By Ahmad Smith
“It was a blessing to be at Mary Holmes College,” said Andre Wilkerson.
Andre Wilkerson, according to those that know him, was a Lanier High School graduate and a standout athlete in every sport he played before attending Mary Holmes College.
With his athletic ability, he became curious about soccer and decided to teach himself the sport while in graduate school. He had excelled in football and received offers to play in college, but he realized he truly wanted to play soccer.
His passion for the game led him to Coach Stewart, the new head soccer coach at Mary Holmes College. Andre was thrilled about the opportunity, and Coach Stewart was so impressed that he offered Andre a full scholarship to play soccer. Andre eventually accepted.
While on campus making history as part of what might have been the only HBCU junior college men’s soccer program in Mississippi, Andre took time to enjoy the sights and sounds of campus life.
When asked what Mary Holmes College was like, he said, “It was a blessing to be at Mary Holmes. Our campus was similar to Tougaloo College at the time but had more green space. The college was known for cosmetology, so people mainly came if they wanted to learn to do hair.”
He explained that the college also offered many programs and courses in computer science, psychology, and sociology.
Referring to the Mary Holmes College catalog from 1992 to 1994, which he still has, Andre noted that the school offered 35 to 40 academic programs leading to associate degrees. These included computer science, social science, English, religion, business, cosmetology, and office administration.
When asked about sports on campus, Andre said, “At that time, we only had baseball, basketball for men and women, and soccer.”
Asked whether soccer was supported by the college and administration, he responded, “One hundred ten percent. We had soccer fields that were actually rebuilt while I was there.” He added that the team was strong and often underestimated as an HBCU soccer program.
In addition to sports, Mary Holmes offered many clubs and activities for students. These included intramural sports, the Drama Club, the Student Newspaper, and the Modeling Squad.
As for campus life, Andre said, “We did a lot of hanging out in the dormitories and at fun events on campus. We had talent shows, a swimming pool, and spent time in the cafeteria and recreation areas playing pool. Some students brought Nintendo consoles from home. Not many people had cars to drive into town, but those who did often worked downtown in West Point at places like Pizza Hut.”
College documents from 1992 to 1994 confirm these activities, stating, “There is more to the college experience than just going to class, of course. It would be hard to attend Mary Holmes and not get involved in co-curricular activities including dances, movies, concerts, talent shows, and skating parties.”
The experience, it seems, was not so different from campus life today—just with fewer screens.
Andre concluded, “Even now, I can still remember walking around campus with Ramen noodles looking for a hot plate.”
Stay tuned for Part 3 of Have You Heard of Mary Holmes College? featuring Coach Stewart and the Mary Holmes men’s soccer program.
