Two Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students have been chosen as 2009 Funeral Directors Association Students of the Year.
Robert “Bobby” Lang of Magnolia was chosen by the Mississippi association at its July conference, while Scott Haynes of Franklinton, La., was chosen by the Louisiana association at its annual conference in June.
“Most program instructors are lucky if they have a student chosen for such a prestigious award in five years, but we have two in the same year. That’s incredible,” said Bill Harvey, director of the Funeral Services Technology program at the Perkinston Campus. “Both of these young men are exceptional students and very professional in their demeanor. They will make outstanding additions to the funeral-service vocation.”
Lang and Haynes, while from different states, don’t live too far apart. Both decided to attend Gulf Coast because the college they had considered in New Orleans lost its accreditation. The program at Gulf Coast was then recommended to them. “I actually was not sure what I was going to do after I discovered the other program had lost its accreditation,” Haynes said. “The casket salesman at the funeral home where I work actually told me about the program at Gulf Coast. It is a longer drive, but in the end, took about the same amount of time for travel since the traffic in and around New Orleans is so congested.”
Lang, who works at the Hartman-Sharkey Funeral Home in McComb is also a registered nurse and works at the Riverside Medical Center emergency room across the state line in Franklinton. “The drive [to college] is definitely worth it,” he said. “We are getting a quality education at Gulf Coast, and the people here were so helpful during the admission process and in the program itself. This program is outstanding, and I feel like I am getting a quality education.”
Haynes, who works at Crain Funeral Home, also in Franklinton, agrees. “The instructors in this program have set the bar high for us and expect us to act professionally. On the other hand, they are willing to work with students and have helped me immensely since I am attending school full time and working full time.” He added, “It was sort of a last-minute decision to come here, and the people here helped me get my paperwork done quickly. That really sealed the deal.”
Funeral services may seem like an unusual choice for Lang, 32, and Haynes, 31, both of whom have careers in other fields. They both have ties to funeral homes in their communities that led them to consider the career change. “When I was a teenager, I began working at a local funeral home in McComb,” Lang said. “I became interested in the business then but went another route after high school. I worked in funeral homes on a part-time basis and eventually decided it was what I really wanted to do.”
Haynes, who has worked in construction and as a youth minister and professional photographer, was introduced to the business by his current employer. “I was doing family portraits for their family, and my boss asked me if I would be interested in answering phones for them. After starting work, I was almost immediately sold on it. I was just that interested.”
Both agree that the job requires empathy for people and a desire to help. “In nursing school, you learn that you have to take care of the patient and the family,” Lang said. “In the funeral-service business, it’s the same. You have to treat the person with dignity and respect. You need to listen to the family’s feelings and concerns.”
Haynes added, “Only one portion of this job is about dealing with the deceased. The other part, and perhaps bigger part, is working with family members to prepare the funeral they want. Overall, this job is really about service to others.”
For more information about the Funeral Services Technology program at Gulf Coast, contact Bill Harvey, 601-528-8919; Brenda Hunter, 601-528-8909; or visit www.mgccc.edu.
