As one of our newest staff members, Billy Wayne Hankins has been a welcome addition to the cougar family. Coach Hankins is in his first year as Head of School here at CHA but it is definitely not his first rodeo. With both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from The University of Mississippi, Coach Hankins brings a strong educational background along with years of experience of his job as a cougar. He has served in roles as teacher, coach, and administrator in several MAIS schools most recently at both Copiah Academy and Simpson Academy. He has also been a part of the faculty at North Delta and Madison-Ridgeland Academy. He says "I have always loved coaching. Administration is not something I thought I would ever do but it allows me to interact with all faculty and students on campus." Coach Hankins has received many awards but one of his proudest moments was being inducted into the MAIS Hall of Fame in 2022. When asked about what makes CHA different from other schools he says "CHA is similar to other schools I have been a part of but it's the people that make each school unique." He also says that he believes Central Hinds Academy has a tremendous amount of potential." When asked about his favorite part of his work at CHA he simply says "working with the kids on a daily basis". Coach Hankins currently commutes from his home in Magee where he lives with this wife Heather and his dogs. He is a proud father and grandfather who loves to spend his free time at church or reading. He is also an avid runner and motorcyclist. We are so lucky to have such an experienced man serving as our Head of School. Please be sure to let Coach Hankins know how much you appreciate him and pray for his continued success as part of Central Hinds community.

Colton, a 2024 CHA graduate and Alpha Omega student, has recently enlisted in the Coast Guard and completed basic training at the Coast Guard Training Center at Cape May, New Jersey. This training will allow Colton to pursue his desire to attend college and work towards a Criminal Justice degree so that he can eventually seek out a job in federal law enforcement. His experience with the Coast Guard will also be great hands-on experience for his future career. While at CHA, Colton mentions teacher Jerry Craig as a cougar staff member who impacted his time on campus and since. He says that Mr. Craig was someone he could go to, throughout his senior year especially, for life advice and for any help that he needed. Colton is currently stationed in Vicksburg with the coast guard. We want to thank Colton for his service as he begins this new phase of his life serving our country. Please join us in celebrating Colton and his recent accomplishments. We hope that more cougar alumni will fill out our alumni forms so we can find more alumni to celebrate.

Amanda is a life long cougar attending CHA from 4K until her graduation in 2007. She says "I have a long history of family at Central Hinds. My Aunt Jean Bonner (1977), my cousins Leonard (1978) and Libby Condia (1980) all went when it opened in 1970 until they graduated. My dad, Mark Bonner went there from 1971-80. My Uncle Richard Elam taught history and coached basketball from 1975-1978. My brother, Joseph Bonner (2005) is also an alum." Amanda says, "I have 14 years of memories at Central Hinds. A few of my favorite memories from elementary are the end of the year Rocky Springs trip with Mister, making the solar system and bug collection in 5th and 6th grades, and picking blackberries through the fence at the bottom of the playground. High School is memories of cheering on Friday nights and geometry with Coach Granberry (we spent the majority of the time on the visitors side of the football field hunting turkeys)." While at CHA, Amanda was involved in FCA as a class representative, National Honor Society, cheerleading, track, basketball, and softball. She was also a Top Ten Cougar and hinir graduate.
After high school, Amanda earned her AA degree from Hinds Community College and Bachelors in Kinesiology from Mississippi College. She is also a certified personal trainer (NAACPT), certified dance instructor, and certified strenghtening coach. When asked about her current career as a seamstress she says "I chose this profession when a job position landed in my lap. I had never thought of pursuing a career with one of my hobbies that I am most passionate about. I never wanted anything to be able to take that "therapy" away from me. My grandmother taught me to sew at a young age. The most cherished memories I have with her involve a needle and thread. When she passed, I inherited her sewing room. I started out sewing projects/alterations out of my home, such as memory quilts or alterations. My current job is at Mid South Uniforms & Supply, LLC in Jackson as a full time Seamstress. I have been there since May 2018. I am responsible for sewing and altering police, fireman, and first responder uniforms for the entire state of Mississippi. I am certified to sew in body cameras on the uniforms and I make sure patches are placed and sewed correctly and/or is corresponding to the department's color. We get the uniform pants unhemmed so that we can measure and hem them to the customer. I cannot express the emotions that take over me when I look at the men and women who serve and protect us and know that I make their uniforms. But nothing is more earth shaking, than when a fallen officer/fireman/AMR has to have their last Class A uniform sewn to wear for burial and also, the making of the mourning bands that cover the badges to show that the department is in mourning. I am honored to be part of something that is so greatly valued, but the emotional roller coaster we (the seamstresses) ride those days can be very overwhelming and exhausting." When asked about her future plans she says "I am seeking to further my career in tailoring. I am still deciding on where to get my certification from, as they are categorized and subcategorized differently at each institution. I want to become a certified dressmaker and tailor."
Currently Amanda is a patron at CHA as her children Harper (2nd grade) and Trystan (4K) Tomaszewski are both students. When thinking about her time as a student she says "I strongly believe that every staff member I've encountered at CHA has greatly impacted me. A few stand out. One is my 2nd grade teacher known as Mister. He taught me that even though I have to learn the uninteresting parts first, it doesn't mean it cannot be fun as well. I still make up fun games or sayings to learn new things. Also, Mrs. Jj Farrior, even though she did not teach me directly, inspired me to seek fulfillment in my natural gifts. She always said "you have to have a passion in what you do, or you'll always get burned out". I have never heard more truer words. Honestly, I have so many teachers and staff members that played a huge part in who I am today. It takes a special person to be a teacher, but when you are a CHA teacher you inspire and impact every student that attends the school."
When she considers going back to school she says, "I didn't understand the saying "make sure your congratulations are in order because once you are out of school, going back will be the tough" until I started the process of furthering my education in my career. Being a single mother (married and divorced) to two small children and deciding to go back to school has been a huge struggle for me. I have waited until my youngest was out of diapers to even consider it. Now I have to find the time for me to accelerate. I thank God every night that I have made it another day as a full time employee and full time mom. Adding full time student seems impossible. This is where my faith has grown the most, patience and timing. I pray that the good Lord will guide me and time it perfectly, as He always has. Patience is a virtue I have never understood, but without a doubt I know the importance. When my trials and tribulations become too heavy or my trust in Him is tested, I know that He will never hand me more than I can handle. He blesses me with these challenges and setbacks to strengthen my trust in Him, so that my gratitude, for all good and bad, is so fierce, it is undeniable."
In her free time Amanda loves to spend time at the creek or camping with her family and attending church in Bolton. When asked about thoughts to leave with future cougars she quotes "The dandelion does not stop growing because it is told it is a weed. It chooses not to care what others see and says "One day they will be making wishes upon me". 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!