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To the wonderful citizens of Magee,
I am Brooks Fortenberry, Magee High School graduate from the class of 2011. I am representing many of my fellow graduates who are finishing college and achieving significant accomplishments and goals. Many of these goals and accomplishments would not have been possible had it not been for our teachers, administration, the staff and the education we received at Magee High School. My classmates and I take great pride in our alma mater and the many lessons we learned there, which helped to propel us to the success many of us have reached today. Unfortunately, too often, we hear negative words spread throughout the community about our high school that do not show it in a positive light. Many of the people who share their opinions about our school have never stepped foot on the campus nor do they know any of the students. Destructive stories passed on about our school does nothing but hurt public opinion about our excellent school or its valuable qualities. I believe it is time for us to start spreading positive reports about our students and graduates of Magee High School. Let me share some of the significant accomplishments my friends and recent graduates of MHS have achieved and the positive contributions these MHS graduates are making in the world.
Carsyn Byars is a registered nurse working in the pediatric emergency department at Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital. She has future plans of attaining her Ph.D. and teaching in nursing school.
Ashley Bounds has graduated Athletic Training school at USM and is working in area high schools.
Another classmate, Gabriel Graves, is currently enrolled in pharmacy school in Virginia, and upon graduation, he plans to return to Magee and work as a Pharmacist.
Will Walker is presently working on his Ph.D. in the highly respectable Polymer Science program at USM. Great men of faith Justin Craft and Justin Dickens both have completed their education and are serving as ministers. Devonta McDonald is working toward an Electrical Engineering degree at Ole Miss. My friend, Trey Durr, will be commissioning as a United States Officer in the Army shortly before he attends law school to study family law because he wants to defend abused children. Jamie Brinson is presently working on her Masters in Accounting at USM.
Two exceptionally talented athletes, Kalen Jackson and Brian Mills, are currently playing football and baseball, respectively, at tremendous academic institutions and prestigious Division I sports programs.
Lastly, I will be entering Physical Therapy school in May 2016 at UMMC, and I just graduated from Mississippi College with a degree in Kinesiology; I also played four years for the Choctaw Baseball Team. Many other Magee High School graduates have similar stories to share, even though I have highlighted just a few. Many of our exceptional students are out in the world making an impact and achieving their hopes and dreams.
What an extraordinary list of accomplishments by such an outstanding group of young people from a small town like Magee. These individuals are of different races and family backgrounds. Some came from single parent homes, some were raised by both parents, and some lived with grandparents. Some of these students came from middle class families, while others came from families who are not wealthy. None of that really has mattered or deterred these individuals from greatness. At Magee High School, we have always been encouraged to believe that if we used our gifts and God-given talents, we could achieve anything we wanted to do. At Magee High School, we have always been like family. Many of our faculty and staff members graduated from Magee High School themselves; so, they truly care about the students and the school’s success. The school and community has always functioned as one heartbeat; one has supported the other. That is the reason Magee High School graduates have fond memories of our time there because of the education we received, the atmosphere, and the rich traditions of the school.
When thinking of Magee High School, it is important to think of the history of the school and all of the countless MHS graduates accomplishing remarkable goals, hopes and dreams as well as representing our excellent high school in a positive light. These people are the future leaders of our community, and they love Magee just as much as I do. Magee High School helped develop and shape the careers of these individuals. The teachers encouraged and developed us, and the administrators made our learning environment promising. I recently spent three days in our school and came away impressed. I observed teachers and administrators who cared and students who were cheerful and eager to learn. These students are following in my friends’ footsteps. They will be future college graduates who will go on to achieve the success that many graduates who have gone before them have achieved. We as Magee High School graduates, students, and concerned citizens need your support and uplifting words, and the City of Magee and its citizens need us to flourish to maintain our thriving city. The school and community go hand in hand together, and we need to support each other. Magee High School is an excellent school that can take students anywhere they need to go and can certainly prepare them for college and life. I call on all citizens to please use your words to build us up, not put us down. Magee High School has much to be proud of and students who need our support. We have history and tradition as well as a bright future. As always, remember: “It’s a great day to be a Trojan!”
Sincerely,
Brooks Fortenberry
I wish it was all roses and sunshine. But unfortunately, if they don’t start curbing the violence and threats, things are only going to get worse for the school and our community. I feel like they should track the people who make threats and severely punish them. If you are in a VIOLENT altercation, you should face serious repercussion. I don’t just mean a simple fight, but you guys know some of these kids act like they are trying to kill each other. I’m seriously concerned with protecting our children. We still don’t even get notifications of threats or lock downs. Trust is a two way street. If I’m supposed to trust you to care for my child, you should trust that I can handle being told about threats. But when I have to hear it from the kids, it makes me wonder if you are taking the threats seriously and if you are going to do something to stop the ones making them.
Thanks for the suggestion and knowledge Pat, but can we sit back and just look at the positives for one day. Let’s celebrate the great and save the negative comment for another article. No school is without its faults but how about we stop and smell the roses and enjoy the sunshine just this once.
Brooks that’s a great article Thanks for writing about Magee High School.
Brooks,
Thanks for some of the reminder of the wonderful students from MHS! I love hearing success stories from some of my “kids”! Best wishes to you all!
Love,
Mrs. Anna Smith?
This article touched me!
I did not have the best childhood, like many kids today. With that being said, I did not have the worst childhood experiences either. My life could have went in many directions. I had a good support system and some very encouraging teachers/instructors. While we consider the state of our schools, we must also be mindful of the child’s environment. Though we are all presented with the same academics, sadly we do not all have the same hope, morals and resilience instilled in us.
I attended magee schools. I hold an associates from Hinds CC, a Bachelors from Belhaven University, and a Masters from USM. I will have a Doctorate in 7 months from Mississippi College. I give credit to the foundation that I received at Magee and the faculty that encouraged me along the way!
There is hope!
HI, VERY INTERESTING ARTICLE. I AM GRADUATE OF APRIL 1946 AT MAGEE HIGH SCHOOL. YOUR EFFORT TO ORGANIZE POSITIVE SUPPORT FOR MHS IS WORTHWHILE! AND MAY I SUGGEST: LOOK FOR WAYS TO EXPAND THE NEEDED SUPPORT OUT TO MHS GRADUATES WHO NOW LIVE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE ENVIRONS OF MAGEE CITY AND SIMPSON COUNTY (AND POSSIBLY OUTSIDE THE STATE,FOR THAT MATTER). SUE HAS THE PERFECT VEHICLE IN THE FORM OF HER MAGEENEWS.COM TO SEARCH OUTWARD FOR GRADS WHO ARE IN NEIGHBORING AREAS AND WHO STILL HAVE THE SPIRIT OF HELPING THEIR “OLE” HIGH SCHOOL. I DO NOT HAVE TO REMIND ANY OF US THAT IN AMERICA (AS WE SEE IT TODAY) ALMOST EVERY HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS POSITIVE SUPPORT FROM CITIZENS TO TRY TO HELP MAKE EVENTS RIGHT AND INTELLIGENT. TELL ME HOW I CAN BE HELPFUL. HAL