By Thomas Sellers Jr.
In the Millington area, several children have passed through places like Dyersburg, Munford, Brighton, Covington, Woodstock, Lucy and Flag City itself.
Most of them come through town via the military and U.S. Navy. Those children are referred to as ‘Navy Brats.’ But there is another child, although more rare, who travels from town to town following the calling of their parent… a Pastor’s Child.
Tipton-Rosemark Academy senior Davis Cox understands the changes and adapting to new surroundings that a military child goes through.
“I definitely have a respect for all the military (children) because we’re moved like once a year,” Cox said, “they can be moved from a area like anytime around the world.”
Cox’s life with his mother Susan and father Methodist Pastor Wade Cox has taken him across West Tennessee. The past seven years Davis has made TRA home excelling in academics.
Cox is the 2021 TRA Salutatorian earning a 4.0 grade point average and 34 on the ACT.
“I’ve been here for high school and middle school, so I’ve been here for 7 years. I am a part of the Tipton Rosemark family. I love the community and the fact I am friends with my principal Ms. Stephanie (Wehrer) since she’s been a science teacher.”
Before arriving to Tipton-Rosemark Academy, Davis spent time growing up in Dyersburg and Medina. Throughout his journey of life, Cox gravitated to technology and wants to pursue the field while in college.
“Computers gradually came into my life,” he recalled. “I’ve always been interested in technical things. My mom would tell you a story about when I was 3-year-old I would get a toy that you could push around like a vacuum and I would still the ties from her robe and plug it into the couch.”
His parents nurtured his love of technology and now Cox is about to enroll at Georgia Tech in Atlanta. He said he is looking forward to the challenge curriculum and having a platform to create prototypes toward support systems.
Cox said his goal and potential calling is being a person who helps make the Internet work. No matter where life takes him, Cox said the lessons he learned from his father will be a guiding force for him.
“Go where God leads us is one,” he concluded, “and also to trust that if you are where you need to be God will equip you with what you need to do it.”
