Local doctor doubles as a classical pianist
JANS – On Friday, July 17, 2026, Dr. LaToya Mason-Bolden (MD) was the Featured Entertainer for the State Finals of this year’s Mississippi’s Distinguished Young Woman (DYW) Competition held at the Evangel Temple in Meridian.
She shared words of inspiration in an on-stage interview and performed two piano selections: (1) a medley including excerpts from Beethoven’s Sonata Pathétique and Ellington’s Satin Doll and (2) a piano medley including excerpts from Debussy’s Pour le piano and America the Beautiful.
In 1994, Dr. Mason-Bolden became the first African American to win the title of Mississippi’s Junior Miss, now known as the DYW program. DYW is a national scholarship program for high school senior girls in which they compete in academic achievement, interviews, talent, fitness, and self-expression. Dr. Mason-Bolden has also served as a judge for the National DYW Finals in 2017 and several local programs.
Dr. Mason-Bolden, a physician anesthesiologist at UMMC, is married to Arnel Bolden and the mother of two children. She is the daughter of Mrs. Eula and (the late) Mr. Eli Mason Jr. She is a piano student of Ms. Earnestine Ross.
A link to view the musical performance and interview: https://youtu.be/ta67OXGZSeM
