Two more Sunflower County residents recently joined the continually expanding number of successful graduates of the Fourth Circuit Drug Court, which is under the supervision of the Honorable Judge Margaret Carey-McCray.
The court held its annual graduation ceremony at the J.T. Hall Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi Delta Community College on May 20.
More than a dozen participants walked across the stage to receive their final documents and Drug Court Coordinator Tamela Hardy said this is the first year that the graduates will be given their dismissal and expungement papers inside of their packets as they come across the stage.
Carey-McCray introduced this year’s commencement speaker, Chris Buckhalter, who is a coach and mentor, and extolled him as being not only impressive on paper but, “He is more impressive in his soul and what he brings to offer us from his own story and life experience,” she said.
Carey-McCray continued, “Throughout the state of Mississippi, hundreds of young people have benefitted from hearing him encourage them, no matter what (their) status is, that you can go in a different direction and that you can make positive changes, not only in your life but in the lives of those you come in contact with.”
In his address to the 13 graduates, Buckhalter initiated his comments by letting them know that he is acquainted with their struggle. “I’ve been where you are, I’ve been where you at and I am where you can be,” he said.
In addition to being a husband, father, coach and business owner/operator, Buckhalter is also a former high school and collegiate football standout who by his own declaration, “Went on to play at the next level.”
However, Buckhalter added, “You’re looking at a guy that made it to the lowest point in life, while a man is still living.” The Hattiesburg resident is also a convicted felon. “You’re looking at a guy who did over 14 years in prison, right over here at Parchman,” he told the group. He attributes his survival to a memorized quote, “Success isn’t found, failure isn’t fatal, it is the courage to continue that matters most.”
In speaking of the drug court program, Buckhalter asserted that it is a person’s response to a failure that determines where they end up in life. He shared how his time in prison could have been a breaking point that led to defeat and more trouble for him with increased jail time, as it sometimes does for others, but he chose not to succumb.
While in prison, he earned his bachelors degree and a master’s degree in psychology.
“You’ve got a choice and it is up to you,” he said. His choice was not to let his circumstances negatively impact who he became and not to let his situation define him. Buckhalter said he repeatedly told himself, “I cant, I won’t.” He added, “And I didn’t.”
He explained to the graduates that his comeback was not down an easy road.
“I had to paw, claw, dig and fight every day,” said Buckhalter.
And according to him, his driving force is that every morning God wakes him up and it generates a renewed commitment to be an inspiration to somebody else.
He assured the graduates that if they stay faithful to what they’ve learned and what has gotten them to this culmination, “You will experience a multitude of success.” He encouraged them not to make excuses. “Excuses are monumental nothings,” he said, “And anybody can make an excuse. Instead say, ‘I can, I will, I must.”
Acknowledging that he can’t take credit for any of his accomplishments, Buckhalter said the totality of who he is, is derived from one understanding. “I came to the realization that man couldn’t make it without Jesus,” he said. In his concluding statement he encouraged the men and women to, “Go and watch what happens.”
In addition to Buckhalter, the graduates were also given the opportunity to address their family and friends and share some of their experiences and testimonies.
The Honorable Judge Carol White-Richard gave the overview of the program, Alma Harris, PhD., delivered an inspiring rendition of Gotta Believe.
The Fourth Circuit Court District includes Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties and operating under its maxim, “Recovering lives—Restoring families—Protecting our communities,” the court has been making a difference in the lives of families since 2001.
