Chris Roberts, Class of 1986 Valedictorian, fondly remembers his time at QHS and how his experiences have shaped him into who he is now. Roberts favorite school memories revolved around the band and band competitions. He stated that one of his favorite memories was “the first was the first step I took on the turf at UT's Memorial Stadium for the first ever UIL State Marching Contest (my sophomore year). I remember how clear and bright it was that early November morning in Austin, and how I wanted to do the show again as soon as we left the field.” Roberts went on to say that he thought it was a “massive leap forward for the program” when the administration hired Neal Sutton at the beginning of the school year. His second favorite memory was winning a Sweepstakes award in band after a prior 11-year “drought.” It was extra special to him because the band won Sweepstakes his senior year and he was proud of how much work so many had put into winning it.
In addition to band, Roberts also discovered a passion for mathematics while at QHS, even going on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics at Henderson State University later. He credits his teacher, Mr. Owen Lawrence, with his positive experience. Roberts reminisced about Mr. Lawrence saying “When Mr. Lawrence started the first day of my high school experience (Algebra I) presenting his 'contract,' I took it seriously. Mr. Lawrence said, "My job is to teach to the best of my ability, and your job is to learn to the best of yours", and that is exactly what I did. Through four years of Mr. Lawrence teaching Algebra, Geometry, Physics, and Trig...I learned to the best of my ability.”
Roberts also admired Mr. Lawrence’s sense of ethic. Roberts said that “He was a man of his word, because a broken classroom rule resulted in consequences (usually in the form of a 1500-word current event essay for talking during a test or if you missed the wastebasket tossing scrap paper). I appreciated that the consequences were consistent; perhaps that came from his military service, or maybe just because it is the right thing to do.”
Roberts said that he loved that he doesn’t remember Mr. Lawrence “teaching to a test,” but they all managed to do well on standardized tests. Roberts attended QHS during a very different time and said that he also loved “that what now seems like another planet, (Lawrence) fired a gun inside the school for our muzzle velocity lab—every year, no problem.”
Roberts also stated that he remembered coming home from college for a visit and heard that Mr. Lawrence had suffered a stroke. He called Mr. Lawrence as soon as he heard the news and told him everything he had wanted to tell him as a student, but didn’t. “I told him how the tip he gave me as a ninth-grader to ‘learn to ask myself the right questions’ was some of the simplest and best advice I have ever received. I told him how I loved and appreciated him and couldn't imagine the success I had in getting my master’s degree in math without the years I had with him.”
Roberts cherishes that phone call with Mr. Lawrence, and credits much of his professional success to his experiences in Mr. Lawrence’s classroom. After leaving QHS, Roberts attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he was in the band. He obtained degrees in music and mathematics while attending. He then taught as a high school band director for three years before deciding to change careers and become a software engineer. His most recent accomplishment is the creation of a budgeting app called Forekash. This app allows you to see “your money’s future so you can make educated decisions before cash flow problems happen.” The app is available for download at the App Store and Google Play.
In addition to creating budgeting solutions, Roberts also helps people through his 501c3 charity called “The Gift of Music Foundation.” This foundation provides things such a s private music instruction and camp scholarships. Roberts uses the proceeds from his book “How to Make First chair” to fund his foundation.
(Roberts is pictured above playing the National Anthem in 2006 at a Texas Rangers game.)
For fun, Roberts enjoys cycling with the Carrolton Cycling Club and doing anything outside. He also likes to produce music and education videos. One is "Unpack Your Adjectives 2016", a scene-for-scene live action remake of a Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. My "quarantine video" was "Jazz101", including one part that featured "14 of me at one time" in a Big Band setting (all trumpet!). You can find those videos at the links below:
Roberts has been married to his wife Elizabeth, a school counselor, for 15 years. Their "Brady Bunch” family includes Frank (25), Lauren (23), Ainsley (19), Kaia (16), and Victoria (14). They also have 3 chickens (in their backyard in Dallas!) who provide them with fresh eggs daily.
When asked what it means to be a Quitman Bulldog, Roberts offered a heartfelt response. “I can't speak for others at other times, but I feel there was 'something in the water' in the years I attended. There was a lot of success not only in band and athletics, but also UIL academics, FFA, and more. I don't think that happens by accident. You have to have a good administration that hires good faculty and staff (bus drivers included...I was lucky to have Curtis' Bus 57!), you have to have good parental & community involvement, and you have to have committed students. We had all of those ingredients, and I think those ingredients are there now, too. I appreciated it as it was happening and appreciate it even more now. All that being said, I would say that 'striving for excellence in everything you do' is independent of school-size, and that ideal is what being a Quitman Bulldog means to me.”
Roberts also stated that “if any current student reads this, I want to encourage each one to consider ALL the options available, including agriculture, industrial arts, and college. Those different options are there at Quitman so that each student may choose a different path, embrace that!”