when lwas 17 and told me I had options," Derrick said. And he did.

He played basketball and volunteered at a nursing home. The Harrises told him that waiting on a basketball scholarship was possible but a little far-fetched. Instead, they encouraged him to depend on his scholarly accom plis hme nts and took him to visit universities in Florida. He eventually chose FAMU with a little encouragement from the Harrises, who
happe n

"l didn't get serious about college until the latter part of my senior year. They had a long talk with me about life

for administrative social work,"

he

said. But everything has not improved. Derrick said he still has some problems with his biological parents. "When I go back home I don't wanr ro stay with my mother, he said referring

praying for him," she said. "One day we will be the family Cod wants us ro
be. "

With all the newfound peace in his life, Derrick said he still has issues that stem from his childhood. "lt's hard to let people get close to me. I still don't share my feelings... and I still deal with anger from time to

to visits to Winter Carden. Instead, he stays with his foster parents. One reason is that she lives in a rough neighborhood, but most importantly, Derrick still has a strained rela tionship with his biological father
"l\4y dad was a bad role model," he said as he gazed off. Riggins, who said she is now off drugs and says she has given her life to Christ, admits there are still some

to be alumn j.

time," he said. But he is trying to overcome this. "l'm learning how to forgive," Derrick said. "When you give your life over to the Lord, he says he can't forgive you un less you forgive others."

DETERMINATION As the sun settles on a hot and muggy l\4arch evening, Derrick and the rest of his church's softball team congratulate the opposing team on their win. Decked in black and gray

proDrems.

"l know right now that my husband and I are not equally yoked, but I keep

uniforms, defeat does not weigh him down because he has finally anchored himself onto a higher power. While in college, Derrick says he found Cod and gave his life to him when he started attending Christian He ritage Church. "One day, I was looking back over my life and seeing all that I had been through and knew that it was only Cod that brought me through it," he said.
"l\4y relationship

rl

with Him has been

the biggest change in my life. When

you have a relationship with Him it is more personal," Derrick said. And his love for the Lord shows through his involvement with his church. Aside from playing on the softball team. he also participates in the College Young Professional ministry, the choir and the campus ministries. But his involvement in the prison ministry provoked something in him. "l'm starting a program for young men and women when they get out of prison with Christian Heritage Church,"
De

rrick said. "New Beginning" is a transitional

housing program that will help exconvicts find jobs and help them adjust back into society. He said he wants to advocate for former prisoners and give them a chance. "When they 9et out ofjail, they

don't have many opportunities, and this is a chance for them to have that,"
he says.

Derrick said he is excited about his chance to get a free graduate degree. "l have been blessed to go to the University of Texas for graduate school

lofi[ey