AA’Cahsha smiles and seems comfortable posing in Office C with her boyfriend, though she hasn’t always been happy to be in Quitman. She explains,

“I’m from Waynesboro, but my dad stayed here. He got custody the summer before my eighth grade year, but I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t know anybody. I didn’t want to be in uniforms. They had regular clothes in Wayne County. It took till my 10th grade year for me to get adjusted. I had to adjust to the grading schedule and harder material. Quitman had more classes which meant more for me to study. There was also a point difference that made it harder to get an “A”.”

Now AA’Cahsha is a senior at Quitman High School and will graduate in May of 2020 with twelve dual enrollment hours from William Carey University. When considering which nursing program she will attend after high school, she is aware that they all require English 101, English 102, and at least a MAT 131 (College Algebra). It’s why she worked with her counselor to pick the classes which will be most beneficial toward her college degree.

AA’Cahsha has done the same thing at Quitman High School.

The FBLA member’s high school schedule emphasizes her love of science, which is at least partly the reason she is committed to a career in the medical field. An illness in her family first brought her attention to the importance of nursing.

“My mom got bone cancer. We found out when she broke her femur bone. I’d knew then I’d have to take care of her. I call her mom because that’s who I’ve been living with since I was two (years old). I’ve seen her struggle for two years. I’ve seen how the nurses take care of her. They have taught me, too. She’s in the hospital now. She’s been in there for about a week.”

When asked where she will be going to get her nursing degree, AA’Cahsha answers,

“I’ve looked at going to Ole Miss, Southern Miss, or The University of West Alabama. I see myself working in a hospital, and I think I may want to travel.”

 

For those still here after AA’Cahsha graduates and begins her study of nursing, she does have some advice.

“Stay out of trouble. Do not get involved with the wrong crowd. Stay focused and determined. You have to want it.”