Staff report
ROCKINGHAM — Along the sidelines of any football field, Raiders coach Paul Hoggard can be an intimidating figure.
When he speaks, his players listen. On Thursday at Washington Street Elementary School, Hoggard and other guest speakers talked with students about staying true to oneself and the importance of not always fitting into the mold someone else has in mind.
“Don’t change who you are to please someone else” was one of Tae Storr’s messages for the fifth grade girls of Washington Street. Storr, a 2011 graduate of Richmond Senior, is currently at North Carolina Central and applying for law school for the fall of 2015. She encouraged the girls to work hard for what they want and set goals for themselves now. Storr told them that it was never too late to start doing your best.
Kevin Spradlin | PeeDeePost.com
Raiders football coach Paul Hoggard and seven other guest speakers on Thursday spoke with Washington Street Elementary School fifth grade students on key topics about life.
Elizabeth Pittman, a 2013 Richmond Senior graduate and now a UNC Tarheel, agreed. Pittman encouraged the girls to get involved in sports and clubs and to choose their friends carefully. The fifth-graders asked questions about how to get into college and how to pay for college. WSS student Jenycis Sherwood enjoyed what the young ladies had to say. She especially like this advice: You don’t always have to have good grades. As long as you do your best, that is what matters.
Meanwhile in another fifth grade classroom, Hoggard, Tax Administrator Vagas Jackson, Richmond Senior’s Brandon Greene and Dezmond Marshall, and 2013 graduate and current Campbell student Drew Butler spoke with the boys about what it takes to be successful in academics and athletics.
Hoggard stressed the qualities of a good person. His advice to the boys was – Stop and think before acting, Hoggard cautioned. Jackson talked about overcoming adversity and making good choices, among other topics. Greene and Marshall discussed the qualities of a great athlete and student. Butler emphasized the importance of setting goals and having a strong work ethic. Fifth grade student Loki Carriker was encouraged to “Be yourself. You choose your own road.”
The guest speakers spoke to the fifth grade students on Thursday. Assistant Principal Karen Allen gave each a speaker a WSS stylus and ink pen and thanked them for their time and encouraging words.
Discussion