The seventh annual Jobs for Mississippi Graduates Initiation and Installation Ceremony was held at Thomas E. Edwards High School in Ruleville on Friday and honored 20 of the schools students and their mentors.
Marva Anthony, JMG Specialist for the school, assembled an impressive program that included JMG Program Manager Elizabeth Blackshire of Jackson and State Representatives Tracey Rosebud and the Reverend Otis Anthony II, who delivered the keynote address.
The theme of Friday’s program was The Road to Success. During his speech, Anthony put forward to the students that they are the next leaders—locally, statewide and nationally.
“When I look into the eyes of each of you, I see leaders. Each of you is on the road to success. I see you winning in every area of your life,” he said.
Naming an exhaustive list of professions and opportunities, Anthony said, “Whatever success looks like to you, you are headed somewhere. You have been gifted with talents and dreams.”
Anthony implied that even though each of the students may have their personal support group, as he did, they must still be self-assured and confident of their own abilities.
“I want you to believe what I see,” he said.
He told them that the people who push them and try to instill good study and work habits are doing it out of love and a desire to see them succeed.
Stating a few of the positive potentials that the students are capable of accomplishing, Anthony said, “No matter what is said to you, no matter what is said about you, you must know who you are. You’ve got to say every morning that it is possible and I am going to make it no matter how hard it is.”
As a caution, he said they may face times when they think certain people will be in their corner and will show up to support them only to find out that they will not.
He said, in those times, the students would have to encourage themselves.
And finally he admonished them to be mindful of those they hang around.
“You may have to find a new circle of study partners; if you have five people in your group who are failing, then you’re going to be number six,” he said.
JaDaycia Dixon served as the mistress of ceremonies, educator Robert Hunter issued the officer’s pledge, Rep. Rosebud assisted with the presentation of the certificates and the pinning ceremony and the TEHS choir and band provided the musical entertainment.
