What started as a passion for design turned into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Jones instructor to represent Mississippi at the White House for Christmas.
Out of more than 10,000 applicants nationwide, Kimberly Maddox, a nursing instructor at Jones College, was one of 150 selected to decorate the White House for Christmas.
“It was perfect,” Maddox said. “That’s the best way I can describe it. Everything came together exactly how it was supposed to.”
Maddox, who has taught at Jones for five years and serves as a Med-Surg instructor for second-semester nursing students, explained that her love for design began long before her career in education. As a child, she constantly rearranged and redesigned her room, always looking for something new.
“I never wanted the same thing,” Maddox said. “I always wanted to try something different and see what I could create.”
That creativity eventually grew into a business, where she has spent more than a decade decorating homes and businesses. When the White House Historical Association opened its application in August, she was ready.
“I stalked the website waiting for it,” Maddox said. “As soon as it opened, I applied because I knew I didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”
When she received the email confirming she was selected, the moment did not feel real.
“Congratulations! We are excited to inform you that you have been conditionally selected to serve as a White House Volunteer Decorator for the 2025 holiday season,” the White House Historical Association email stated.
Sitting in her driveway, she tried calling her family, but no one answered.
“I tried to call my husband, mom, dad and my friends, and nobody picked up,” Maddox said. “So I just sat there and cried happy tears until somebody finally called me back.”
At the White House, the experience moved quickly. Volunteers worked long days over a single weekend, beginning early in the morning and finishing late each night. Maddox was assigned to “Team Twinkle,” where she helped decorate the Blue Room, one of the most prestigious spaces in the building and home to the official White House Christmas tree.
“The Blue Room is where the president greets dignitaries,” Maddox said. “It’s the main tree, and being a part of decorating it was something I will never forget.”
Out of the entire team, Maddox was one of three individuals selected to design the room’s mantel, a responsibility she described as both exciting and overwhelming.
“To be chosen for that out of so many people was unreal,” Maddox said. “It was one of those moments where you stop and think, ‘How is this even happening?’”
While the honor itself was significant, one of her most memorable moments came when she was able to hang a handmade ornament representing Mississippi on the tree.
“They made sure I got to hang it,” Maddox said. “Being able to represent my state like that meant everything to me.”
Throughout the experience, she realized just how much it meant to represent Mississippi, especially as one of two from the state in the group.
“Security would yell ‘Mississippi!’ when I walked in to start the day,” Maddox said. “It made me proud to know I was there representing where I come from.”
In addition to decorating the Blue Room, she also contributed to the Gold Star Tree, a display honoring fallen service members, which added a deeper emotional connection to her work.
“It’s something you can’t fully explain unless you’re there,” Maddox said. “It was emotional knowing what that tree represents and being able to be a part of it.”
Among the many highlights of the trip, including seeing the first lady speak and working in historic rooms, one moment stood out above the rest. After completing the mantel, the first lady’s personal stylist reviewed their work.
“He told us it was beautiful and perfect,” Maddox said. “To hear that from someone at that level meant more than I can explain.”
Maddox said that the moment made all the years of hard work to become the designer she is today feel worth it.
“You work so hard on something, and to have someone like that recognize it, it just makes everything worth it,” Maddox said.
In a letter following the event, the first lady wrote, “Your special work brought warmth and splendor to each room and served as a beautiful reminder to every visitor that the White House is the People’s House, especially during the holidays.”
Although the experience took place hundreds of miles away, she shared that its impact followed her back into the classroom. Telling her story has allowed her to connect with students in a new way, making her more relatable and helping her keep their attention through real-life experiences.
“Students want to know who’s teaching them,” Maddox said. “They like hearing those stories and seeing that their instructor has done something outside of the classroom.”
She stressed that her journey is something she hopes will inspire others, especially students who may doubt their own potential.
“Don’t be afraid,” Maddox said. “We talk ourselves out of things too often. If you have something you’re passionate about, go for it. The sky is not the limit!”
She also encouraged others to take chances, explaining that growth comes from simply trying.
“Nothing is impossible,” Maddox said. “The word itself says ‘I’m possible.’”
While she can apply again for future White House events, she acknowledged that nothing could compare to what she has already experienced.
“It’s something I don’t think could ever be matched,” Maddox said.
Even so, that experience continues to grow, reaching far beyond the classroom and into the lives of the students she teaches and the people she inspires.
From decorating homes across Mississippi to helping design one of the most recognized holiday displays in the country, her journey shows what can happen when passion is paired with persistence.
For her students, her story is more than impressive. It is proof that opportunities are not limited by where one comes from, that taking a chance can lead to something far greater than expected and that even a small-town dream can turn into something bigger than one ever thought possible.
“I’m just a girl from Magee, Mississippi,” Maddox said. “But I tried and succeeded.”
In that simple act of trying, Maddox not only stepped into history, but created a story that will continue to inspire long after the decorations come down.
To see more of Maddox’s design work and holiday creations, visit her business page on Facebook: Maddox Designs, LLC.
by Savanna Edwards
Maddox stands before the mantel that she helped decorate at the White House December 2025. Below is the Mississippi ornament she added to one of the trees in the White House. Photos submitted
