AUDREY SIMS GUILLORY: My senior year was very rewarding to me. I went to Mossville with a group of many. But to be able to graduate as the only girl from that group was an honor. I finished in the top ten. I received the “I Dare You” award, which was to . . . for me to dare, challenges that they saw in me that I didn't know I had in me. I received the American Legion award. So there was a lot of things that the community of Mossville saw in me and allowed me to be me, for me to be who I am today.

So that setting, I had all of this talent in me. People accepted my talent and . . . One of the things I want to say about my instructors also: they saw in me things that made me happy being who I was. And they never let the money I didn't have hinder me, because someone would always give me the money for that costume, for that trip. We went to American Bandstand when it was in Beaumont, Texas. I don't know who paid my way, but I went, knowing that I didn't have the money to go.