James Sawyer Eulogy

Dr. James Sawyer, the first person I would see every morning in the band room for first hour, my freshman year. I have never met anyone with much wisdom and respect for all people. Doc, fills a room with joy and reverence, he can make someone smile without speaking. He was not only my band director for four years, he is a mentor and a friend, someone I trust and look up to. Everyday, he would enlighten us, give us advice on being better students and people in society. I have kept a moral that Dr. Sawyer constantly reminded us of. He told us that one of our purposes in life was to help others. In any way we could help them, whether it was opening the door for a busy person, or directing them to the correct location. It did not make a difference of how famous we would become before we died or how wealthy we were. So

Individuals that saw beyond the place he was raised and his setbacks. Because he was motivated to be different than his family members he learned to acquire grit by changing who he surrounded himself with and they way he viewed his future. Sometimes it is the people outside our own family that can be impactful and speak directly to us and spark a desire to seek change Without his mentors, it would have most likely take Bracken longer to redefine his purpose in life. But he learned to value the individuals that did more than their job required such as his doctor, who lead him to attend Georgia Tech. People influence people, in both positive and negative manners. However, if one by one, people shifted to become a positive influence, it would reflect on how individuals treat each other today. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world and that is where the challenge is. We must find those who will guide us to a prosperous future and who are willing to support us in every step. Likewise, we can be those same people to others struggling to find a meaning to their own