A dorm room that Shelly Gates designed at Mississippi State University.
Courtesy of Shelly Gates
- Mississippi teacher Shelly Gates, 49, designed her daughter's dorm room at Mississippi State in 2020.
- After she posted photos of it, other moms started hiring her to design their college kids' dorms.
- Gates, who runs her dorm business on the side, said over-the-top rooms are part of Southern culture.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shelly Gates...