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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.

Cameron Compton To respect life, in all its forms.

Melanie Kratochvil Thompson Don’t ever be afraid to venture outside of your world. Try something new every chance you get!

Brant Bennett If you want something, work hard for it. You are the only person obligated to give you what you want.

Carmen Sisson Do the thing you hate first, and put extra effort into it. In my case, I hated math and loved English. My mother forced me to do my math homework first, when my mind was fresh, and to put extra effort into it. I could do my English homework with my eyes closed, and it was a nice reward at the end of the study session. I’m quite sure my mother is the reason I made it through algebra, trigonometry, geometry, pre-calculus and calculus, because I certainly wasn’t talented.

Allison Reid “If you can dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullst!” –My lovely Biology teacher.

Julie Spencer If you have to lie about it, don’t do it. Your parents love you more than everyone else combined. … Teased and bullied for being a smart dork? Guess who will be cleaning your house and mowing your yard in 10-15 years? Yep, the bullies. The girl who was bullied and tormented the most at my high school is married to a radiologist with two beautiful children. Living well is the best revenge.

Ashe Nicole Hemphill A relationship ending is NOT the end of the world.

Abigail Dennis Salters That if none of your family likes your boyfriend, it’s probably for a good reason!

Dereck Davis I am responsible for me and my future.

Bobbi Tucker That my parents weren’t trying to ruin my life–that all they did was out of love!

Mississippi Library Commission Books are always there for you.

Erin Kelly Things are not always as they seem.

Marilynne Nelson Never shoot at something you don’t mean to kill.

Duncan Betzalel It doesn’t just magically get better. You have to make it better.

Stephanie Harrison-Shuttlesworth If you go out on Saturday night, no matter what time you come in, be prepared to get up for church, no ands, ifs or buts about it.

Kat Hearn Gates You can do whatever you set your mind to: decide and be diligent.

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.