SCOOBA – Things have been hectic at Kristine Payton’s house in Macon for a couple of years. The morning routine: Husband Carnelle got up first and left the house about 5:30 in the morning for his job at SeverCorr in Columbus. Next, Kristine got three children ready for school, 14-year-old Jacoby, 13-year-old Javancy and 11-year-old Jakiara. The school bus came about a quarter to seven.

With the family on its way, Kristine got herself dressed, jumped in the car and commuted in the opposite direction from her husband – to Scooba, where she was a business student at East Mississippi Community College.

Kristine Payton was one of about 250 students from EMCC’s Scooba and Naval Air Station Meridian campuses who earned diplomas Saturday morning during graduation ceremonies at Keyes Currie Coliseum.

“I’m proud of myself because I’m showing my children that it’s important to get an education. It’s important enough to make sacrifices. And now they see, if I can do it, they can do it,” Payton said.

“That’s my message to them. Work hard, study hard, get out there and be somebody in the world.”



Graduation ceremony



Keyes Currie Coliseum was packed Saturday morning with EMCC faculty and staff, graduates and their friends and families.

Dr. Rick Young, EMCC president, addressed the Class of 2008.

“I challenge each of you to unbridle your dreams, to seek new heights and follow your dreams confidently in the direction that will give you the life that you have imagined,” Young said.

“The future is not just some place you are going, but a place you are creating. And the roads to your future are not found, they are made.”

Young encouraged the Class of 2008 to develop strong mental and spiritual discipline.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny,” Young said.

“Learn to embrace change, and you’ll begin to recognize that life is in constant motion and that every change happens for a reason. When you see boundaries as opportunities, the world becomes a limitless place, and your life becomes a journey of change that always finds its way according to God’s plan.”



Mother’s Day message



As Kristine Payton walked across the stage to accept her diploma, a crew of workers was waiting for her back in Noxubee County. After the ceremony, Kristine’s husband stayed long enough for a photo and then left to meet them.

“Back in December, our house burned down while we were at the bus station in Meridian picking up my great-aunt, who was coming to visit for the holidays. The bus was late and my husband and I were waiting when we got a phone call from a neighbor,” Payton said. "She told me my house was on fire. I knew my mother was there waiting for us, and I tried to tell them how to get into the house to save her.”

Kristine and Carnelle drove back to Macon as fast as they could. The coroner met them as they drove up.

“My mother had died of smoke inhalation. I wish she could have been here to see me graduate, but we’ll go visit her grave tomorrow,” Payton said.

“People who have their mothers need to respect and love them. Because once they’re gone, it’s just a feeling you can’t describe, a pain that lingers around. You never quite get over it. Graduating from EMCC is the first big thing in my life I haven’t been able to share with her.”

The Payton family has been living in a borrowed mobile home ever since the fire. They were scheduled to move into a new mobile home of their own a couple of days ago, but the rain meant workers couldn’t level the structure.

“Wouldn’t you know it? The only time they could come back was graduation day,” Payton said. “We’ll be in a rush for the rest of the day.”

For the record, rushing around at the Payton house shows no signs of letting up. In the fall, Kristine will continue her business studies at Mississippi University for Women in Columbus. And while she still may not see enough of her husband, at least they’ll be commuting in the same direction.