GMC News

Character Cadets program honors students’ good deeds
Scott Teague
The Union-Recorder

Be they big or small, good deeds done by Georgia Military College Prep School students are recognized and the students rewarded in the school’s quarterly Character Cadets program.

The school’s principal, Col. John Thornton, said the program seeks to recognize students who demonstrate good values and the character virtues of the school’s motto “Duty. Honor. Country.”

“I had a ninth grader come up to me the other day in the atrium and said he found some money on the table and wanted to turn it in. He could have easily put it in his pocket or spent it on snacks for his friend, but instead he came up and returned it. That’s just something out of the ordinary,” Thornton said. “We just want to celebrate those kinds of things.”

Two students recently were awarded Character Cadet of the Quarter, Jah-Wann Galimore, eighth-grade, and Taey Wright, ninth grade.

One student from each school is chosen each quarter from among the weekly Characters of the Week program.

Jah-Wann earned the distinction for his work organizing a book drive to help a library in New Orleans that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“I was surprised to win Character Cadet of the Quarter award because I didn’t think what I was doing was that big of a deal,” Jah-Wann said.

Jah-Wann grew up in New Orleans 9th Ward and came here with his mother after their home was ruined.

The New Orleans-native said he was surprised by the local support shown for his book drive. In conjunction with Georgia College & State University’s GIVE Center, the drive raised more than 4,000 books.

“It was unbelievable. I didn’t think people could do that. I didn’t know about people working together, because they hardly ever did that where I was from,” Jah-Wann said. “To see that there were no books on the selves when we got there and that they were full when we left, it made me feel good inside.”

Community service is no stranger to the high school’s Character Cadet.

Since her sixth-grade year, Taey has put-in more than 100 hours of community service, and she plans to do more this year.

“I started at libraries, and then I did the majority of my work at a daycare center called Giggles. I really love kids and babies, so I want to be a pediatrician,” the ninth-grader said. “I have lined up to do some work with Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald House.”

Taey also tutors students in math at the expense of her own free time.

Taey earned a medal every year at GMC Prep in recognition of her community service, but that isn’t why she volunteers. “I think doing volunteer work helps you better yourself and build character,” she said.