The evening that sisters Deshontae and Deshonee Bailey walked into the recent Meridian School Board meeting, they didn’t expect to leave feeling like stars. The sixth- and seventh-graders had been invited to receive Excellence Awards, recognition that celebrated not only their talents but also the initiative they showed in taking their school projects beyond the classroom and into the wider community.

For Deshontae, the recognition began with a fifth-grade science project in Ms. Thomas’s class. She had studied an unusual question: Why do leopard geckos lick you? The project may have seemed quirky at first, but it reflected her curiosity about her own pet. She and her sister both keep leopard geckos, one larger, one still small and growing. When the Pulaski County Fair came around that summer, she decided to enter her project into the competition. Judges were impressed, and she walked away with a first-place ribbon and a small cash prize.

Standing before the school board to talk about her project was nerve-wracking. “I was kind of nervous because there were a lot of people there,” she said. But as she explained what she had researched and why it mattered, she found her confidence. The applause that followed made the nervousness worth it.

Her sister Deshonee’s recognition came from another creative endeavor. In sixth grade, she was enrolled in shop class, which gave her the chance to try her hand at string art. She designed a project with a blue background and a pink string heart, carefully threading it until the image took shape. Later, she entered it into the Pulaski County Fair as well. Judges awarded her first place, and she proudly brought home her ribbon and three dollars in prize money. She also entered a homemade guitar crafted during summer school in Mr. Waters’ class, winning second place for her ingenuity.

At the board meeting, Deshonee stood alongside her sister. At first, she was shy about speaking up, but seeing the support her sister received gave her courage. “After she did it, and then they started clapping for her, I realized I could do it too,” she said. That moment of encouragement helped her find her voice in front of the crowd.

Together, the sisters showed how learning at Meridian can extend well beyond school walls. They had noticed that students from Century were entering projects at the county fair and thought, “Why not us?” Their willingness to put themselves out there is part of what caught the school board’s attention. It was a reminder that Meridian students can compete, achieve, and inspire when given the opportunity.

The sisters’ accomplishments also reflect values they’re learning at home—especially responsibility and saving for the future. The prize money from their projects didn’t vanish on candy or trinkets. Deshontae is saving for a new tank for her gecko, while Deshonee is adding to her growing fund for a car when she turns sixteen. Together, they have already saved more than most kids their age, with a combination of birthday gifts, vacation money, and deposits into accounts set up by their grandparents and parents.

That kind of foresight is rare, but for the Bailey sisters it feels natural. “They give us fifty dollars on our birthday, and they put it in the bank so we can save up,” Deshontae explained. The lesson has stuck: plan for what you want, work toward it, and save along the way.

The Bailey family is well known in the Meridian community. The girls’ brother, Deshawn, also attends Meridian and has been featured in the school magazine before. Altogether, there are five Bailey siblings, a tight-knit group with a network of extended family supporting them. That foundation has given Deshontae and Deshonee the confidence to pursue new opportunities, from school projects to public recognition.

At home, their projects remain as reminders of what they’ve accomplished. Deshontae’s science display still speaks to her curiosity about the natural world, while Deshonee’s string art sits proudly on her vanity. Both sisters plan to keep building on their interests, knowing now that what begins in the classroom can lead to recognition far beyond it.

Their Excellence Awards were more than just claps and certificates. They were acknowledgments of initiative, creativity, and the courage to take a chance. For the Bailey sisters, the experience was a lesson in what happens when you share your work with others—you build connections, you inspire your peers, and you discover that your efforts matter.