A former English teacher who spent 16 months teaching children in a rural Guyanese community could soon become one of Mississippi’s most historic political figures, as he remains in contention for a closely contested United States Senate seat.
Scott Colom, a Democrat and district attorney who once taught kindergarten to Grade Six pupils in Guyana, is challenging Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith in a race that remains too close to call, according to the Associated Press.
Colom’s connection to Guyana dates back to 2005, shortly after he graduated from Millsaps College in Mississippi. He travelled to the South American country through the WorldTeach programme and became the only English teacher at a school in a small, impoverished village.
His experience in Guyana, particularly the loss of a pupil’s mother during childbirth, would leave a lasting impression on him and influence his decision to return to Mississippi to pursue a career in public service.
In an October 27 profile published by the Mississippi Free Press, Colom recalled how one of his kindergarten pupils became orphaned after his mother died while giving birth to another child.
The child subsequently missed school for an extended period as he struggled with the loss, giving Colom firsthand exposure to the consequences of inadequate healthcare and maternal mortality in the community.
“It was during that whole experience in Guyana that I decided to move back to Mississippi,” Colom told the Mississippi Free Press during an interview on October 5. He did not name the village in Guyana where he taught.
He explained that the experience taught him the importance of making a difference at the local level and serving as a role model within his own community.
The former teacher described his 16 months in Guyana as the toughest job he had ever undertaken.
The Mississippi Free Press reported that the village where he taught lacked consistent access to running water and electricity, while healthcare outcomes, particularly those relating to maternal health, were poor.
Colom returned to the United States in July 2006 and subsequently pursued a law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 2009.
His career has since taken him through private legal practice, judicial appointments and prosecution, eventually making him the first Black person elected district attorney for Mississippi’s 16th Judicial District in 2015.
He has served in that position for approximately a decade, overseeing prosecutions across four counties.
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