Two graduating seniors at Yazoo City High School know that the entire world awaits them as they prepare for their next chapters. Armed with determined drives and contagious optimistic spirits, the two students appreciate the foundation prepared for them in Yazoo City. But they also see the future…and it is a bright as ever.
“There is a whole world out there, and I got to see it,” said Cheimion Banks, 18.
“Yazoo City is home, but there is so much waiting for us out there,” added D’Avis Rogers, 18.
The two seniors have been students within the Yazoo City Municipal School District their wholes lives. Natives of Yazoo City, they admit there is a familial foundation within the community, a love among their close friends. But they are excited to venture beyond the place they call home, ready to leave their marks upon their next life journey.
Banks, the son of Calaundra Miller and Leslie Nelson, has been a member of the high school basketball team for four years. He is a member of the Beta Club and a former member of the National Honor Society.
Banks was among the basketball team that brought home the state championship title in 2023 with a 53-43 victory over Raymond in the Class 4A championship game.
“It took 27 years,” Banks said, with a smile.
And although playing basketball under the lights and among the crowd at the Mississippi Coliseum was a memorable experience for Banks, it is not the one memory that sticks out the most for him.
“It was winning Mr. Yazoo City High School,” he quickly replies. “I still got the crown at home, sitting on my dresser. It was standing in the middle of the floor, knowing the majority of the school voted for me. Being in the middle of that floor was something else.”
Rogers has been a member of the school’s softball team for four years. She is a member of the YHS marching band, where she serves as captain of the Fierce Flag Team. She is also a former member of the Beta Club.
But she most remembers achieving an honor that she literally prayed for.
“Being on the homecoming court because I had been trying to for years,” she replied. “That was something I actually prayed for. It was an answered prayer, and I was able to be on the homecoming court.
After graduation, Banks will be heading to Alcorn State University, where he will pursue an agricultural degree. And Rogers has committed to Hinds Community College, where she will enroll in the Commercial Truck Driving program.
“I decided to pursue my field because of the training provided,” Banks said. “After graduation, they even help you with job placement.”
“My education will help me maybe one day own my own business, allowing me to do what I love…travel,” Rogers said.
And although their dreams are wide open, the two students have not forgotten a few teachers who have helped them along their journey; teachers who provided support, beyond the classroom.
For Banks, those impactful teachers were math instructor Akhilesh Thakur and health instructor Edward Thomas.
“Mr. Thakur has influenced me and changed my life,” he said. “Since I have been here, most of my classes have been online, but he makes sure you know everything. He is a well above and beyond kind of teacher. He has been a good teacher every year that I have had him, and I have taken him about two or three different times for math courses.”
“And Coach Thomas, my health teacher,” he continued. “Whenever you are going through something in your life, you can always talk to Coach Thomas. He has always been there for me, and we talk about anything. He is a real solid guy.”
Rogers said Quiana Hicks, the district’s career coach, has changed her mind frame in several ways.
“She has made me believe in things differently, in a positive manner,” Rogers said. “She is always there, a shoulder to lean on. She has always been a mentor to me.”
Banks is a member of Wolf Lake Baptist Church, and Rogers is a member of New Zion M.B. Church. Both enjoy spending time with family and friends, with Rogers also volunteering within the community.
“Wherever I am needed, I am there,” she added.
Banks encourages his underclassmen to stay on top of their studies, adding that a heavy load can lead to success in the long run.
“If you can take a class early or do dual enrollment, do anything that can help you out along the way,” he said. “Go ahead and get it out of the way. Do not wait.”
“And save money,” he said, with a laugh. “You are going to need a lot of money for your senior year.”
Rogers reminds her peers that time does fly, and prioritizing should be their game plan.
“But always put God first,” she said. “Be who you are. Don’t become a person you are not because you feel peer pressured.”
And although two seniors have the future wide open, they intend to return to their hometown at some point “to change it” for the better.
“With the right people, there is a lot of love in Yazoo City,” Banks said.
