Chancellor chooses Mims to head District 9 schools

By Yolanda Romero
Staff Reporter

“I have big dreams and no one can take this away from me, I will be a good and great man one day.”

Mr. Paris Zaire Thomas was born May 20, 1985. He moved to Anderson Avenue in June of 2000, with his mother, three brothers and a sister. In fact, Paris is one of nine children and as he puts it, “all are doing great.”

Born in Queens, Paris later moved to the Bronx on 178th Street and Crescent Avenue. A Highbridgian for almost two years, Paris found it somewhat difficult to make friends, but now has a core group of friends who he can rely on. Cassandra Moreno, one of his newfound friends says, “He is a very happy person who is really honest and loves his family very deeply.”

Paris speaks of family values and his mother with pride. Referring to his mother, Paris says, “She is a hard working person. There is no one like her. We are always first in her life.”

A junior at Walton High School, Paris admits that he is struggling with his grades, but he is determined to finish and get a diploma. Paris knows the importance of staying in school and learning a valuable skill. “Computers are the thing,” he said. If Paris does decide to go to college he will take up computers, becoming a computer engineer. He wants a good job, with a high salary, so he can buy a large house to raise his own family someday.

Paris credits his Godmother for his unusual name. He said that she named him after the places that she visited and had a profound effect on her.

He also spent almost two years in Savannah, Georgia, and at school there became involved a basketball program called Martin’s 24-hour Ballers. He has participated in the camp every summer since 1998. He is glad that his summers are fulfilled with basketball camp, “because it is getting harder to find work for young people like me.”

Paris Zaire Thomas is a young man beginning to find his way in life. He wants it all and knows that there is a great deal he has to do since life is not always easy but he does know what he wants out of life. “I am a very proud young man of color. I’m intelligent and I see myself working hard to get everything I want for me and my family.”