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Like a lot of recent graduates, Canaan McCaslin is spending this summer preparing for college and all the life-altering experiences ahead of him.
Canaan, however, has already had his fair share of experiences. As a child, he and his family struggled through a number of hardships.
Through it all, the Armwood graduate maintained good grades, played on the state championship football squad and joined the school debate team. His academic success led to the Times' Andrew Barnes Scholarships this year, enrollment at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a Lunch with Ernest.
Over chicken dishes at Carrabba's Italian Grill, we talked about Georgetown, Bill Cosby and Canaan's job at the Verizon DSL Retention Call Center.
Pull up a chair and join us.
How excited are you about going to Georgetown?
I can't wait. It was a big dream. I didn't think I would be able to go to a school like that, a big school with a $250,000 education. I'm feeling shocked, but I'm looking forward to it.
Why was it such a dream for you?
When I was a little kid, I used to always say I want to be a lawyer. I want to go to Harvard. I used to change between Harvard and Princeton. I don't know. I just always thought I would make it if I could get to this point.
You visited Georgetown in April. What did you think of the campus?
It just reinforced what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. I got accepted to Duke, so I visited, and I kind of like it, but I didn't like the city. But when I visited Georgetown for the open house, I didn't have to think about it. As soon as I stepped on the campus, as soon as I saw how small it was, as soon as I met the people there, I knew it was the place for me.For a person interested in politics, it's a great city. What drives your interest in politics?
It thrills me. When I watch TV or read the newspaper, it just excites me. I like the fact government is a way you can change things and get people's attention. If I was a lawyer or followed my dreams of owning my own business, it would be harder for me to get people's attention on some of the most important issues of the day. And in politics, you meet a lot of people. I just love meeting different people from somewhere I've never heard of before.
I just started, so it's kind of hard. I just try to be nice to them in a pleasant voice and say, We would hate to lose you as a customer. I try to give them the benefits of having DSL.
It's probably good training for politics, right?
Yeah. I'm trying to convince people to do this or do that. You have to have better skills than just regular sales skills because these are people who have already had DSL.
You said before that politics will help you focus on the important issues. What are the important issues we're facing today?
Humanitarian efforts. I used to think terrorism, and it's still one of the top issues, but I think President Bush is ignoring some of the biggest problems we have in Africa, and even in our own country. We have to find a way to get some of the kids off the street and find a way to change the way that they're being raised. Some black people hate the way Bill Cosby is talking right now, but he's telling the truth. We need to stop raising kids the way we are and stop trying to depend on government. Government has to help, but you have to meet them halfway.
You mentioned Bill Cosby. Are we not focusing enough on kids in the black community?
Yeah, we're not. We're letting the system take care of them. I'm lucky not to have gotten into all the things most of the kids do.
How did you avoid that?
It was just God's grace. I knew I had a better life ahead than what I had. I didn't feel poverty. I didn't feel poor. I wasn't going to sit here and let it change me, let it take control. That's how I escaped. There were days when I wondered if things were going to work out.
What about the music you guys were listening to. Is that a factor?
I think it's a factor. I have an iPod now and I put stuff on there like 50 Cent. Some of the stuff on there he says I don't like. I just listen to it to work out to it, but I wouldn't buy his CD. I'm not going to support something like that. Some of the music I hate. Kids look up to that and that's what they want to be like. They're calling women this and that, and little kids are going to talk like that and they're not going to respect women. Like my cousin, he wants to put more value on a gold chain than getting an "A" in a class.
Your cousin?
He's 16 and he's trying to get a job because he wants to buy a gold chain, but he can barely pass his classes in school. It's like, What do you care about most? Getting a gold chain and showing it off to your friends, or graduating high school and getting somewhere? And once you get that gold chain, then what?
Now you have on a nice golf shirt, but it's not a designer shirt. Are you not into the fancy clothes?
Not really. I went shopping the other day because I need clothes and sweaters. Now that I have a job, I can buy more expensive stuff, but I still look at the price. I went to Macy's yesterday and the pants were $72. I was like, Oh, no. I'll just pay the same thing I used to pay, or I'll go to the sales rack. I'll always be dressed neatly.
Do you ever wonder how a Seffner kid is going to fit in a big city like Washington?
When I went up there, there were kids from New Jersey, New York. They dress differently, they talk differently, act differently. Like my brother told me, when you come back, you're going to be talking differently and have a different outlook on life. I know I can fit in. The only thing I'm worried about in terms of fitting in is partying. I know they party a lot, but it's not even my nature to party. I don't even like dancing.
DESSERT: A postscript from Ernest
I was surprised an 18-year-old doesn't dance, but Canaan insists, with a laugh, that he's just not that coordinated. He often cites his faith for helping him through tough times, and attends Exalted Word Ministries in Thonotosassa. Canaan's brother, Eugene, was a standout running back at Chamberlain High and went on to play for the University of Florida. The Barnes Scholarship, which was awarded to four bay-area seniors this year, is worth $60,000 over a four-year period at any accredited U.S. college or university. The program, set up in 1989, rewards students who have overcome tremendous hardships while maintaining high academic standards. Canaan's political aspirations have him eying a seat in the U.S. Senate and possibly a Cabinet appointment. It's a big dream, but I wouldn't bet against him.
Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Tampa & State section of the St. Petersburg Times. Lunch With Ernest is edited for brevity and clarity. To suggest lunch partners, call Ernest at 226-3406 or e-mail hooper@sptimes.com