Carrington Bush is Creating New Labels for Vigor High School
Carrington Bush is giving the Valedictorian speech today at Vigor High School. Her message is labels and why we shouldn’t believe in them. Especially “failing school” and “students don’t care about anything.”
She argues that those labels or beliefs don’t tell the whole the story about her school. Today, 154 students are graduating with $7 million in scholarship offers. Carrington received more than $2 million herself from 40 schools, an offer from every school to which she applied, and doubling her goal of $1 million.
If this is failure, I hope my son has a fraction of this failure when he applies to colleges this year.
“I don’t think too much about it, but I did okay,” she says. “I have always studied and worked hard. I am the oldest of four and I want them to be greater than me. I pray a lot and read my Bible. I am very in tune with God. I know I am meant to do something.”
Carrington says she made it through by being herself even if some wondered who she was her freshman year. She went to a mostly white elementary and middle school and said her first days at Vigor High School were a "culture shock.” She was also the only girl wearing skirts, which was against the uniform policy before she arrived.
"My mom and godmom talked to the principal before my freshman year and got permission for the skirts. I heard it was because I am Muslim, very religious, stuck up, apostolic, a terrorist or too high class for pants. I also kept my hair natural when everyone else had weaves, perms and braids. I didn't care about fitting in. I wanted to be myself and be successful, and that is what I was focused on.”
Pre-Cal was her hardest class because her shortcuts were different than those the teachers taught. She likes doing the problems her way. “I write good notes once. After that, I’ve got it.”
Carrington chose Wartburg College in Iowa because of its science program and it gave her the biggest scholarship--$46,000 of the $51,000 annual tuition is covered and she will play on the tennis team. She plans to go to med school and become an orthopedic surgeon. She started the “girls training club” and worked with the Vigor football and basketball teams for three years.
She is often asked why she went to Vigor instead of Baker Mary G. Montgomery High School or a private school. “I don't like big schools,” she says. “Vigor’s faculty cares so much about the ones who are trying to do well. They would call mom if I missed a class. There are kids at Vigor who are trying to be successful. There are also kids there who don't think they can get out and do better. I wanted to show people that we can succeed at Vigor. All of my family went there and my parents were high school sweethearts there, too.”
She says if Vigor was a failing school, no one would be graduating. Students at Vigor want the same education as those who attend Baker and MGM where the majority of the students are white.
“We only have two AP classes at Vigor, literature and government,” she says. “The kids at other schools with more AP classes are more prepared for the ACT than schools like ours. Achieving kids like me who want to do well should not be overlooked because our school is labeled a failure.”
The girl from a “failing school” with only two AP classes received a call from Georgetown University while I was at her house. She is proving Vigor students deserve the attention.
The two couches in the Bush’s living room are covered in plaques, scholarship certificates and medals for activities and organizations including High Q, Scholars Bowl, National Honor Society, National Society of Black Engineers, Azalea Trail Maid, and many more. There are trophies on the coffee table and fireplace.
Carrington’s graduation gown hangs on the curtain rod above the window, next to her gown from kindergarten graduation. She was valedictorian in kindergarten too, and wrote in her speech, “Can you believe I know that effect is what happens and cause is why something took place?”
Twelve years later, graduating at the top of her class with a 4.5 GPA is the effect, her family is the cause. A family where dad, Khmarcus, is the warden and Mom, Soynika, is the principal. Soynika says raising their four kids is their biggest job. Everything else can wait.
I met Soynika last year when she won the Creative Crossings crosswalk art contest in downtown Mobile. The contest was her first step back into art and the dream she had set aside to raise her kids. She got married young and and had Carrington at 19. All of her time and attention went to giving her kids a better life and “motherly shoves” to keep them off of the path she took.
“There is a little bit of living through my kids,” Soynika says. “Growing up in Prichard, it didn't matter if I knew how to draw. So what. The little girl inside me still struggles with that and I push my kids so they can reach their dreams. That is my job as a parent. Education is too important.
"Each kid owes me a trip when they get out. Carrington is taking me to Italy one day.”
“I also want to take my mama skydiving,” Carrington says.
On graduation day, Soynika wants Carrington’s label to be “I know your name” because they played the song from “Know Who You Are” from Moana as they designed the graduation cap. She says God knows Carrington’s name.
“The people of our community know her now, too. I am so proud that she is showing what is possible.”
This is a day for celebration and new labels like success, potential, and pride at Vigor High School.
