When Molli Childs learned she would be valedictorian of her 2019 Nanih Waiya High School senior class, she knew she wanted to incorporate parts of her great grandmother's 1931 valedictory speech into her own.
The inspiring words penned by a young woman living through The Great Depression still had relevance to the challenges Molli and her classmates now faced 88 years later.
Mrs. Iva Barnhill Hendrix was the 1931 Valedictorian of Bond High School. She kept her handwritten speech, and it was later was used by her daughter, Louisville resident Elizabeth Joy Childs, when she graduated as valedictorian from Bond High School in 1953.
Mrs. Barnhill's speech was used once again by her grandson, Scott Hendrix of Tupelo, when he graduated as valedictorian from Winston Academy in 1990.
Molli became the the 4th generation to use the speech this past May as valedictorian of Nanih Waiya High School.
Molli is proud to be a part of Mrs. Iva Hendrix's legacy.
