Callaway student’s prayers answered with brand new Chevrolet vehicle

Published 9:36 pm Friday, May 11, 2018

Callaway High School junior Oeisha Jenkins couldn’t believe it when she heard her name called Friday, meaning she was the winner of a brand new 2016 Chevrolet Sonic.

The only person more excited might’ve been her mother, Sara Jenkins, who made a trip to the school Friday confident Oeisha was going to be the big winner.

“When prayers go up, blessings come down,” Sara said, as she watched her daughter sit in the bright red, Callaway colored vehicle. “We prayed for this car. When we came in here and sat down, we prayed for this car. I said ‘you are going to win the car. The Lord said you are going to win the car. And when they said it, it was just ‘thank you Lord. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’”

Oeisha just started working at Great Wolf Lodge Georgia and was trying to save up money for a vehicle. She’d been driving her father, Tommy Jenkins’ truck, back and forth to work.

Now, she has her own set of wheels.

“I was actually thinking about getting a car my past few years in high school, but we never did have the money,” Oeisha said. “We prayed about this car, they prayed about it, and I did and for it to come true, for it to actually to happen for us made it very emotional for [my mother].”

A total of 311 Callaway students had a chance to win the vehicle. To win, they had to meet standards for attendance, behavior and grades through the school’s positive behavioral interventions and supports program.

Principal Jonathan Laney said this year student suspensions were down 43 percent, absences were down 43 percent and student failures were down 37 percent.

“I knew that it would have a positive impact, but I did not know we would almost break 50 percent improvement in attendance,” Laney said. “That was well beyond my expectations.”

All of the eligible students had their names put into the drawing. Other students won gift cards and an Apple iPad was also given away.

Oiesha said the car served as motivation for her throughout the year.

“I am so shocked,” Oeisha said. “I never thought that out of all the students that were in the bin that they would pick my name.”

The car was donated by AllPro Automotive Group, which took care of all the fees involved with buying a new car. Cripper Silcox, owner of AllPro Automotive, said he’d be interested in participating again next year.

“It seemed like a great program. At first, we started talking about giving a used, older car, but as we got into it, we decided to go with a brand-new car for them,” Silcox said.

“If you listen to the statistics, it works. We’re extremely happy about it.”