By Paul Hubbard, Interim Executive Director Maritime Academy
Special to The Truth
Vince and Pathy Davis hosted a graduation reception for their son Jullian Davis who graduated this year from Ottawa Hills High School. The reception was held at the Davis’s Ottawa Hills home. Earlier in the day (Sunday) Jullian was honored at Braden Methodist church for being an outstanding student at Ottawa High School.
About 50 guests enjoyed Vince Davis’s grilled chicken, hamburgers and brats. Pathy Davis handled the kitchen with mac and cheese, old-fashioned tasting green beans, watermelon, plus chocolate cake.
The top shelf open bar didn’t get much use because of the 100-degree temperature. Jullian will attend the University of Toledo and major in psychology. Pathy, Jullian’s mother, said it’s a blessing to have children and see them graduate from high school. Vince Davis, Jullian’s father, is a State Farm Insurance franchise business owner.
State Senator Paula Hicks Hudson and former school board member Deb Barnett were in attendance and they both said that today’s youth have to stop being guided by social media but look for positive life guiding information to guide them.
Hicks Hudson and Barnett said parents also need to be more involved in their children’s decision making for goals and objectives. Especially planning for their kid’s future.
Rev. Bill Davis, former pastor of Braden Methodist Church, was also present. Rev. Davis said one of the problems of getting youth involved in church activities today is that parents wait too late in their children’s lives to introduce them to religious activities.
Rev Bill Davis said children need to be involved in church activities around four or five years old and not when they become teenagers. Helen Cooks, PhD, who was UT Upward Bound coordinator and City Councilman John Hobbs, who is an UT alumnus, spoke about how often Black UT students had to take the “High Road” in racial situations at UT.