Did you know that every 26 seconds a student drops out of school? Also, did you know that three out of four inmates are dropouts?

Recently, seventh- and eighth-grade students at Four Oaks Middle School took part in a dropout-prevention program called Inside Out. This program shows students the grim reality of dropping out of school and the detrimental effects it has on lives. The better choice, students learned, is to stay in school and create their own destiny.

Students watched a film that featured real-life inmates telling students the importance of staying in school and how dropping out had changed their lives forever. After the DVD, counselors led discussions about positive decision making and how each student is responsible for his or her choices.

On Sept. 21, Four Oaks Middle School welcomed the "The Inside Out Choice Bus." Dr. Shelley Stewart designed the bus in honor of his mother, Mattie Stewart. When students enter the bus, they are welcomed into a classroom where their choices are endless; however, the back of the bus is a prison cell where choices are no longer an option.

Students said they were shocked and awakened by the experience.

Upon leaving the bus, students were encouraged to sign a pledge to themselves to remain in school and become all they can be.