Fountain is a 1999 honor graduate of South Panola High School where she was a member of the Band, Tri-Hi Y, Science Club, and National Honor Society. After graduation, Fountain attended Northwest Community College on full scholarship. She completed her baccalaureate studies in biology with a minor in psychology at the University of Mississippi in May 2003.

During her two years at Ole Miss, she was a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. where she served as vice-president. She was also a member of the Grammy-nominated Ole Miss Gospel Choir.

Fountain recalls traveling to meetings and appointments as a small child with her grandmother, the late Leola Burney James who gave much of her life as a social worker. She credits her grandmother with inspiring her to pursue a career in the health field.

"Following my grandmother around and seeing how she worked with children and their parents made me want to do the same – make a difference in someone else’s life. That’s when I discovered that I wanted to work in a capacity where I could help people."

But before that, Pate Cole, one of those living near the proposed site on Highway 35, says she hopes others of like mind will call the commissioners prior to the meeting.

"We want the commissioners telephoned," Cole told The Panolian. " … Because it’s in their hands."

At issue is a proposal by Lehman-Roberts, owners of Memphis Stone and Gravel, to place a gravel mining operation and a hot-mix asphalt plant on property owned by Kenneth Brassell.

Brassell’s property was left out of city annexation at his request but most of the surrounding land is in Batesville’s city limits, Cole said.

While a few there were on hand for the missionary’s first talk when she was "fresh back from a year in Europe" most were not.

And what a different Rotary Club it is now, she said at Tuesday’s meeting at the country club.

"A lot’s changed in 32 years," she said. "I was the only woman in the room. There were no African-American members and I believe everyone had on a coat and tie."