect the dots between what they are learning, who they are becoming, and the larger MGS experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All Captain, Head SEA, and SEA positions are residential positions during Mississippi Governor\u2019s School<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staff are required to live on campus beginning the Wednesday before scholar move-in through approximately 5:00 p.m. on the final day of the program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The days before scholars arrive are dedicated to mandatory training, team building, residence hall preparation, program setup, and making sure the entire staff is ready before the first scholar arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the residential commitment, MGS provides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no commuting option during the residential portion of the position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We want applicants to understand this before applying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n MGS is an intense residential experience, and serving on the SEA team is an intense responsibility.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For two weeks, SEAs are supervising, mentoring, and supporting minors who are living away from home. Scholars are engaged from early morning until late evening, seven days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not an 8:00 a.m.\u20135:00 position. MGS should be your primary commitment during these two weeks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SEAs should expect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being residential does not mean being on duty every minute of every day.<\/strong> SEA staff have scheduled responsibilities as well as scheduled breaks and time away. When you are not scheduled and appropriate staff coverage is in place, there will be opportunities to rest, leave campus, and take care of personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also understand that life does not stop for two weeks. If you have a significant pre-existing commitment, such as a wedding, graduation, or important family event, discuss it with MGS leadership before accepting the position<\/strong>. When possible, we will work with staff to schedule appropriate coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, applicants should enter the position expecting to be present and committed for the full residential experience. Routine work schedules, vacations, recurring activities, or other obligations should not compete with MGS during these two weeks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience is demanding, fast-paced, and immersive. Scholars depend on the SEA team to be present, engaged, and invested from staff training through the departure of the final scholar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Serving as an SEA is more than a summer job. It is an opportunity to gain practical experience in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n MGS provides an unusual opportunity to practice those skills in a real residential program. You do not need to arrive knowing how to handle every situation. We will train and support you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n What matters is your willingness to lead, learn, adapt, serve, work as part of a team, and invest fully in the scholars around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If there is one word at the center of the MGS residential experience, it is RESPECT<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respect for scholars. Respect for fellow staff. Respect for faculty. Respect for differences. Respect for boundaries. Respect for the residence halls and campus. Respect for the program. And respect for the responsibility we have been given when families entrust their students to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our scholars are gifted, capable, creative, and full of potential. Our job is to encourage, support, mentor, and appropriately challenge them while maintaining high expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At MGS, respect means:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respect does not mean lowering expectations or avoiding accountability. We believe gifted young people rise to high expectations when those expectations are clear, consistent, and grounded in positive relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most concerns at MGS are handled through conversation, coaching, reminders, and mentorship. We want scholars to learn from mistakes, grow through challenges, and become stronger and more confident because of the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our expectation is simple: respect yourself, respect others, respect the community, and respect the opportunity.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The best SEAs model that respect first. They believe in scholars, hold them to high expectations, and help them grow into the people they are capable of becoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have residence life experience, enjoy mentoring talented young people, work well as part of a team, and want to help create an unforgettable two weeks for scholars from across Mississippi, we encourage you to apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staff applications open in January and selections are typically completed by the end of March.<\/strong> Questions? Email mgs@muw.edu. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Staff applications open in January and are typically determined by end of March. Staff apply here: https:\/\/muw.peopleadmin.com\/ Serve on the Mississippi Governor\u2019s School Staff Mississippi Governor\u2019s School is an intensive, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"parent":703,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3897","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3897"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4229,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3897\/revisions\/4229"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.muw.edu\/education\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Who Are We Looking For?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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SEA Leadership Structure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
MGS Program Coordinator – Captain of the SEAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Before Scholars Arrive, the Captain Will Assist With:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Head SEAs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Scholar Experience Advisors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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SEAs-in-Training (SEA-ITs)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wings, Teams, and Mentorship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Residential Commitment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The Two-Week Commitment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Why Serve?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The MGS Mindset<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Ready to Join Us?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n