Grayson Griffith values history and archaeology
When he came to further his collegiate studies at Mississippi State University in 2018, Grayson Griffith had an idea that he would be staying in Starkville.
Griffith is an archaeologist for the United States Forest Service and is stationed at the Tombigbee Ranger Station in Ackerman and is also working to finish up his master's degree from MSU in archaeology.
Before he went into archaeology, Griffith initially wanted to be a history teacher. But that changed the more he progressed in his studies.
“The more into it, the more I realized I love studying history and being able to uncover that and see how we can learn more about the past through different methods now,” said Griffith. “That's what drove me into archaeology; I love the work and I love the discoveries that you can make with this work.”
Griffith is originally from Pontotoc and a 2016 graduate of Pontotoc High School. He began his collegiate studies at Itawamba Community College in Fulton where he met the woman who would eventually become his wife, Kathryn Griffith, who is originally from Corinth.
After ICC, Griffith continued his studies at MSU and married Kathryn in the summer of 2020, and they have resided in Starkville ever since.
With himself being from Pontotoc and his wife being from Corinth, Griffith spoke on what it is about Starkville that makes it home to them.
“We love the area and we've always seen ourselves staying in this area. It's still relatively close to family for us, it's where we've always been,” said Griffith. “We love the small town atmosphere in this area, and we also have friends close by, so it's kind of been the perfect setup for the both of us.”
One thing that both Griffith and his wife have heard from Starkville residents is their one preference from students who are not from Starkville but come to MSU: Once you graduate, you stay. Griffith is glad that he and his wife seem to be going in that direction.
“We've always had that mindset that we wanted to stay, at least relatively close to the area,” said Griffith. “We love this area and we want to stay as close as possible. Everything's worked out in our favor and we feel very blessed to still be in this area.”
When Griffith is not busy with either work or school, he and his wife attend First Baptist Church Starkville, go to the movies, and spend time outside.
If you see Grayson around town, be sure to tell him hello.
This article is part of an ongoing, weekly series titled Know Your Neighbor. If you wish to be featured in a future Know Your Neighbor or know of someone you’d like to see in a future article, please email us at editor@ starkvilledailynews.com.