[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10975-10976]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO DEUNTAE SHEARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, July 8, 2013

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. 
Deuntae Sheard, a dedicated student, who is making the difference in 
his community.
  Deuntae Sheard was born in Jackson, MS, on May 23, 1993, to the proud 
parents of Freddie and Elaine Sheard. Elaine is a headstart teacher and 
Freddie is a deputy for the local sheriff's department. Deuntae is the 
youngest of three children, Freddie Jr. and Spartel.
  Deuntae was raised in Lexington, MS. He went to Lexington Elementary 
School (LES) and Jacob J. McClain High School and graduated in the top 
10 from both schools. He is currently a student at Jackson State 
University, majoring in mathematics. His goal is to become a math 
teacher.
  While growing up, Deuntae had a desire to teach children, probably 
because his mother has been a teacher all his life. He became certain 
in his senior year in high school that he could teach children. During 
high school, Deuntae joined a group called TATU (Teens Against Tobacco 
Use). TATU is an organization that teaches students about the effects 
of using tobacco, the substances in tobacco, and the signs of peer 
pressure coming from friends and role models. It was then that Deuntae 
realized that he could be a good role model and

[[Page 10976]]

that this was the key to being a good teacher and leader. Whenever he 
was out in the community around his peers and children, he led by 
example. If the smaller children wanted to play on the basketball 
court, he would either convince his peers to let them play on half the 
court or let them play with them while perhaps helping them improve 
their skills.
  Living in the house with a teacher and a deputy taught Deuntae two 
important things: respect and education. Deuntae's father always told 
him to respect others and good things will happen and stressed to him 
the importance of making good grades in school. These teachings helped 
mold Deuntae into a respectable person and thus respecting all others.
  Deuntae believes that if he had the power to help anyone he would do 
it. When his peers or even elementary kids asked him to help them with 
the classwork, he did and he was ecstatic whenever a child came back to 
tell him ``Thank you.''
  Deuntae spent his high school summers at the Community Students 
Learning Center in Lexington, MS, where he got a head start on his 
learning before school started in August. At the center, he interacted 
with the children by playing games, talking with them, and helping them 
with their work, if asked.
  Deuntae is now in his second semester as a junior at Jackson State 
University. He plans to come back home after graduation for a few years 
and help teach at one of the local schools or the Community Students 
Learning Center. His passion for teaching has heightened and he is 
anxious to start.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a talented 
student, Mr. Deuntae Sheard, for his zest for teaching and making a 
difference in his community.

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