Terence Bell

<p>Personal: Terence Bell is a 17-year-old senior at Piner High School. He lives in Santa Rosa with his grandmother, Margaret; his sister, Tajimah, 22; and brother, Trevor, 18.</p><p>He loves a challenge: It takes a lot of confidence to run for any position in school government, but Bell had a special reason to run for associated student body president in his senior year.</p><p>"I never ran for anything before, but I wanted to see some changes in school before I left and I wanted to be part of the change. My motto was, 'Terence Bell - he'll make things right,'" he said.</p><p>Running against one of his best friends since grammar school, Michael Ellis, he recalls that the day of the election was exciting.</p><p>"We were joking each other all day long about who would win. Then they announced, but I didn't hear the announcement. My football coach told me I'd won and I didn't believe him," he recalled.</p><p>Responsibility and challenges: The job of an ASB president is to oversee a wide range of efforts. It keeps Bell, who also plays receiver and cornerback on the school's football team, very busy.</p><p>"It's funny. Nothing is really your job, but everything is your job. You have to make sure people are doing their parts. I get out of class, but I don't like that. You always miss the most exciting part," he said.</p><p>In October 2005 he was recognized for leadership by the Rotary Club, which he described as a really great group.</p><p>Finding family: Growing up under the care of a wonderfully strict grandmother, Bell has welcomed a circle of adult mentors into his life drawn from school, church and youth programs.</p><p>"My CASA mentor for 8 years has been Jack McClure. He's part of the family now. He helps me stay focused. Ron Tureck of Operation Get It Together is part of the family. We've gone to movies together every weekend for years. We always go to IHOP first."</p><p>"The Reverends Coffee and Turner at Community Baptist make me feel like part of the family. Coach Meredith. I look up to him, too," said the teen who also views his teammates as brothers.</p><p>"My passions are my friends and family. I have about seven really close friends and we do everything together. Discuss everything. Have arguments, then two-seconds later move on to the next thing," he said with a laugh.</p><p>His teammates recently wore sweat shirts emblazoned with T-Bell, a tribute to his heart and overall slippery-ness on the field.</p><p>"I looked up and saw that and it was really something. To see my friends recognize me for working hard. I'll always remember that," he said.</p><p>The women in his life: Like most young men his age, he has his sports heroes including Michael Jordan, but pin him down on his true life heroes and it's all about his grandmother and late great-grandmother.</p><p>"My grandmother is strict and I appreciate that. She inspires me. But she's not even half as strict as my great-grandma, Beatrice Johnson, who we called Big Mamma. She raised four children by herself. She taught me to put the Lord first in everything I do," Bell said.</p><p>The quiet side: He credits a broken ankle last year with opening up a whole new world of creativity to him.</p><p>"Instead of practice, I hung out with Mr. Pederson in art class and he teaches me new stuff every day. Now I'm really into art," said the teen, who has been playing classical music on the piano since grade school.</p><p>He has postponed driving, relying instead on friends, including girlfriend Kayla Gordon.</p><p>"Kayla is a really nice person. She's a caring person who is always there for me," he said of their relationship.</p><p>On the horizon: He's keeping his mind open when it comes to college and career. For now he's planning on attending Santa Rosa junior college. Most likely, he will major in business.</p><p>He just landed a part-time job as a stocker for K-Mart. He's socking away as much money as possible for future school expenses.</p><p>"You know when you're in second grade, everyone says I'm going to be a fireman. But then you grow up and it's not that simple. I'm keeping my mind open," he said.</p>