Calvin L. Thomas Jr. of Maysville, recently won a Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship for 2007. He is the son of Linda Frey Thomas of Maysville, and is considering Boston University or Xavier University in Cincinnati to further his education.

Calvin is a member of the Bethel Baptist Church and has won many awards in ballet dancing and studies dance in Cincinnati. He has been active in music and orchestra at Mason County High School and graduated with a 3.87 GPA.

To be considered for this scholarship students submitted essays of the influence of Martin Luther King Jr. and how to keep his dream alive.

Following is Calvin's essay:

Being a young African-American male, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has definitely influenced my life in various ways. If it had not been for him and his perseverance I seriously doubt I, Calvin Lydell Thomas Jr. would have any of the numerous opportunities that I have today to develop myself into a respectable citizen of society.

I would more than likely not be allowed to attend an adequate public school or receive a quality education among my peers of all races. It wouldn't be as easy for me to choose any college that I desire or any educational field. The choices would be very limited and would not include dance, which has been a major interest of mine for a while now. Without his tenacity, I probably wouldn't have even set foot in a dance studio.

Dr. King has influenced my life greatly. If his famous words did not echo on today in the minds of so many people, I would not be in the position I am today with so many wonderful gifts and opportunities to choose from. When considering what ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. I admire, I find it difficult to begin. The question would be what do I not admire because there is so little of that. I admire most how he did influence my life. He took a stance of a nonviolent petition to people during a time when most were resorting to violence and hate crimes to get their message across. He showed that it was alright to display what you believe in and be true to yourself and your principles, and to be strong through tough times.

I also admire that fact that he was a Godly man, and had his foundation in the Lord. Growing up a preachers son, he put the church first and foremost at all times. He openly confessed his belief and love for God in his speeches and let people know that he was a true soldier on the battlefield for his Lord. Aside from what I admire most about Dr. King, I should consider what I can do as a citizen of Maysville, Ky. to carry on his legacy. The answer to that is simple DREAM and keep on dreaming. I plan to graduate with honors, attend college and someday dance professionally in a ballet company. I'm dreaming now of what I hope to be in the future. An upstanding citizen with goals, insight and a single dream.

It was not until 50 years later that our society even started showing complete signs of Dr. King's hopes, visions and philosophies. It took that long for him in an era of little hope and promise. With all the opportunities that God has blessed not only me and everyone else with, there's no reason not to keep your own personal dream alive. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a hero to all and would want everyone regardless of race, color, gender or religion, to stay strong and persevere with their goals in sight.

Source :

http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2007/07/17/community/201thomas.txt

"To get up each morning
with the resolve to be happy...
is to set our own conditions to
the events of each day."