Radiology director at Philadelphia hospital named MSU-Meridian’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Business

Contact: Lisa Sollie

MERIDIAN, Miss.— Jason Holland of Philadelphia is Mississippi State University-Meridian’s Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Division of Business for the Spring 2021 semester. He will be recognized at MSU-Meridian’s 2021 Spring Commencement on May 3 at 11 a.m. at the MSU Riley Center.

 A business administration major with a concentration in healthcare administration, Holland returned to school to advance his career. Less than a year after he began taking classes at MSU-Meridian, he was offered a job in his hometown as director of radiology at Neshoba General Hospital where he oversees 23 full- and part-time employees.

“I was 39 and working in radiology in Meridian when I started my undergraduate degree at MSU’s Meridian Campus,” he said. “The position required a bachelor’s degree, and since I was already enrolled at the university, I was offered the job provided I completed my degree within their designated time frame.”

For Holland, the timing was perfect.

“Being in school at the same time I assumed my new administrative role, although challenging, was helpful as well,” he said. “Before I started the job, I never really had much experience in a management position or human resources, and so the information I was learning in many of my classes I incorporated into my day-to-day responsibilities.”

Although three years ago Holland thought the road ahead of him appeared long, now that he is near graduation, he said it seems to have passed by more quickly than he anticipated.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at MSU-Meridian,” he said. “To me, the professors were hands-on and available and were always open to answer questions or give advice, help or direction where needed. It was also very well structured for a nontraditional student like me to juggle work, school and family life and to be able to excel.”
           
The support of Misty, his wife of 16 years and his 13-year-old daughter, Avery Kate, Holland noted, were also crucial to his success.

“My family, especially my wife, sacrificed as much if not more than I did over the past three years,” he said. “Many nights she was basically a single parent; she cooked, cleaned and helped our daughter with her homework while I was in the bedroom studying or writing papers. It wasn’t just about her picking up the slack—it was her picking me up and encouraging me to keep going and finish strong.”

And now that Holland has made that advancement in his career, he’s confident his degree will propel him to keep growing. 

To learn more about MSU-Meridian, visit meridian.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.