The goal of every school district is to get the best out of its students and the adults who help contribute to the school district’s success.
With the newly installed John Brady Service Awards, the McComb School District looks to highlight the adults who help.
“There are a lot of things the district needs, but they can’t really spend district dollars on adults,” said McComb School District Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator Cornelia Gayden. “Coach Brady stated that he would donate $2,500 a year indefinitely.”
Gayden said the service awards would include school board member of the year and parent of the year honorees. The school district would also dole out service pins for those who reach milestone years of service.
The awards in memory of Dr. Leslie Daniels, a former McComb High principal and McComb superintendent who died earlier this year.
Brady, a former LSU head basketball coach and McComb High alumni, said Daniels had a significant impact on his life.
“He changed my life in a lot of ways,” Brady said of Daniels. “McComb means a lot ot me. Anything I can do to help out is the least I can do. The McComb school district was good to me.”
Gayden said having Brady’s backing can do wonders for the school district as McComb continues to move forward.
“To have someone of John Brady’s caliber on your team to say he wants to support McComb school district is epic,” she said. “The support of a true champion is phenomenal. We are confident that we are heading in the right direction with our McComb School District education movement.”
The first of the service awards went to McComb Superintendent Dr. Cederick Ellis.
“For someone else on the outside to recognize the work you’re doing is amazing,” Ellis said. “For a seasoned coach like coach Brady to recognize that, for me, it was very humbling.”
Ellis said he believes the awards will help to remind the adults who work for the school district that they are appreciated.
“For someone to commit to helping the adults in the building, it sends a message that the work you do is not in vain,” he said. “I think it will motivate and give the adults in the district a spark.”
Ellis said that the mission of the district is to be recognized as a world-class school district by every one and the service awards are a way to continue taking steps in reaching that ultimate goal.
“We’re not perfect and we’re all going to make mistakes,” Ellis said. “I’m grateful that we have outside people willing to help the school district. If all of our energies are put towards being a world-class organization, we will continue to improve.”
