As we count down to Homecoming 2026 on September 19, we’re celebrating this year’s theme, Legends & Legacies, by highlighting one of the things that makes Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College so special: our families.

For many of our employees, Gulf Coast isn’t just where you work. It’s part of your family’s story.

This summer, the Office of Alumni Relations will launch Alumni Across Generations: A Legacy of Connections, a special social media spotlight series celebrating families whose Gulf Coast connections span multiple generations. We’re looking for stories of alumni, employees, parents, grandparents, children, siblings, and other relatives whose lives have been shaped by MGCCC.

Some of these stories stretch back more than 60 years.

Alumni & Events Coordinator, Tharessa (Love) Williams’ family is one incredible example. Their Gulf Coast journey began with Cecil Reeves, who started his career on the Perkinston Campus as a carpenter in 1964. Through years of dedicated service, he became Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, helping build and maintain the campus that generations of students have called home.

His son, Jerry Love Sr., Tharessa’s father, continued the family’s Bulldog tradition as a student-athlete on the Perkinston Campus. A standout football player and multi-sport athlete, Jerry was recognized as a 2025 MGCCC Athletic Hall of Fame honoree.

Tharessa attended Gulf Coast and now she works every day to connect alumni, celebrate their accomplishments, and preserve the traditions that make Gulf Coast so meaningful.

Three of Tharessa’s children have also attended MGCCC, and her daughter, Brittney Raziano Holley, is the Gulf Coast’s Cheer Coach, mentoring the next generation of Bulldogs. Together, her family represents more than 60 years of dedication to the college through service, athletics, alumni involvement, and leadership.

We know there are many more stories like these waiting to be told.

Maybe your grandparents attended Gulf Coast. Maybe your parents met here. Maybe your children or grandchildren are now carrying on the tradition. Perhaps your family’s connection includes decades of service as employees, coaches, faculty, or staff members.

Whatever your story, we’d love to celebrate it.

Throughout the weeks leading up to Homecoming, we’ll feature selected families on MGCCC’s social media channels as we celebrate the generations of Bulldogs who have helped shape our college.

If your family has a Gulf Coast legacy, we invite you to share your story by completing the Alumni Across Generations: A Legacy of Connections form at https://mgccc.edu/Legacy-of-Connections

Your family’s story is part of Gulf Coast’s story.

Help us celebrate the traditions, memories, and lifelong connections that continue to make Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College a place where Legends & Legacies are built, one generation at a time.