Mentors

In 1979 I was about to be a high school drop out. My family lived in Mansfield and I attended Newton County High. There were probably about 1,600 students and I was lost in the crowd.

During this time I was in the process of searching for my identity to no avail. To make matters worse my father sold our house in Mansfield and we moved to Jasper County. As a last resort I decided to give Jasper County schools an opportunity before dropping out.

I had a few friends already at the school but I was still very

hesitant about the change.

A few months prior to this change in my life I had met D.J. Shepherd a teacher at J.C.C.H.S. (Jasper County Comprehensive High School), and two of his students. I enrolled and signed up for the maximum amount of ag classes. Mr. Shepherd had a way of getting the most out of people, and I was about to experience a life changing transformation in my ambitions. Mr. Shepherd involved me in Public Speaking, livestock showing and many other things. One day he introduced me to another teacher at the school by the name of Les Steele.

The two teachers decided to start a string band among some students. Six classmates and myself began a band we called, “Down South.” The band began for the purpose of competing in the FFA string band competition. We also competed in talent shows and battle of the band competitions, winning many of them.

Mr. Steele was an amazing man to me. He could listen to a song and immediately teach it on any instrument. That was an amazing feet but his unique creativeness was even more amazing.

The band had won the different competitions thus giving us the right to compete for the state title. We would soon be discouraged with some bad news. We were told that we wouldn’t be able to compete in the finals due to a rules infraction. The rules stated that everyone in the band had to play a string instrument.

This was a problem for our seven-member band. We had two singers and a saxophone player. Les Steele would not let this stop us, he got the rulebook and he found a loophole. He took eight moonshine jugs and by placing water at different levels he tuned them and thus it gave everyone an instrument. I still have not figured out how jugs are considered string instruments.

I remember how Mr. Steele could take a small marching band and often times out do the larger bands from other schools. We were at a home game when my daughter was in primary school and on the Jr. Majorettes team. A larger band had just come off the field after doing a tremendous show.

I should have known better but still I felt sorry for the local band coming on to the field with their small group compared to the other. However Mr. Steele was once again about to demonstrate his unique imagination and creativeness. The JCCHS band members turned there back to the crowd and when they turned around they were wearing sun glasses and they started to play, “Surfing USA!” They totally out did the larger band. Once again I was reminded to never underestimate the talent and the imagination of Mr. Steele.

In the spring of 1981 I would graduate from JCCHS all because Les Steele and D.J. Shepherd invested in me. I have had the opportunity to speak with both of them over the years and often I have said Thank You. I have since always strived to invest in young people with the hopes that I could effect them the same way.