The family’s Gulf Coast story began with Harrell Mallett, who attended the Perkinston Campus from 1951 to 1953 on a basketball scholarship. His connection to the College continued long after his student days. Harrell established the Mallett Family Scholarship, creating a legacy of support that his family continues today.
In the 1970s, the next generation began making its own mark at Gulf Coast. Harrell’s daughter, Debbie Mallett Pitzer, attended the Harrison County Campus, then known as Jefferson Davis Campus, from 1975 to 1978 and earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in 1977. His son, Dr. John Mallett, attended Perkinston from 1976 to 1978.
A few years later, another of Harrell’s sons, Dr. Presley Mallett, arrived at Perkinston. He attended from 1980 to 1982, but the education he received was only part of what made his Gulf Coast experience life changing.
As freshmen in 1980, Presley and Dr. Tara Scott Mallett discovered they had similar schedules and shared many classes. They even became chemistry lab partners. Their friendship eventually became something more, and the couple married on April 22, 1989.
For Presley, those years at Perkinston provided both a strong educational foundation and relationships that have lasted a lifetime.
“MGCCC allowed me to begin my educational journey,” he said. “It provided a great foundation for me to build upon, and I will be forever grateful. I have lifelong friendships that were established there, in addition to meeting my wife, so it’s a pretty special place.”
The family’s connection continued into a third generation. Presley and Tara’s son, Sam Mallett, attended the Tradition Center from 2016 to 2018, earning his Associate Degree in Nursing in 2018.
Today, the Mallett family’s Gulf Coast story is still being written. Presley’s niece Karsyn Mallett, daughter of his brother Tommy, is enrolled in the Surgical Technology program at the Harrison County Campus. Tommy’s grandson, Gabriel Mallett, is also currently a student at Harrison County Campus.
From Harrell arriving at Perkinston on a basketball scholarship more than 70 years ago to Karsyn and Gabriel pursuing their own educational goals today, the Malletts have built a remarkable connection to Gulf Coast.
Their legacy extends beyond the generations of family members who have attended the College. Through the Mallett Family Scholarship established by Harrell and still supported by the family,
