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Blake &Laura
Blake Cleveland has come a long way to
the point of asking his sweetheart to prom. He
is a relative newcomer to FHS. Family situations
placed Blake into circumstances that would
make an interesting, action-packed movie
drama. He and his family are private about
matters and, without transitioning this column
into a story of extensive custody battles,
international intrigue, and a laundry list of
other implausible situations, you can summarize
it by saying his past sounds more like the plot
of a John Grisham novel than real life events in
the past of an 18-year-old Rankin County boy.
It is an understatement to say that a lot has
changed for Blake in the last two years. Two
years ago, he was living in Egypt. Today, he is
home and attending school at FHS. He has a
new career interest in personal training, an
interest that has caused him to intensify his own
fitness activities and goals.
His girlfriend Laura Duncan is outgoing and
social, but also very focused on school and
academic achievement. He will tell you that
Laura has been very good for him. She is an
encourager and a stickler for doing the hard
work now to prepare for life after high school.
Friends think that maybe some of her work
ethic and confidence has rubbed off on him.
Apparently, Blake is quite the romantic.
His promposal involved meeting Laura at his
uncle Chuck Kinabrew’s house. As she drove
up the driveway, he held a sign asking, “Laura
Duncan, will you take my hand for prom?” He
retrieved flowers from the trunk of his car and
knelt to take her hand, all while “Perfect” by
Ed Sheeran played from a Bluetooth speaker.
Ah, to be young and in love…
Austin&Morgan&Caleb&Madison – oh my!
The Class of 2018 has an extraordinary group of seniors that have
been an integral part of the special needs class at FHS. These seniors
spend time with the students daily, during P.E., at lunch, at church, or
helping in the classroom. All students involved benefit from the social
interactions and genuine friendships. The teachers in this classroom
like to call the females in the group their “gal pals.” The gal pals have
attended the special needs prom as friend dates for the last two years
and go on community trips as helpers. FHS has other underclassmen
that are now becoming more involved as a result of what this first
group of students has started. What a legacy to lead by example!
Some of these students have even expressed a possible career
interest in fields related to work with special needs individuals.
The FHS Promposal contest gave these students a chance to be
more creative in asking their pals to prom. It also provided an
Hometown Rankin • 129