Pearl Of Promise: Her Sights are Set on the Senate

Kermisha Tate is a sylph of a girl – 5 feet and change and weighing exactly 100 pounds. But the petite Boyd- Buchanan senior has some very big goals. She wants to attend the University of Southern California, major in political science and become a U.S. senator. Kermisha’s lofty goals and her academic accomplishments won her the Pearl of Promise Award at the Chamber’s Nautilus Awards Luncheon. The honor includes a $2,500 college scholarship and a laptop computer.

Early on the 17-year-old showed her chops as a student and speaker. The summer before the second grade Kermisha earned a place at the podium during the closing ceremony of an enrichment camp focusing on science. "I still have the presentation that I gave to an auditorium full of parents and teachers," she says, "and I can still remember the feeling of achievement, even at such an early age."

Kermisha is president of the Boyd- Buchanan Student Council, president of the Key Club and vice president of Future Business Leaders of America. She takes a leading role in the school mentoring program which addresses issues facing middle school students.

Her political aspirations are buttressed by her speaking skills. She is a gold medalist in the NAACP academic olympics in the oratory category. And she has a cause – the high rate of infant deaths in the U.S. In fact, she is a member of the Girls Inc. Leadership Team and Infant Mortality Public Awareness Campaign in Tennessee.

State Sen. Andy Berke is a role model for Kermisha. "I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Sen. Berke, and he made such an impression on me that he is a primary reason I want to become a senator," she says. Kermisha also wants to help change the public’s often skeptical perception of elected officials. "A lot of people have lost hope in politicians," she says. "I want to change how politicians are viewed. They carry heavy responsibilities that I would gladly accept. I also know that there are still many injustices in America. I want to be among the forces that eliminate those injustices."

This is one politico would-be who isn’t at a loss when asked what she reads.

"Everything from Shakespeare to romance novels," Kermisha says. "I find myself reading the newspaper a lot more so I can stay informed about the world around me."

Kermisha says she had to overcome a lack of self-confidence and criticism from her peers who couldn’t understand why she was focused on homework and worthwhile extracurriculars.

"They would give me a hard time about what I was doing in my spare time," she says. "It was a difficult period because, of course, I wanted to be accepted, but I knew what I had to do to achieve what I wanted."

Kermisha credits her mother, Kimberly Elder, and her grandmother, Etta Bledsoe, with making sacrifices on her behalf and influencing her to achieve her highest potential.

"Their influence has led me to encourage my peers to concentrate not on what they want to accomplish but what they are going to accomplish," she says.

"Kermisha is one of those individuals who brings a sparkle into the room and positively affects those around her," says Laura Lynn Roland, chair of the English department at Boyd-Buchanan. "She continually pushes herself to achieve excellence and I always enjoy her projects which are infused with humor and creativity. She has much to offer our community, and I have no doubt that she will accomplish much."

– By Erica Tuggle and Carolyn Mitchell