Tribute To Deuntae Sheard
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Deuntae Sheard, a dedicated student, who is making the difference in his community. Deuntae Sheard was born in Jackson, MS, on May 23, 1993, to the proud parents of Freddie and Elaine Sheard. Elaine…
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Deuntae Sheard, a dedicated student, who is making the difference in his community.
Deuntae Sheard was born in Jackson, MS, on May 23, 1993, to the proud parents of Freddie and Elaine Sheard. Elaine is a headstart teacher and Freddie is a deputy for the local sheriff's department. Deuntae is the youngest of three children, Freddie Jr. and Spartel.
Deuntae was raised in Lexington, MS. He went to Lexington Elementary School (LES) and Jacob J. McClain High School and graduated in the top 10 from both schools. He is currently a student at Jackson State University, majoring in mathematics. His goal is to become a math teacher.
While growing up, Deuntae had a desire to teach children, probably because his mother has been a teacher all his life. He became certain in his senior year in high school that he could teach children. During high school, Deuntae joined a group called TATU (Teens Against Tobacco Use). TATU is an organization that teaches students about the effects of using tobacco, the substances in tobacco, and the signs of peer pressure coming from friends and role models. It was then that Deuntae realized that he could be a good role model and that this was the key to being a good teacher and leader. Whenever he was out in the community around his peers and children, he led by example. If the smaller children wanted to play on the basketball court, he would either convince his peers to let them play on half the court or let them play with them while perhaps helping them improve their skills.
Living in the house with a teacher and a deputy taught Deuntae two important things: respect and education. Deuntae's father always told him to respect others and good things will happen and stressed to him the importance of making good grades in school. These teachings helped mold Deuntae into a respectable person and thus respecting all others.
Deuntae believes that if he had the power to help anyone he would do it. When his peers or even elementary kids asked him to help them with the classwork, he did and he was ecstatic whenever a child came back to tell him ``Thank you.''
Deuntae spent his high school summers at the Community Students Learning Center in Lexington, MS, where he got a head start on his learning before school started in August. At the center, he interacted with the children by playing games, talking with them, and helping them with their work, if asked.
Deuntae is now in his second semester as a junior at Jackson State University. He plans to come back home after graduation for a few years and help teach at one of the local schools or the Community Students Learning Center. His passion for teaching has heightened and he is anxious to start.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a talented student, Mr. Deuntae Sheard, for his zest for teaching and making a difference in his community.