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David McRaney | Journalist
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Southern loses one of its brightest Shayla Stennis never met a stranger, always planned ahead and went above and beyond in everything she did. Her success - in track and field, in a six-month internship in New York City with MTV and VH1, in life - surprised no one.Her death Jan. 15 from an aneurism did. The shock of losing such a vibrant and vital young woman at the tender age of 21 has mentors, friends and acquaintances everywhere struggling to understand. "She was a very outgoing young woman," said USM Associate Director of Athletics Sonya Varnell. "She never met any strangers." Stennis, 21, was a senior at Southern Miss majoring in broadcast journalism. She was looking forward to returning to campus after spending the last six months in the Big Apple taking a "real world" look at her future career. During her internship, she appeared on the popular MTV program "Total Request Live" alongside major music industry stars. She wrote scripts for various promos on both MTV and VH1 and worked as a production assistant on VH1 programming. It was the work she wanted to do when she graduated, and she was well on her way to being a success - something those who knew her were not surprised to see. "Although she only lived for 21 years, she definitely accomplished a lot and touched a lot of people," Varnell said. "If you ever met her or were lucky enough to be her friend you knew it was true." Stennis was active in track and field at USM, and she left an indelible impression. "After being around her for a minute or two, you felt like you had known her forever," said Varnell. "She was warm and friendly. She used to be a cheerleader. So, she had a lot of spirit." Jackie Stennis said she had always known her daughter was a special person, but until recently she thought it was just because she was her mother. "In the last few weeks, it has come to light she meant a lot to a whole lot of people, " said Jackie Stennis, "whether it was her smile or her words, people said she had a certain aura." She added it was a testament to Shayla's young life that hundreds of people came to her funeral service, and her employers at VH1 have called nearly every day since her death to check on the status of the family. Varnell remembered the first time she met Stennis - when the new members of the track and field team first assembled. "I always make all the kids introduce themselves and tell me where they are from and what they have done," said Varnell. "Some are a little shy and speak softly. Shayla wasn't shy. "She jumped up like she was about to start a cheer." Varnell said Stennis regularly visited her once Stennis learned one of her cousins lived next door to Varnell. "She always stopped over and said 'Hey' when she came to baby sit," said Varnell. "It was a shock when I found out about what happened. She was a beautiful girl who died too young." Varnell added that she always saw people gaining from Shayla's strength. "In the light of adversity she always said it would be ok. People knew things were ok if Shayla said they were going to be." Jackie Stennis, who is vice president of East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, remembered how her daughter worked tirelessly to land her internship in New York, and once she had settled into an apartment there, soon hatched an ambitious plan. "She told me on the phone, 'You know what they don't have mom? A Pepper's restaurant,'" said Jackie Stennis. Shayla loved Pepper's, her mother said. She wanted to open a franchise in Manhattan, so her mother could retire and live nearby once she began working in broadcasting. It wasn't an idle dream: Shayla had already done the research and taken steps to make it happen. "She was a go getter," added Stennis. Shayla's boss and mentor at VH1, Production Assistant Corey Nealon, agreed. "She was an amazing person, very vibrant and well educated," said Nealon. "She really understood people and feelings and was a great communicator." Nealon said Stennis was always professional no matter how excited she was to be working in the career field she loved. When she was involved with high-profile shoots, she maintained her poise and did not become "giddy" as some interns do. He recalled a few weeks before her death, Stennis hit it off with the reality star New York. The two often hung out in the green room between tapings, he said. "What is the saddest part is she looked to the future ambitions and goals," said Nealon. "She was driven, and often spoke about the future. Before she left, she met with the vice president about a job in the future. She knew there was always a place for her at VH1." Nealon added he and Shayla's coworkers fashioned a street sign and hung it in a hallway at VH1; it reads "Shayla Way." An only child, Stennis is survived by her parents Willie and Jackie Stennis of Columbus and her maternal grandparents Newton and Callie Robinson of Dekalb. But, she is also survived by a family of people she made her own for the short time she walked among us. "On June 11, 1985, God sent an angel and chose me and her dad to love and nurture her," said Jackie Stennis. "On Jan 15, 2007, the Lord decided our job was done. He met me at the bottom of the steps of Campus Edge Apartments and told me, 'She's mine now.' That's how I'm dealing with it. She packed a lot of life into 21 years." Originally published in The Student Printz on January 25, 2007
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