Rec District 2-3: Attorney General says open meetings law not violated
June 27, 2018
Nicholls succeeds in the classroom with huge academic successes
June 27, 2018
Percy Miller told a record crowd of more than 1,000, including the 2018 NAACP high school scholarship winners, to keep dreaming, keep reaching for the stars.
“You have got to dream big. You have to put in your mind, I am great, and no one is going to stop me. When you speak those words, it will happen,” said Miller, the business tycoon, record label owner and artist known as “Master P.”
“I named my record label no limit, because I truly believed and still believe that there is no limit to what I can do,” Miller said.
The New Orleans native was feted as the 36th Annual Guest Speaker of the Terrebonne Parish Branch NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet on Friday, held inside the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.
“I grew up in a three bedroom unit inside the Calliope Projects in New Orleans, with 16 people. I didn’t have my own bed until I was 18,” Miller said.
“It was rough, people used to tell me, you’re not going to make it, to be successful. Family, friends, looked at me like a kid from the ghetto in New Orleans. But even though I lived in an area that was known as a bad place, it didn’t mean that I needed to be like everyone else. I wanted to be that change, I wanted to do something else with my life,” he said.
Looking at the scholarship winners, he told them, “Your future is bright. Dream. Dream big. There is no limit to your success.”
”I named myself Master P, because I decided a long time ago, I was going to master whatever I do,” he said.
Miller also encouraged the graduates to embrace college, explaining that when he attended the University of Houston, his life changed forever.
“And don’t say negative things about yourself or your condition. I used to tell people I’m not broke, I’m waiting on my check. My check is going to come any day now. This is an example of how you should speak,” he said.
Miller said anyone who dwells on the negative, will never get where they need to be. He reiterated over and over to break negative cycles.. .
On social media, Miller told the students, “Don’t let it take you out. Use social media as a business too, because that’s what it is.”
He explained his button remark, by saying he had to travel from city to city to hand cds and cassettes out of his car, so he didn’t have the luxury of promoting his product with the touch of a button.
Before he spoke, Terrebonne Parish Councilman John Navy presented him with a key to the parish, and Houma Police Chief Dale Coleman deputized him as an honorary member of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office.
NAACP President Jerome Boykin said he didn’t think they couldn’t have gotten a better speaker.
“Who better to speak to our kids about turning your life around. Also, this man his here tonight because of his word. We have no contract with him. This is the kind of man he is. You keep it real,” Boykin said.
Each of the scholarship winners won a $1,000 stipend. They are, followed by their graduating school, and their intended college of choice:
Brayden Barthelemy, Vandebilt, Nicholls; Matthew Beauty, Ellender, Fletcher Community College; Cameron Carter, Terrebonne, Nicholls; Kira Coleman, Ellender, Nicholls; Arionna Davis, HL Bourgeois, Nicholls; India Davis, Terrebonne, Xavier New Orleans; Emerald Dillard, Terrebonne, LSU- Eunice; Emily Dinger, Terrebonne, Southeastern; Terrence Gray, Ellender, Southern; Samantha Hall, HL Bourgeois, Fletcher; Brooke Haydel, Vandebilt, LSU; Caegan Jackson, HL Bourgeois, UNO; Taysha Johnson, HL Bourgeois, UL-Lafayette; Donald Judice, Houma Christian, LSU; Ariel Matthews, Terrrebonne, UL-Lafayette; Divine Martin, HL Bourgeois, Centenary; Leah Messimo, HL Bourgeois, Fletcher; Alexia Miller, HL Bourgeois, Nicholls; Arianna Mulligan, Ellender, Northwestern State; Jillian Navy, Ellender, Nicholls; Kennedy Picou, HL Bourgeois, UL- Lafayette; Aisha Pollard, HL Bourgeois, Fletcher; Anthony Rainey, Jr, HL Bourgeois, Buccaneers Blinn College; Matthew Rotolo, Vandebilt, Nicholls; Toytana Ross, Terrebonne, Xavier New Orleans; Kyzer Thomas, Ellender, Nicholls; Tre-Washington, Houma Christian, LSU-Eunice; Trent Washington, Houma Christian, LSU-Eunice; Lessie Williams, Terrebonne, Southern; Walla Williams, Ellender, Nicholls.
In total, the NAACP awarded: 9 scholarships to students from H.L. Bourgeois, 8 from Terrebonne, 7 from Ellender, 3 from Vandebilt, and 3 from Houma Christian.
Matthew Beauty said he felt great to receive the scholarship. He is planning to enter Criminology and Sociology.
Kira Coleman said she is planning to major in Nursing.
Brooke Haydel said she is majoring in Biology. “I am very grateful for receiving this.”
Brandon Barthelemy said he was very honored. He is planning to study Business Administration..
Miller finished his remarks by defining success.
“You want to know what success is? It’s what you do while everyone else is sleeping. It’s going through the window when the door has been shut on you,” he said.
“It’s being hungry, doing whatever you need to do, to get that food.”
“No matter how many times you fall, it’s always about how you get back up. And when you do something, stay committed,” he said.
