Central Hinds Academy

Laura Love, of Raymond, spent her entire school career as a cougar from kindergarten to her graduation in 1992. Her ties to CHA are strong as her brother Brent Ratliff (class of 1997), her husband Randall Harris (class of 1987) and both of her children: Lindsey (class of 2020) and Owen (class of 2022) are all alumni. While at CHA Laura Love was involved as editor of the school paper, Honor Society President, and Student Council Secretary. She was also chosen as a member of the Hall of Fame and Salutatorian. When asked about her memories she mentions that "Some of the best memories I have of my time at Central Hinds involve attending the basketball games during the time when we won the state championship three years in a row. The entire school and community supported those teams in a big way. It was a very unique and fun time in the life of our school!" She also mentions "It is interesting that my husband, Randall, and I both attended Central Hinds at the same time. With our five-year age difference, we did not begin dating until much later. However, it is fun to recall some of the same memories of our time at Central Hinds!"
Her senior year, Laura Love received an Academic Excellence ACT scholarship to UM. At Ole Miss, she was a member of Chi Omega sorority and served as secretary/treasurer of her graduating class. In graduate school, she received both a graduate assistantship and a clinical fellowship. She continued her tradition of leadership as an officer in the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter on campus. Laura Love received her Bachelor of Arts in Communicative Disorders and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Mississippi; Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association; and Licensure as a speech-language pathologist from the Mississippi Department of Education and the Mississippi Department of Health.
After her college graduation she has put her credentials to good use working as a speech-language pathologist in a variety of settings including private practice, skilled nursing facilities, and public schools. When asked about her career she says "I really enjoy my profession because it allows me to help others by improving their communication skills, and thus their quality of life. Whether it is working with someone who stutters, a stroke patient, or a child with language or articulation problems, this profession affords the opportunity to impact others' lives in a very real and meaningful way."
When asked about staff at CHA she mentions "Mrs. Birdsong stands out as such a great influence. I remember her never allowing us to use the word "can't" in her class, no matter how difficult those long division problems were! She instilled such a sense of responsibility and good work ethic in her students. In high school, Mrs. Gordon definitely impacted not only our time at Central Hinds, but she went above and beyond to prepare us for college work. College English courses actually seemed easy because Mrs. Gordon had done such an exceptional job making sure that we were prepared. I continue to use things I learned from her whenever I write anything, whether it is professionally or personally." When asked how CHA prepared her for success she says "My time at Central Hinds definitely prepared me to be successful academically in college. The work ethic that was instilled in us serves us in all aspects of life. I think that the small size of the school taught us all how to get along with others."
Laura Love and her family are members of FBC Raymond where she serves on the Welcome Team, in the nursery, and in VBS. In her free time she can be found reading, traveling, or spending time with her family. Laura Love also says "Although both of my children have graduated, I still consider myself to be part of the Central Hinds family. We continue to keep up with the school, and we are proud of all of the good things happening at CHA!" Once a Cougar Always a Cougar! We hope all CHA alumni will click the button and fill out the form so we can find more alumni to celebrate with our spotlight!