Graduate of the Month
June 2012
Mr. Randel Young
On May 22, 1873, the first plat of the town site of Mesquite was recorded at the Dallas County Courthouse by A.R. Alcott, a Texas & Pacific Railroad Company engineer and planner of depot towns. The railroad company bought a square mile of land, built a depot, and offered business property and residential lots for sale.
Six weeks later, on July 1, the Texas & Pacific train steamed from Shreveport through Mesquite to Dallas, marking the beginning of a new era. Mesquite did not incorporate until December 3, 1887. It was the second town outside of Dallas in Dallas County to do so.
Education was important to these early pioneers, and different field schools were started on family farms. Dr. Counsel David Oates, a physician from Alabama, built the Oates school on his place in the 1870s near what is now Interstate 30 and Galloway Avenue.
The Bennett School was constructed sometime between 1861 and 1872 near New Market and Belt Line roads and served the community until 1894. J.C. Rugel from East Tennessee initially served as its only faculty in various vacant rooms and a log cabin for several years. Nine students formed the first graduating class in 1890. The Murphree School began operation in 1881 near Motley Drive and Town East Boulevard on land donated by J.H. Florence.
For many years cotton was king. Then hay became the moneymaking crop of local farmers, from 1900 to 1920. Large hay meadows were located north and west of Mesquite. June and July marked the hay-baling season. Cattle to be sold were put in the town's stock pens west of the cotton platform and just south of the track, and then taken to market on the Texas & Pacific.
Mesquite grew slowly in population. In the first U.S. Census, which was taken in 1890, Mesquite had a population of 135. Ten years later, it had only grown by 270 people. By 1960, about 27,345 people called Mesquite home. The estimated 2010 population is 139,550.
Please meet Randel Young who is a Citizens’ High School Graduate and one of Mesquite’s 139,550. He graduated in May of 2011. His GPA throughout all four years was an almost perfect 3.94. Randel opted for the more challenging of our two programs. He chose the Academic track. His overall GPA is a testament to his drive, desire, and tenacity.
Randel never set foot one day in a public school. He recognized in junior high that he was not getting the attention he was going to need in a group paced setting. With the support from his folks, they shopped around for a home school curriculum that would prepa
re him for college. We are happy that the Young family chose our curriculum.
Randel completed all four academic years while maintaining a nearly perfect GPA in only 2 tears and nine months. We submit to you that Randel is in a hurry to start working on his career.
His chosen career path is Radiology. He is currently attending the Brookhaven College in that pursuit. He is also chasing another dream of earning his pilot’s license. We are quite confident that he will achieve both goals and do it ahead of schedule.
The next time you’re in Mesquite Texas and need an X-ray, please see Randel and tell him Citizens’ recommended him.
Randel Young is Citizens’ High School graduate of the month for June 2012.
