Coast attorney tells her story for National Women’s History Month

Women’s History Month is a time to commemorate, observe, and celebrate the vital role women play in American history.

This is Tina Seymour, now attorney at law. “My path to where I am today was not a straight path. My dad always joked and said if you have book knowledge, but no common sense and no practical knowledge, it’s gonna be hard to get a job out in the real world.”

She grew up in the St. Martin area, attended and graduated from St. Martin High School and moved on to attend Belhaven University and Mississippi College. “Blue collar raised me. Blue collar paid for the roof over our head. Blue collar put food in my belly and my dad helped me in college by making sure I had a car. I have $250,000 worth of scholarships on the wall from college, but you can’t just survive on scholarships. You have to have a supportive family whether it be moving you into an apartment or making sure you have reliable transportation, making sure that you have what you need to be a success.”

Seymour initially entered the medical field. “I started out as a secretary and I worked through the secretary part in respiratory therapy, got my respiratory therapy degree and then I worked as a registered respiratory therapist for 12 years. Moved up into the cardiopulmonary positions and then moved into hospital management.”

But she quickly realized she wanted to help her community in other ways. “Two days ago actually five years ago I decided it was time to go ahead and open my law firm. So I decided to hang a shingle and see how it worked out and five years later it’s worked out very well actually.”

Though her firm is successful, it’s not always smooth sailing for a woman in her profession. “There are still some smaller counties I walk in and the male attorneys look at me and say so when’s your boss coming and I smile and I don’t even respond to it because the way I look at it, it’s the culture. It’s that county and I’m the only female in the room other than the court clerk.”

For students about to breakout in their career, Seymour says work toward doing what you love. “Don’t glamourize a career because every career has its ups and downs but get out and actually see if it’s what you want. Volunteer, get internship experience.”

Seymour says the same thing goes for working women already in the field. “If you walk into the office and you can cut the drama with a knife it’s just not worth going to. If you look at your boss and you don’t want to be him or in his position, you’re in the wrong company. Be mobile and understand that you are not stuck in one company for 30 years, move and do what you need to do.”