Striving for Excellence: The Kennedy Terry Story

Senior Kennedy Terry was born in Jackson, MS. Her family consists of her mom (Tynisha), her dad (Raphael), and her eldest sister (Gabrielle). She is involved in tennis, powerlifting, and Key Club. She was just inducted into the National Technical Honor Society, and she is planning to attend the University of Mississippi to major in Biological Science.

Around the age of four, she moved to a city outside of Jackson called Madison. She says not much from her hometown influenced her to be who she is today, being that she was too young to remember her life then. When she was older, she moved to Starkville and then eventually to the small rural community of Wren. The move had a positive impact on her because it allowed her to be closer to her grandparents and cousins. One thing she loves the most about her family is the traditions they share, and one big one is for every holiday to be celebrated at their grandmother's house. 

One of her earliest memories that helped shape her personality is when she and her sister used to argue over everything; it helped her learn that not everything needs a reaction. Sometimes, it takes the strongest person to walk away from a situation when needed. Overall, her home life has always been loving and disciplined. Her parents taught her to learn from her mistakes and always treat everyone with respect. 

Kennedy expresses, “I know I am very blessed to not have negative experiences in my lifetime.” She has unfortunately experienced a few family deaths. One particular passing that has very much affected her was her great grandfather’s. The idea of death was not new, but this was the first time it was someone she knew on a deeper level. She felt lost because she was used to being around him all the time. She was able to work through it by telling herself that death is natural. This has taught her to either live in the “now” or choose to waste time on small regrets. 

Her favorite value in life is her ability to not worry about every little thing. She says, ”If it's not going to bother you in five to ten years, then why grow grey hairs overthinking it?” At one point in her life, she considered herself antisocial. It turns out, though, that she is simply a homebody and loves time to herself. To fill her alone time, she enjoys reading, going on walks, and taking herself out to do something fun.

School for her has always been easy. Well, other than math. That subject has always been a struggle. Her all-time favorite subject is English, which fueled her love for reading. Additionally, her love for reading grew when her elementary school promised pizza parties for all the students who read the most books. She just could not resist the challenge! She says she particularly found love in short stories, graphic novels, and mystery/thriller books. 

Balancing her time with school and work can be challenging, but she tries her best to find a middle ground. One way she does this is by trying to complete any assignments days ahead of their due date. She says, “Some days, I don’t complete any form of work becau

se I like to give myself breaks. Rest is very important to me!” One thing that keeps her motivated when things get stressful is to tell herself, “I can’t do it all, and that’s okay.” 

In the end, her goal is to always give 100% effort in striving for excellence.