New NWCC Campus Is A Step Closer

Base Camp Coding Academy co-founder Kagan Coughlin hands NWCC President Dr. Michael Heindl the keys to the college’s new wing at Everest. The ceremonial exchange Monday marked the next era in the partnership between Base Camp and Northwest. Officials witnessing the historic event include (from left) Board of Supervisors President Cayce Washington, Dr. Matthew Domas, Heindl, Coughlin, Base Camp co-founder Glen Evans and Water Valley Mayor Donald Gray.

WATER VALLEY – A five-year partnership between Base Camp Coding Academy and Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) entered a new era Monday as college officials took possession of 18,000 square feet of space in Everest, Mississippi’s first Rural Education and Innovation Hub. NWCC will occupy are one-third of the Central Street building that also houses Base Camp  and a business incubator with additional space for growth.
With Covid precautions limiting attendance, the ceremonial exchange of keys was limited to a small entourage of NWCC officials led by Dr. Michael Heindl, President of the college.
“I am very excited about this great opportunity for the citizens of the county and for the students that will attend,” Heindl told the group that included all five Yalobusha County supervisors, Mayor Donald Gray, Water Valley School District Superintendent Jerry Williams, Base Camp co-founders Glen Evans and Kagan Coughlin and Base Camp Executive Director Corey Mize.
Heindl outlined plans for the college’s newest location, explaining the initial plan includes an adult education center, career and technical programs, non-credit workforce training and healthcare training opportunities for students in the county and beyond.
“We are going to have a lot of different types of training and education opportunities for all these different types of students,” Heindl added.
Dr. Stephanie Mullins, Dean of Health Services at NWCC provided additional details during the hour-long gathering, starting with a health assistant program in Everest.
“However we are busting at the seams in Oxford and so my goal is that the lab will be utilized for all our health science programs that we offer at Oxford,” Dr. Mullins explained about handling potential overflow from NWCC’s Lafayette-Yalobusha Center.
“The vision is that eventually we will have some type of LPN or RN offering here,” she continued as the group toured the classrooms.
NWCC officials also noted that most of the programs will kick off in the spring semester as they are still equipping the facility with equipment and furniture.
“A lot of it depends on when the equipment comes in and making a couple of hires,” NWCC Associate Vice-President for Workforce Solutions and Career-Technical Education Dewayne Casey explained. Casey noted that the adult education program could start earlier, as soon as mid-November.
“The important thing is that Base Camp and Kagan (Coughlin) worked with us. The space is set up so that it is flexible. We know over time the needs of the community and training needs will change and we can offer the programs that are needed by Water Valley and Yalobusha County,” Casey added.
“We can’t be more excited that Northwest is bringing a campus to this facility and to this area,” Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors President Washington added about the venture. Washington noted the new Water Valley location will assist students who may not be able to afford to commute to neighboring counties to further their education.
“It is wonderful to hear that a building that facilitated so many incomes in this community for so many years is now going to be part of the future for so many lives going forward. We are proud to be a part of that, we appreciate Kagan and his effort to have a vision for something so great right here in this community,” Washington continued.
Mayor Donald Gray recalled the groundbreaking ceremony back in January, as rain poured through the ceiling on a cold winter day when a hundred-plus gathered to kick-off the project.
“As we were being rained on, Kagan said they were going to be in this building in September. I thought no way,” Gray continued about the tight time-line for the $5 million renovation. “Now look at this building, it is unreal. We are so proud Northwest is going to be here. It is going to mean so much to our city, our students and our schools,” the mayor noted.