Concordia Parish has been my home for the last nine years.

During my tenure, I have been blessed to see and participate in the growth and decline of this region. For instance, I have witnessed how Vidalia has grown as a city.

It brings me great pleasure to say, “Vidalia has a fitness center, Walmart, Hibbett’s Sport and a chain of restaurants.”

Meanwhile, Ferriday and Monterey have suffered a decline. In the case of Ferriday, residents are still contemplating the issue of clean water. Without Walmart, Ferriday is stuck to fill a void. Monterey has few extracurricular activities to offer its students. Therefore, more students are likely to engage in drugs and road rage.

Despite these setbacks in the communities of Ferriday and Monterey, both have shown desire to improve their communities. For example, Ferriday High School offers children a chance to experience the wonders of Disney. I have a lot of hopes and dreams for Concordia Parish that I still believe can be reached.

During the past three years, I have attended Ferriday High School. I have witnessed and been a part of the growth of this school. For example, along with the other Concordia Parish schools, Ferriday High awards students who score mastery or advanced with a trip to Disney World. This gives small town children a chance to see the world. It is awards and opportunities like this that I hope will be around for the next generation.

In the coming years, I hope that children will seize hold of the opportunities afforded by an education. I would like to see more Concordia Parish students taking the ACT early. Students should begin taking the ACT in the sixth grade.

Thus, by the time students’ senior years roll around, they can enjoy it more. Rather, they won’t have to worry about getting a high ACT score for college.

Next, I would like to see Concordia Parish’s posterity take advantage of the Early Start Program. By gaining college credit now, students can lessen the amount of time they are in college. Therefore, more of our students can fill the vacant teacher jobs. Finally, I would like to see future generations take advantage of opportunities for GEE Mastery Alliance — the Disney World trip.

A community is more than the sum of its parts. What I mean is there is more to a community than the school system. However, once again, I believe the focus has to be on the kids. Too many of our young women are becoming pregnant. As a result, many of our young women have dropped out of junior and high school. In the future, I would hope more Concordia Parish girls will seek to graduate. I would like to see the birthrate decline among our teenage girls.

There has been a lot of talent come through Concordia Parish, such as athletes, musicians, lawyers and a number of other professionals. However, only a handful of Concordia Parish alumni have made contributions to their former schools.

In the future, I hope more students will look to invest in their former school’s future. For instance, our schools could use remodeling. Some of the ceilings need to be replaced. Another good investment for former students would be to increase the participation in extracurricular activities by implementing new clubs and sports teams.

Now this essay wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention my biggest dream for Concordia Parish. There have been a lot of successful people to come through Concordia Parish. Some like Jerry Lee Lewis left and never looked back. Others like Mickey Gilley return from time to time. Meanwhile, former star athletes have returned to take the job of coaching today’s stars.

There is nothing that can compare to putting a man or woman in the White House. My biggest dream is to see a president come out of Concordia Parish. I believe it can happen. There have been a lot of educated men and women who have gone on to successful careers. Watching Barack Obama become the first African American president has changed my perspective of what a kid can achieve in the 21st century.

Walking around FHS, I often hear the possibility of a president someday coming from Concordia Parish. For example, there is a young man walking these halls who many believe has presidential potential. In addition to eloquence and charisma, this young man has the intelligence to get him there. However, he does possess one flaw. In order to become president, he will have to break away from his shyness.

Yes, I have big hopes and dreams for Concordia Parish. I hope more kids will graduate with college credit. I would like to see Concordia Parish school libraries filled with new technology, such as iPads, and I would like to see higher graduation rates among our students. Finally, I dream of someday seeing a president return to his alma mater and start a foundation for students.

 

Xavier Den’Traye Ellis is a recent graduate of Ferriday High School. He is the 18-year-old son of Cynthia M. Ellis and Emmett Washington Jr. and the grandson of Gloria M. Ellis, Emmett Washington and Sinda Washington.