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Kicking off spring break with a bang, two students at The Calhoun School spent the weekend touring colleges and historic sites with the mentoring organization Young Men on a Mission.

Demontavis Thigpen and JaTarrean Means joined young men and women from Montgomery and Pike Road on the annual trip aimed at offering youth a glimpse of the future while taking a closer look at the past and gaining experiences outside their own neighborhoods.

“What I wanted [for them] is a great learning experience, a way to network not only with colleges and universities but [also with] other people that we met along the way,” said organizer Nickles Rankins, former Lowndes County Public Schools Athletic Director. “It gives the kids an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.”

Over the weekend, the youths made stops in Mississippi, visiting Tougaloo College and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum before heading down to New Orleans to tour the Whitley Plantation, a few historic monuments and restaurants and Xavier University.

“My goal is to expose our young people to different avenues to meet new people and do new things,” Rankins said. “One young man’s mom emailed me to say thank you. She said her son wasn’t even interested in Xavier University, but now the school has moved to the top of the list.”

Rankins partnered youths from Lowndes and Montgomery counties for similar trips during his time in Lowndes County Schools, first as a teacher and later as a coach and athletic director. Now, as assistant principal at Southlawn Elementary School in Montgomery, Rankins continues seeking opportunities to work with Lowndes County youths. He reached out to The Calhoun School Assistant Principal Angel DeJarnette for help selecting students and she helped him reconnect with Thigpen and Means, two students he had coached during his time at Lowndes Middle School.

“After working with students in Lowndes County, I wanted to continue [those efforts],” he said. “Ms. DeJarnette chose two kids that we all felt would enjoy the opportunity.

“Lowndes County is part of my heart. I want to continue to reach back down to give our kids opportunities for things outside the area.”

Young Men on a Mission is a nonprofit organization focused on mentoring youths in the areas of family, education, social activities and community service. Rankins and other volunteers guide youths in serving those around them, through activities like a Montgomery, inner-city community garden and provide them with cultural and education opportunities out in the wider world beyond Lowndes County.

“I’m trying to expose them to education and let them know it doesn’t stop at high school,” Rankins said. “[They] can go further regardless of what they want. It’s not all about graduating from college. They can go further, get a trade. It’s just all about using that education that you get in whatever way you feel like you need to be successful in life.”

For more information about Young Men on a Mission, follow the organization on social media.