Caddo Magnet High School

We are proud to present Cherish Connelly as our District Finalist for Student of the Year.  Cherish is a senior who is active in community activities as well as academic endeavors.  Read an essay that she wrote for college admissions below to get a feeling for who this fabulous young lady is.

Preachers' Kid

     "What's it like to have two pastors for parents?" For years I answered this question in the same way: "It's okay" or "It's fine." In reality I despised being a "preachers' kid." People consistently stereotype me as either a saint or Satan's protégé. However, the stereotypes were not what I hated most about having pastors for parents-it was the constant moving!
     My father decided to become a minister the year I was born, so my family moved to Texas where he could attend divinity school. While in Texas, I was able to be near my extended family. I remember piling into my cousins' car as a small child, driving to the Golden Arches, and crunching on crisp, hot French fries. Being near my family allowed me to begin life surrounded by love. My aunt always referred to me as her "little genius." At the time, I was too young to realize how important this love was. The love and encouragement from my family instilled in me the idea that I could do whatever I put my mind to.
     When I was four, my dad was assigned to a church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I attended the preschool at our church, so I made wonderful friends. Unfortunately, there were no playmates in my neighborhood. Every day after school, I would walk down the street searching for someone my age to play with. As a four-year-old girl, I always felt lonely, but now I understand the benefit of having had no one to play with: I became more independent. I no longer needed someone there to figure out a game to play; I could figure out my own game. My imagination brought me new adventures in Barbie-land day after day. Later on, this independence would keep me from feeling the need to interact with the wrong crowd.
     One year later, my dad told us, "We're moving" again, this time to a church in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was beginning to become tired of moving all the time. Fortunately, this move was easy, and I fit right in to the new church. Soon, I found myself in plays, the choir, and children's Bible study. Now, not only did I have school friends but also church and neighborhood friends. This presented a new problem. I knew I needed to finish my homework, but I also knew I wanted to play with all my new friends, something that had never been a temptation. I learned to finish homework first, then go play, and I still use this method of working. As soon as I get home from school, I start homework.
     Three years after being in New Orleans, my mother felt called to the ministry as well. We moved to Raleigh, North Carolina so she could attend Duke Divinity School. I was devastated. My parents were taking me away from all my friends and my school. For the first time, I was enrolled in a public school. Most people didn't think I would succeed in public school; they thought the transition would be too much for me to handle. I couldn't understand why people did not expect much from me. I had grown up being told I was a genius and could do whatever I put my mind to. I knew I could do well in school if I worked my hardest to get the grades I wanted. Because of others' low expectations, I developed a passion for knowledge and a desire to succeed.
     Once my mother finished divinity school, we moved to Kenner, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. By that time, I had grown to love everyone I met in North Carolina; so when I heard, "We have a new assigned church," I did not know what to think. Once again I was being forced to leave my friends and my home, but to my surprise, the church was replete with new friends, and it quickly became home. This church was located in a dangerous part of New Orleans; often times, during service, the loud "pop" of gunshots brought the entire congregation to the floor. During this time, I learned about various murders in which the criminal went unpunished and began to feel the need to stop this injustice. This led to my wanting to do DNA analysis in a criminal laboratory.
     After a series of events including Hurricane Katrina and new church assignments for my parents, I am currently living in Shreveport, Louisiana. I have learned that because my parents are ministers-and because of all the moving-, I have become the person I am today. Now when people ask me, "What's it like to have two pastors for parents?" I can honestly answer, "It's a blessing."