Braden River Middle custodians create school song

At the end of every school day, the phrase “Panthers believe, Panthers achieve” is bellowed across Braden River Middle School’s campus. 

Since Kimberlain Zenon-Richardson became principal of the school in 2019, “Panthers believe, Panthers achieve” has been the vision of the school. 

Zenon-Richardson said it serves as a reminder to every student and teacher that if they believe in the work they’re doing and in themselves, they can achieve anything. 

Hearing that phrase every day sparked an idea in night-time custodian Jermaine Keys’ head. 

With more than 30 years of experience as a gospel musician, Keys went home and found himself tinkering on the piano and working on a school song. 

It only took him a week with the help of his husband, Craig Keys, who also is a night-time custodian at the school, to write the song that has become Braden River Middle's first official school song.

Photo by Liz Ramos

When Zenon-Richardson heard the chorus of the song for the first time, she cried. 

Every vision Zenon-Richardson saw for the school and the mission the teachers and staff are trying to accomplish were embedded in the song, she said.

But what shocked Zenon-Richardson most of all was when the custodians asked her to sing a solo in the song. 

She had grown up singing in a church choir, but she wasn't one to boast her singing talents at the school. She also saw herself as a background vocalist. 

At first, Zenon-Richardson said she told them no, but after Jermaine Keys told her this would give her an opportunity for students to see her in a different light other than as principal, she was convinced. 

At the beginning of the school year, the custodians worked with Sarah Troeller, the choir teacher, to teach a group of choir students the song before premiering it on Aug. 21 during the first of three grade-level assemblies. 

Each of the performances resulted in an uproar of applause and cheers from students. 

"When you see people from all walks — teachers, administrators, custodians — all coming together to sing, it changed a little bit of the climate here, and I appreciated that," said Zenon-Richardson who has been promoting the idea of community to the students this year. "It's going to change the course of the year. Kids are seeing things a little bit differently. They feel a part of the community."

Craig Keys and Zenon-Richardson said the seventh graders had the best reaction. After hearing Zenon-Richardson sing, they said the students went crazy. 

"I was shaking the whole time; it was so bad I almost couldn't sing," Craig Keys said. "It felt good to see kids go crazy about something so positive."

Jermaine Keys hopes the song can be a positive tune that helps students if they are struggling. 

The couple said they have both dealt with depression and drug addiction in the past, and they know what it's like to lack belief in yourself and what you can accomplish. They didn't have a song to lift their spirits, which is why they wanted to create this song. 

Craig Keys said the song might not mean much to every student today, but he hopes it might bring some light to a student could be struggling in the future.

The song also has given students an opportunity to see school staff shine with their hidden talents.

Photo by Liz Ramos

Craig Keys and Jermaine Keys said it showed students they are "so much more than custodians."

"Wherever you find yourself in life, you might be the president of the United States or you may find yourself being a custodian, but your job does not dictate your ability or your capability," Jermaine Keys said. 

Harris has recorded two gospel albums. His nickname at the school is Snoop, in reference to rapper Snoop Dogg, but Harris said he doesn't know anything about the popular rapper. So when students heard him sing for the first time, they were in awe.

Jermaine Keys said he was intentional on including a solo for the principal, a teacher and a custodian. He hopes to add to the song to include voices of a student from each grade so they can express what it's like to be a Panther from their perspectives.

"It was very important to incorporate every area of the school so the kids can see you're important from the head being Kimberlain (Zenon-Richardson) to the sixth grader," he said. "Everybody has a valued part in being in this middle school and preparing for life."

Craig Keys said hearing directly from the people having those experiences and perspectives carries more weight and adds more heart to the song. He said the meaning of "Panthers believe, Panthers achieve" is going to be different to a sixth grader than a seventh grader and so on.

Craig Keys said students, teachers and staff are humming to the tune or singing the lyrics. 

“It’s mind blowing because music has a way of opening doors for so much and positive thinking,” he said. “If you put the right lyrics to music, it can really uplift somebody and make their day.”

I am a Panther, Panthers believe
Because I'm a Panther, I will achieve
I am unstoppable, nothing can stop me but me
Braden River Middle, when you join the team
We'll bond together, just like family
Together we'll rise up
No limits to what we can be