Rebecca Davis
My name is Rebecca E. Davis, and I am a freelance writer and dance instructor living and working along the gulf coast. I am a Mississippi native, and I’ve been an Escatawpa resident for the past twelve years. I was homeschooled all the way up through high school (something which I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to experience), and I am now a sophomore student at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where I study English. I plan to transfer to the University of South Alabama to continue studying creative writing, journalism, and editing. This story is going to be a little bit about myself and my journey as an artist – I look forward to continuing to share my work with the readers of Jax Co Home!
I was born in Starkville, Mississippi, and I moved around a couple of times before settling in Jackson County when I was eight years old. My appreciation for fine arts had begun two years prior – when I discovered classical ballet. I loved it ever since, and I was dedicated to becoming a professional ballerina. I trained hard to attain this goal; I took ballet classes for several hours a day, six days a week (plus performance rehearsals). I reached an advanced level by the time I completed high school, and the following summer I traveled to Austin, Texas to attend Ballet Austin’s summer intensive and pursue a position with their trainee company. After dancing there for a month, they told me I was simply too tall to be hired. This absolutely shattered me, and I went home to Mississippi defeated.
For the next year, I worked for a cosmetics company while I tried to find a new passion. I thought that all my extensive dance training had gone to waste, but I would soon find that it instilled in me an extremely powerful work ethic and drive that would propel me into a new stage of my life. I found a refreshed love for dance as I began to teach for several studios along the coast – I am now an established ballet teacher and choreographer. I also saw my life begin to change when I decided to enroll in college courses. At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted to study, but I knew that I needed to try something new. During my first year at MGCCC, I realized that I had a talent and passion for writing, and this simple discovery completely changed the course of my life.
When I saw that I had the chance to excel in a new career field, academics began to hold a unique charm for me; I was suddenly inspired by school rather than being burdened by it. This made me want to do more to help improve my school and inspire my classmates. This decision led me to join Phi Theta Kappa (an international honor society for two-year colleges) and accept a position as the Vice President of Public Relations for my chapter’s leadership team.
As my time with MGCCC is coming to an end, I am excited about my future as a writer. Mississippi has offered me an enriched education in academics, arts, and culture, and I am excited to expand this education even further as I transfer schools to attain my bachelor’s degree. I am proud and honored to be writing for Jackson County Home, and I look forward to sharing the charms of gulf coast life (as well as some more of my own life) through my writing!
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