Children at a local shelter recently learned valuable lessons about the importance of perseverance in adversity.

  A Friend’s House in McDonough hosted its annual Black History Month celebration on February 20.

  Tara Hall is the executive director at A Friend’s House, a home for abused, neglected and abandoned children. She said the celebration, each year, teaches kids to appreciate others whose lives and experiences aren’t exactly like their own.

  “The makeup of the kids we have in our organization is very diverse,” said Hall. “We encourage young people to learn from each other’s cultures and backgrounds.”

  The celebration featured presentations by children at A Friend’s House, each centering on a notable figure from years past with the help of interns from local schools. Hall said she was proud of the work the kids put into their projects.

  “They’ve chosen everyone from Michelle Obama to Muhammad Ali to Serena Williams,” said Hall. “It was just astounding. They did an amazing job. I learned quite a few things myself.”

  Hall said in addition to educating the kids about black history, the presentations also gave some of the kids an opportunity to overcome their fears.

  “The kids did their research and presented their information in an amazing way,” said Hall. “One child, in particular, is so afraid of speaking in public. When she finished her presentation, she was so relieved and so proud of herself. She reallly felt good about it.”

  Hall said the kids were particularly impressed with sentiments shared by retired Air Force Capt. Brian Settles, guest speaker for the celebration.

  “He really encouraged the kids to not only have a dream, but to have a vision of what they want to do in life,” said Hall. “There will be some rough patches, but they can learn from those experiences and grow from those experiences.”

  Settles, of Griffin, served as a pilot in the Air Force before flying commercial airliners. He recently released his second book, titled “Shattered Dreams: A Single-Parent Airline Pilot’s Story.”

  Settles, who grew up in a single-parent home, said his remarks were designed to be an encouragement to the kids at A Friend’s House.   “I believe we still live in a country where people need to be constantly reminded of how far we’ve come and how far we have to go,” said Settles. “As a retired military and commercial airline pilot, I value my senior years for the opportunity it affords me to share my life/aviation testimony with young people.”