By Kyle Roberts
Back in December, I had the privilege to write a story on the success of Ruston High’s football in the classroom, as well as on the football field.
The school was celebrating its renewed A-rating and sharing the highest School Performance Score of state championship public schools with its opponent Zachary High School.
And, as most people are already aware, Ruston would go on to win its first football state championship in 33 years with a 31-17 win in the ‘Dome over Zachary, completing a season of perfection.
But that story was focused on the football players, mostly. During the interview process, however, I sat down with multiple students, guidance counselors, teachers, even the principal himself.
Junior-grade guidance counselor Diana Humphries summed it up best during our chat: “It’s a great time to be a Bearcat.”
That was obvious on the football field, right? But what about other students? Non-football players?
I was, and still am, amazed at what I heard over and over again: the students raved about attending Ruston High, crediting the teachers and staff for pushing them to excellence. And the teachers and staff praising the student body as a whole for a culture of peer support and success, both in the classroom and in extracurricular activities.
And don’t take it just from me. Here’s what a handful said about attributing their success to the school.
- Dezmon Moreland (Bearcat Nation Network): “Ruston High is very connected. I think that if you go into any given day with a good attitude and good spirit, you’ll get the same back in return from the teachers and even from other students. It’s normally good vibes all around.”
- Rylie Nutt (RHS Motorsports): “It’s growth-filled and very positive. You have teachers, students and peers that are willing to pour into you, and they care about you and your interests. That’s made very clear in the way everyone treats the students.”
- Amaya Major (Cheerleader): “It’s been really welcoming. You walk in and people are smiling at you and greeting you every morning. The teachers and staff focus on us emotionally, and they try to help us balance schoolwork and other activities.”
- Robert Campbell (Swim Team): “The teachers are very helpful. I’m able to reach out to them and make sure to keep my grades up. There’s an effort to help us balance being able to get your work done and being able to practice.”
- Anhaar Wasi (Eco-Car): “There’s something for everybody here. Big clubs, small clubs, there a wide range of things. I can’t imagine going anywhere else for high school.”
- Jordan Hamlin (Bearcat Nation Network): It’s been really fun and a journey. I love the people; the teachers and faculty are great. They really love what they do, and they love to help the students. The teachers and staff want to make Ruston High safe and fun.”
- A’Nyia Moore (Basketball): “My teachers prioritize school with being able to play my sport. It’s clear they care about me. If I have to miss something for a game, they make sure I do not miss on anything.”
As a proud alum of the class of 2000, I’ll tell anyone that will listen how grateful I am to have graduated from the halls of the firmly founded, and these students are well on their ways to their own bright futures, hopefully making great memories along the way.
I still see teachers and have the chance to visit on occasion (thank you, Mrs. Miller, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Green, just to name a few). My classmates and I formed a bond during our school years that I never knew was happening. It’s always nice to visit Ruston grads, both young and seasoned.
What’s truly great is seeing how much Ruston High has only changed for the better since my time.
Don’t get me wrong– I’m not naive enough to think it’s all perfect. But when you see students light up talking about their school, well, that’s enough for pause.
Over and over again, I heard the stories about balance, care, support– even Cedric Serio recounted how counselor Kelly Ratcliff helped him re-start the robotics team, or Jordan Hamlin and Dezmon Moreland talking about learning the lead with Coach Brown overseeing the Bearcat Nation Network, or other students raving about their guidance counselors, teachers and administrators.
Over time, these will be bonds and memories these students will carry forever; and I can attest that all of those bonds last well into adulthood and will prepare them all for success in the real world.
I know it sure did for me.
So while we should all celebrate the football championship for as long as we can, we need to recognize the real magic is happening everywhere on the campus of the school– committed teachers and administration fostering a culture of success with students that are supporting each other, regardless of their extracurricular activities.
So yes, allow me to agree with Mrs. Humphries: it certainly is a great time to be a Bearcat.
*I want to personally thank the numerous students, administration, and teachers that shared stories or participated in the interview process for these stories: A’Nyia Moore, Amaya Major, Anhaar Wasir, Austin Guillory, Cedric Serio, Dezmon Moreland, Gabrielle Simmons, Hannah Rollins, Harper Cauley, Mariah White, Chad Hamlin, Jordan Hamlin, Joshua Ramachandran, Robert Campbell, Rylie Nutt, Ashlee Bell, Emily Howell, Diana Humphries, Lindsey O’Neal, Erin Henderson, Kelly Ratcliff, Nick Brown and Dan Gressett.
