By Jatavian Walker
(JACKSON, Miss.) – Jackson State University (JSU) senior Austin Ellis will finish what he started over a decade ago and earn his bachelor’s degree. After withdrawing from JSU, Ellis will walk the stage in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center on Saturday, May 2.
Ellis took his first steps onto the campus of Jackson State in 2012 as a business administration major, having transferred from Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). He attended MVSU on a band scholarship before realizing that JSU is where he was meant to be.
“Coming to Jackson State was a culture shock. My first day on campus, it felt like home and a place where everyone fits in,” said Ellis. “My peers and surroundings made me feel like I was a part of a family and I knew ‘Thee I Love’ was where I should have been all along.”
During his first years at Jackson State, Ellis attended the university with his brother Justin Ellis, who influenced him to join the MADDRAMA Performance Troupe. He worked as a stagehand and described his time in the troupe as a family-oriented experience.
Despite the success Ellis was having at JSU, he expressed the overwhelming challenges he faced at home, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the institution.
“My grades were dropping, work outside of school took much of my time and my grandmother was falling ill. The realities of adult life began to weigh heavily on me, and I made the difficult decision to withdraw from school,” said Ellis. “It was a tough decision, but I knew that I had to leave and regroup.”
In 2015, Ellis withdrew from Jackson State, missing the chance to graduate alongside his brother the following year. His siblings and his mother, Wanda Lipsey, offered him nothing but encouragement after he made his decision.
“When I first withdrew, my family did not judge my decision. They told me to keep trying and not give up,” said Ellis. “I have a supportive family and they are the most important thing to me. My family is my motivation and making sure they are good is most important to me.”
Ellis said he was grief-stricken following the passing of his grandmother, Yvonne Lipsey, in 2018, who was like a second mother to him. He noted that his biggest supporters during his time of bereavement were his family.
One of those who stood by his side on his journey was his wife, Tina Ellis, who currently works for JSU as a grant accountant. The two met while attending MVSU and later married in 2020, the year their son, Aaiden Ellis, was born. Tina says she witnessed her husband’s dedication to completing school and acknowledged his hard work.
“Being the oldest of four and watching all of his siblings graduate before him was such a hard blow for him and made him feel unsure of himself. I encouraged him for years to go back because I know that he can do anything he puts his mind to,” said Tina. “Austin is so smart. He can fix cars, fix things around the house, cut hair, and pick apart a computer and put it back together. He can literally do ANYTHING. Any problem you can think of, he can solve it!”
Ultimately, family would be the determining factor in Ellis’ decision to return to JSU after watching his sister Kristen Ellis graduate from the university in 2023. That moment is when he decided it was time for his comeback story to begin.
“After her graduation, I knew right then that I had to go back. I told myself I could do it; I have to finish what I started,” said Ellis. “When I decided to start my journey again, there was no question it had to be at Jackson State. Since 2012, Jackson State or nothing.”
In 2024, he re-enrolled at JSU to continue his business administration studies. Returning as an undergraduate after eight years, Ellis initially felt out of place because he was older than his classmates.
“Looking around, seeing these kids who are fresh out of high school made me feel like ‘the old guy.’ I recall my teacher discussing Kodak cameras and when I was the only one who knew what they were, that was the moment I was like ‘wow, I’m officially the old guy’,” chuckled Ellis.
After an over ten-year journey, Ellis expresses joy and pride as he prepares to walk the stage and earn his degree in front of those he loves. He notes that his biggest cheerleader is his six-year-old son, Aaiden.
“He is just as excited as I am about my accomplishment. He has drawn pictures of me and hangs them around the house for graduation day. Knowing that he, my wife and the rest of my family, who motivated me, will be in the crowd warms my heart,” said Ellis.
Ellis wants to show those who may be in the same position he was in that there is no time limit to earning a degree and that they can always come back. He will be graduating on May 2 at 2 p.m. in the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center.