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Choice Bus rolls into Hancock County to show kids the importance of graduation

The Choice Bus is a product of the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation. The bus rolled into Hancock County this week to show students at Hancock Middle and High the importance of graduation.

Anthony Williams, presenter for the Mattie C. Stewart Foundation opened the doors to the Choice Bus Tuesday morning for students at Hancock County Middle School.

"It's a presentation room/classroom," Williams said.

Quotes such as, "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you," by B.B King, and "Only the educated are free," by Epictetus, line the walls of the bus.

These words inspired students like 7th grader Ty'kira Rocker to keep striving for success.

"It's important to go to school because you can achieve all of your dreams," Rocker said.

However, the vehicle is called the Choice Bus for a reason.

Not only does it show kids where they can go if they graduate high school and college, but it reveals a possible path if they choose not to.

A mock jail cell fills the back half of the bus, with metal beds and even toilets from a real jail cell.

In the cell, plaques on the wall explain the life of a prisoner, explaining how they have no privacy, get told when to wake up, sleep on a metal bed, and much more.

This experience taught the 7th graders the importance of continuing to work hard.

"You should graduate from school so you don't end up in prison." 7th grader Haley Gilbert said.

"Your choices have consequences." 7th grader Ta'kasha Lewis said.

"People who are in jail, 75 percent did not graduate from high school," student Jaiden Ragland ssaid when talking about what he learned on the Choice Bus.

Statistics from the Georgia Department of Education show Hancock County has a 95 percent graduation rate, and less than half are college and career ready. School counselor Ashley Paul hopes opportunities like the Choice Bus will change that.

"So it is very small area down here, so we are trying to work on exposure, trying to make sure we bring career fairs, and different people to Hancock County.

Paul says she hopes to be able to open kids eyes to the big world that is out there.

"We want to expose students to different things so they actually will appreciate and say, 'OK, after I graduate, where can I go?'" Paul continued, " We want to show them there's a lot more than just Sparta, than just Georgia, period."

This is the second year the Choice Bus has come to Hancock County and is continuing to influence the students.

"People will look up to you and want to do what you want to do." Rocker said.

"Graduate from school and go to college. That way, you can tell students who don't want to graduate why they should graduate," Gilbert said.

The Choice Bus will stay in Hancock County this week before heading to Eatonton and Macon next.

For more information on the Choice Bus, go to this website.

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