MISSISSIPPI'S 50 Leading Business Women 2006: Katherine S. Kerby, Vice President, Gholson, Hicks& Nichols, P.A.

COLUMBUS - Katherine Kerby grew up learning the bittersweet realities of living in poverty.

"My mother... was an educated woman who successfully raised four children in Mississippi in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s on her sole public schoolteacher salary," explained Kerby, the second of four children born to Katherine S. Horton, a Columbus librarian. "We had a family of five mother and children literally under the poverty level, but she refused all public assistance and got no child support for my brother and me. With her as a role model, we were always rich in love and support."

Kerby, whose father, V.P. Ferguson, is a professional writer living in Paris, France, thrived in the school environment. She played three varsity sports while being a cheerleader, straightA student and homecoming queen.

She earned undergraduate degrees in English and public administration from the University of Mississippi in 1979 and decided to pursue a law degree because "I was tired of being poor," she admitted. "I can be persuasive and love the art of language, so the law was a natural fit. A law degree allows many versatile avenues to do good and also support your family."