Dr. Earnest Stephens is a graduate from Bruce High School and went on to earn his Associates of Arts degree from Itawamba Community College. He transferred to the University of Mississippi where he earned his Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership. At The University of Mississippi he has worked for the University Counseling Center where he served as the Wellness Programming Specialist and the Student Health Service where he served as the Coordinator of Wellness Programming.

He has also worked for Americorps’ Campus Link at The University of Mississippi where he served as a Site Supervisor at both Lafayette and Oxford Elementary Schools. He currently works in the Office of Graduate School Sponsored Programs where he serves as Project Coordinator and is the Site Coordinator for The Alliance for Graduate Education in Mississippi (AGEM).

Earnest is a member of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society. He is also active in Project Pull, a mentoring program at The University of Mississippi, The Black Faculty and Staff Organization, and serves as an advisor to the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association. He is a member of Mays Chapel Missionary Baptist Church where he sings in the choir and is actively involved with the church’s youth department.