Let me start by saying, any and all preconceived notions I may have had about Selma before moving here, have long since been removed and replaced with visions of grandeur. Selma and the people who live here continue to impress me.

While the recent drama and scandal of inappropriate behavior at Selma High School had the potential to shred my vision of Selma to pieces, I instead clung to the vision of and for Selma created by the young men and women who are laying the foundation of Selma’s future.

This month I have met and written stories about people who are rising up and above what is asked of them at work, students who are excelling in academics and extracurricular activities and business owners who are excited to open their doors in Selma. With each story I wrote, my faith in Selma and the great people who live here has been strengthened and renewed.

Thursday night Selma Mayor George P. Evans honored 49 students from both public and private schools in Dallas County with the Mayor’s Inspirational Achievers Awards. These students were honored for having both incredible academic achievements as well as for their outstanding commitment to community service. It was a testament, I wish everyone in town could have witnessed, seeing children being recognized for already making a difference in our community.

The pride I felt for Selma’s future, just by seeing what these students are and have already done for Selma, was overwhelming.

And it’s not only the students who are giving back and investing in Selma’s future. This week I wrapped up my final interviews for Selma The Magazine’s 20 under 40 edition. The young men and women, selected as the “civic-minded, foundation of Selma’s future,” I had the privilege of sitting down and getting to know, truly blew me away. There are so many people in this town who are not only passionate about where they’ve come from, but passionate about Selma’s future. They want to see Selma be great, and so do I.

When I read (and often write) headlines that say things like “Heist at Co-op lifts semi-automatic weapons,” “Student charged with iPad theft,” or “Vandals cause thousands in damages to Dallas County Sportsplex,” my opinion of Selma could be swayed. Of course, Selma is not a perfect place, but what Selma does have are people who want to make it better —  not only for themselves but for Selma’s future. Whenever I see headlines that remind me of the negative things happening in Selma, I am reminded and thankful, and hope you will be too, there are people working tirelessly to turn Selma’s negatives into positives.