58 • <strong>February</strong>/<strong>March</strong> <strong>2016</strong>
<strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Rankin</strong> Reader SPOTLIGHT Amy Gibbons Why did you decide to make <strong>Rankin</strong> County your home? We decided to make Brandon our home to be closer to family. It’s centrally located for work, it’s very safe, and is growing with lots of opportunities. The school system was important, too. At the time we moved to Brandon, our son was entering the 6th grade at Brandon Middle School. He is now a senior at Brandon High School. How long have you lived in <strong>Rankin</strong> County? We moved to Brandon in August of 2009. Tell us about your family. I am married to David Gibbons and we have one son, Hayden, who is 18-years old and is a senior at Brandon High School. In December of 2014, one of Hayden’s best friends asked to come live with us and came to our home the week before Christmas. We became licensed foster parents to a 19-year old who is also a senior at Brandon High School. It’s been very different adding another person to our home, especially with Hayden having always been an only child. Hayden and this young man have been best friends since the 8th grade and we were honored he wanted to come live with us. He loved Brandon so much that he too wanted to come back here and graduate from Brandon High School. David and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary in <strong>February</strong>. We were both reared in Jackson and have lived in Memphis, Tupelo, and most recently, Magee for 14 years prior to moving to Brandon. We both are graduates of the University of Southern Mississippi–David with an electrical engineering degree and I with a Master of Social Work. I’m a licensed clinical social worker. Hayden plans to attend Ole Miss starting the in fall of <strong>2016</strong>. We have been members of First Baptist Church of Brandon since 2009. We are all very active in our church and community and feel it is important to give back and support the community in which we live. What is your favorite memory of living in <strong>Rankin</strong> County? My favorite memory of living in <strong>Rankin</strong> County was our very first Brandon Christmas parade in December, 2009. It was very cold and about halfway through the parade it began snowing! We were at the parade with some friends and I remember standing in the cold and the snow and thinking, “I am home”. I just fell more in love with the town. After the parade, we went to our then-pastors Dr. Scott & Dacia Thomas’s home and had cookies and hot cocoa and all the kids played outside in the snow. It was just such a special memory and we were made to feel so welcomed like we were such a part of the community. I will never forget it! Where are your 3 favorite places to eat in <strong>Rankin</strong> County? Heart & Soul in Brandon, Table 100 in Flowood, and Jerry’s Fish House in Florence. What are some fun things to do in <strong>Rankin</strong> County on the weekends? Shopping! <strong>Rankin</strong> County has some great places to shop…O! How Cute Gift Market, Heart of the South, Apple Annie’s, the Outlet Mall, and Dogwood Market Place. We also love to go to the Brave’s games, especially on Friday nights for the fireworks. Hayden loves High Heaven Trampoline Park and he and friends love to go to Shiloh Park and play ultimate Frisbee. We go to movies at Tinseltown, Brandon High School football on Friday nights, and anything water related at the Reservoir. Share some things you enjoy doing in your spare time. I have a great girls group that tries to go to the movies every Tuesday night. I love to go out to eat, spending time with family and friends, and having friends and family over to cook out. I also volunteer a lot with the PTO at Brandon High School and with the <strong>Rankin</strong> County Republican Women. What are three things on your bucket list? I want to go to Australia, take an Alaskan cruise and take a year and tour England, Italy, France and Greece. I love to travel! Who is someone you admire and why? I admire our First Lady Deborah Bryant. Deborah is so genuine, friendly, outgoing and personable. She always has a smile on her face, makes everyone feel welcomed and important, and she is a great ambassador for our state and <strong>Rankin</strong> County. She’s a great role model for young girls. Where do you see yourself ten years from now? I see myself still living in <strong>Rankin</strong> County, working, and still enjoying being with family and friends. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for my son. I feel <strong>Rankin</strong> County has given him such a strong sense of community that should serve him well in the future. What is your favorite childhood memory? I have a lot of favorite childhood memories. What I mostly think about is how safe I felt growing up and how much I loved being with my family. We were always with family and cousins. We would all pile into the family car and drive to the beach for weekends. It was wild, loud and hectic! We continue this tradition, even now, with Hayden and still bring along cousins! If you could give us one encouraging quote, what would it be? My favorite quote that I use all the time is, “Live what you love, love what you do!” What is your favorite thing about <strong>Hometown</strong> Magazines? My favorite thing about <strong>Hometown</strong> is that all the community-based stories are even more interesting because you get to learn about people you share the community with. n <strong>Hometown</strong> <strong>Rankin</strong> • 59