Abbeville High Homecoming

M'Kiyah

The Urban Dictionary defines homecoming as an American tradition when high school alumni come to see a home football game involving class spirit and other festivities like a school dance. This week, Abbeville High celebrated its homecoming which entailed electing a homecoming queen and her court. The elected queen and her Senior court are students who participate regularly in Upward Bound. Tianna M’Kiyah Jackson was selected as AHS homecoming queen and her court consisted of fellow seniors, Ty’Kera Davis and Nyesia Glanton.  

Nyesia

Although, each of them deserves admiration for their wiliness to compete for this honor, yet I see something totally inspiring. Upward Bound staff try to instill leadership qualities among their participants. As noted from the Upward Bound Motto: “Inspire to dream more, learn more, and do more so I can become a LEADER.” So when you see M’Kiyah, Ty’kera and Nyesis, you will see future leaders who are preparing themselves for greater accomplishments.

Ty'Kera

Now, I am anxious awaiting for homecoming at Barbour County High, Bullock County High, and Eufaula High. 

Delays -- Speech Given to Seniors at Resume Writing Contest hosted by Alabama Power Company

My military career enables me to travel to many destinations just during the weekend to Chicago to Milwaukee to Salt Lake City and even to California, because my unit where I serve has other units throughout the Midwest that I must visit. However, one thing that I notice that occurs routinely in my travels are delays. Delays are a way of life, but many times we become prone to instant everything from traveling, preparing meals, even becoming educated. Such delays only hinders our progress, is what we tend to think. 

Mario Andretti who is an Italian-born American race car driver, and one of the most successful Americans in the history of the sport makes this quote: "Circumstances may cause delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience, so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.” 

When circumstances present delays, we assume it is “failure” that is occurring. We think delays are another way of saying stop because you are headed in the wrong direction. Yet, we failed to realize that delays have a tendency to develop resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover or to adjust to change. So to exercise resilience you must have experiences. The more experiences, the more preparedness you will develop and the more preparedness will lead to opportunities. 

I purpose this question for you to ponder. How can you capture opportunities like a superstar - let’s say like LeBron James or Steph Curry? 

If one seeks the meaning of "opportunity”, they will see the following: "A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something." So I ask you think about a time when something you wish failed to happen. Was it a delay or failure? Did it allow you to develop resilience? Did it make you to prepare harder? Did you get another opportunity? So the next opportunity were you prepared and did it produce a different outcome? So what did it feel like? Did you feel bubbles bursting on the inside? Now, think how that feeling boosted your confidence while making you realize the impossible is possible. From the book, “The Alchemist” is this quote, “Treasure is uncovered by the force of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents.” 

I created my life story in a timeline via visual board comparing my experiences and crucibles with an impact and lessons learned. From that setting I decided that MY FUTURE will consist of living a life that will continue a legacy of shaping lives like my predecessor. So I challenge you to view unfavorable circumstances as only delays that will develop your resilience, leading to more experiences for more opportunities. Please realize that everyday counts because every action or non-action leaves an imprint on your journey through life to build your legacy.

AMANUENSIS

Our word for today is amanuensis. Amanuensis is a noun meaning one employed to write either by dictating or by copying a manuscript. One can easily use this term Amanuensis as referring to a secretary or an administrative assistance who provides such services to an organization. Yet, from a TRIO perspective you should serve as your own amanuensis by writing and rewriting your notes from each course as a method of studying. Remember note taking enables you to visualize the materials that you are learning; however, when you rewrite your notes, it provides the mechanism to increase your learning outcome. So try becoming your own amanuensis.

Love Time & Death

As humans, we view death as an antagonist that each of us cannot avoid; yet as created beings we need to apprehend the concept of time associated with imminent death through the eyes of love. If the Creator breathes life into humans from His image of love then the resolution of time evolves from death by the revelation of love.  Without death, time lacks the existence to perfect the essence of love. Conversely, to experience the circle of life, death must occur. So humans who focus only with the quantity of years actually hinder the existence of time causing persons to equalize love with death. 

Please permit a clearer explanation of this comparison. From a human perspective, time enables us to perform, develop, explore, and conduct the necessary functions as humans. Yet, time only exists because of the pending death that awaits. The measurement of life centers on the allotted time to conduct necessities and pleasures; nevertheless, the true measurement of life rests with its substance instead of a number sequence. How many times after the death, you will hear reflections like he died too young? This observation alone emphasizes the importance of measuring time quantifiable so the weight of its value offsets death, instead of viewing death as part of time and love. If you remove the numbers of quantifying time and recognize all three -- time, death and love as a function comparable to a vessel carrying passengers over the water toward a destination. Metaphorically, love resembles the vessel, time serves as the source to move the vessel like water, and death stands as the destination to unfold the meaning of transporting the vessel. This example allows you to grasp the concept of time, death and love as a totality of experiences instead of disconnected happenings that leads to a continuation of ones’ existence.  

Time enables humans to progress toward their true existence as created beings in the image of their Creator. Time exists as one day or 1,000 years in human terms, but the Creator views such numbering as irrelevant. Alterable, time abridges life only as a source for love. This source transports humans to the port of transitioning known as death. In other words, time is the means for measuring the quality of love that creates a horizontal transitioning course through death. The lack of exercising love toward others causes remorse associated with time even if the person multiplied the accumulation of material wealth, his time remains insufficient. As human, the ability to love creates the dominant need for existence; therefore, the qualities of love produces intangibles to enable one to comprehend and experience the saying by Vicki Corona, “Remember that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!” So the measure of time only equates with the magnitude of ones’ love experiences instead of a mathematical value comparable to ones’ longevity.

Each of us must evolve as human beings as the Creator intended. Such an evolution only occurs when humans cultivate the love quality instilled from origin. Death never steals the life; death only demonstrates love. Therefore, humans who emanate their Creator’s purpose become beings who minimize the relevance of time and death while ensuring that their love magnifies the reality of their existence. So, I challenge you to love both death and time and watch the circle of life as it returns to the Creator with a known life’s purpose.    

Scour

The word of the day is scour. SCOUR means to move about quickly especially in search or to go through as if in a search. As TRiO participants, you have a lot of reading materials so at times you scour your reading. For example, many students read 50 pages straight while assuming this is studying.

First, I encourage you to divide your reading into 10-pages chunks and read with a purpose while highlighting sections in your book. Prior to reading, ensure you locate a specific place for reading your assignments. Create a To Do List on what to read and why you are reading. Then choose times when you are most alert to conduct your reading assignments. Find a specific quiet location and free of distraction which will allow you concentration. Begin reading your 10-page chunks with breaks in between sections. After reading, I encourage you made note cards from the highlighted sections to prompt your memory. When you add these techniques to your routine you will see a different and tremendous outcome. Please do this before each class. Remember read scour but with a purpose.

  

Propagate

The word of the day is "Propagate." Propagate has several meanings 1) to reproduce or cause to reproduce biologically; 2) to cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area; 3)to pass along to offspring; 4) to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of. Yet, I want to focus on the definition that relates to the foster of knowledge. As TRiO participants, you understand that silence of any subject matter will only propagate more silence; therefore, for growth to occur in your learning one must express the outcome of your preparation. In other words, the more you propagate on what you have learned; value will increase then you will realize the opportunities that await. In the book, “The Alchemist” I noticed this quote, “Treasure is uncovered by the focus of flowing water, and it is buried by the same currents.” I glean from this quote that learning can only occur when one allows the flooding of information or the overwhelming of studying as they grasp the true treasures of learning. So I encourage you avoid the attitude that I cannot read all this material before the next class but realize that a treasure awaits after the flowing of water.

Scrupulous

Our word for today is scrupulous meaning one having moral integrity or acting in strict regard for what is considered right.  In an academic setting the scrupulous behavior of one is paramount. In other words, many students lack the academic integrity of honesty toward their studying when relying on good grades; so they lean toward cheating to accomplish success. As TRiO participants, you realize the scrupulous preparation for each of class to avoid the short term solution of cheating to obtain the right answers. You understand that academic dishonesty consists of any type of cheating that occurs in relation in the formal academic exercise of obtaining knowledge to include Plagiarism. Remember cheating entails any taking or giving of information which one will use to determine credit for course work including copying from another student's test, allowing anther student to copy from your test, or even having someone else to write a paper on your behalf.

So I plea today that you continue the scrupulous work of preparing for each class with your unique studying habits without relying of any format of cheating.