Brenda Jean in the news!

May, 2003

Herald Democrat

Pathways graduates “fly into” adult world
By Dave Bellows

Fifteen students left Pathways, Denison’s alternative high school, to, in the words of one student, “spread our wings and fly into the world as adults.”

Candice Dunson, recipient of the annual scholarship voted on by Pathways’ staff, gave the graduate address. She said, “Many of us were unsure this day would ever come.” But although the road had been somewhat hard and rough, she and her fellow graduates succeeded with the support of friends and family.

Dunson said the graduates had achieved an important goal by graduating high school, but for continued success, they would have to “make correct choices and take positive action,” and always set their goals high.

Brenda Jean Patrick, Region 10 Education Consultant and motivational speaker, read students a story about the “fourth little pig” that prevented the traditional three from living their lives in fear. Patrick drew 12 lessons from the story and urged students not to forget them.

She told the graduates of a conversation with her father, who offered her a different answer to the old question, “If everybody else is jumping off a cliff, are going to jump, too?” He told her the correct answer is “I’m going to go to the edge of the cliff, look over, and see if there’s anything worth jumping off for.”