Robert Mosley contributes to university through MOST mentorship, nonprofit community work
Like most high school students, Robert Mosley wasn’t sure which university was the right fit for him. But after attending the Mississippi Outreach to Scholastic Talent conference for rising high school seniors in 2016, Mosley realized that the University of Mississippi was the perfect fit, and that he could make a real difference while attending school in Oxford.
Over the last three years, Mosley has given back to the program that helped him decide on his collegiate journey by becoming a MOST mentor and helping rising high school seniors and college freshmen find their place at Ole Miss, just as his mentors did for him when he began his journey.
“I first gained insight about the university in 2016 when I attended the MOST conference,” Mosley said. “It removed the stereotype of the University of Mississippi in my mind, and I knew I could create a difference for myself and the campus while I was here on my collegiate journey.”
MOST is an three-day summer leadership and recruitment conference for African American high school seniors in Mississippi. Participants get a firsthand look at the Oxford campus and are exposed to leadership activities, academic offerings and campus resources and introduced to many faculty and staff.
Following the conference, MOST mentors, who have been mentees in the program themselves, guide and support students through the admission process and throughout their freshman year in Oxford. After completing his freshman year, Mosley became a MOST mentor.
“When I became a MOST mentor, it helped reshape me,” he said. “It gave me the opportunity to lead as well as follow. A man who only leads will lead himself into destruction.
“I have shown my students a true leader can take constructive criticism and adapt to the changes around them when things don’t go according to plan.”
Mosley, a Batesville native, is preparing to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in law studies and an emphasis in paralegal studies. He also will have a minor in recreation administration.
“I have always had a fascination with the criminal justice system and that was only enhanced as I began to learn more about the legal system,” Mosley said. “My fascination with law stems from my childhood because I remembered how a relative of mine was wrongfully accused, and I wanted to know more about the legal field and about what more I can do for those dealing with criminal cases.”
Besides his school work, Mosley has remained involved on campus during his time at Ole Miss. He is a member of the Men of Excellence and the Eta Beta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He also has worked part time with the Family Literacy Project, which places Ole Miss students in local schools to tutor students in pre-K through ninth grades.
Additionally, Mosley has worked with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, a nonprofit organization that provides free civil representation to low-income persons in the northern 39 counties of Mississippi.
“Working at the North Mississippi Rural Legal Services has helped me gain insight about the types of work a paralegal does with an attorney,” he said.
There is no doubt that Mosley has made a difference on campus, especially for the students he has mentored. After graduation, he plans to work as a paralegal for a year while preparing to take the LSAT with a goal of attending law school.
While he’s still deciding which kind of law he wants to practice one day, there is no doubt that whatever he chooses will make a difference in his clients’ lives, just as he has done for his mentees at the university.
“I had the joy of instructing several classes for Robert Mosley in his sport and recreation administration classes,” said David Waddell, UM lecturer in park and recreation management. “He possesses a strong determination to excellence. He is quite personable and works well with other students.
“I feel Robert will take the same strengths that assisted him through his college years and apply them to his career path. The people he ends up working with will find him to be a valuable teammate in their organization.”
Mosley’s message to mentees for the last few years is the same that he would tell current students as he looks back on his time at Ole Miss: never give up on yourself, even when things get tough.
“The advice that I want to give to students who are pursuing a career in the legal field is to keep God first no matter what and make him your No. 1 priority,” Mosley said. “Also, it might seem hard at first but stay focused; the key is to never give up.
“I kept reminding myself every day that I was destined for success, and that helped me keep my end goal in mind.”
Story by Meaghan Flores/School of Applied Sciences
