On Monday. Feb. 8, in the midst of watching its students leave early to avoid the possibility of snow, the hallways of Ringgold High School welcomed back one of its most successful students for induction into the school’s “Excep-tional Alumni Wall of Fame.”

Phillip Rodgers, who graduated from Ringgold High in 1985, has spent the last few years realizing a dream that began as an art student more than 25 years ago.

“I’ve been drawing and working towards this point in my life since I was in high school,” Rodgers said. “The en-couragement I received here as a student has a lot to do with me being able to reach my potential.”

At a time when most teens really aren’t sure what they want to do with their futures, Rodgers dedicated his tal-ent and creativity to the worlds of writing, music, and art, ultimately leading to his mentor Larry Bunch helping him further develop his talent.

A character named “Bailey Bear,” which Rodgers began drawing as a teenager, has today developed into the ba-sis of Rodgers’ “Discovering God Series” of children’s books.

“I started drawing Bailey when I was a student here at Ringgold High, and of course at that time I had no idea that I would be able to use that character to the extent that we have in the series,” Rodgers said. “Through the ad-ventures of Bailey Bear, children can enjoy learning about God by following Bailey as he tries to find answers to his questions about our creator.”

In 2003 Rodgers released “How Tall is God?,” the first of three books in the Discovering God Series. “When Does God Sleep?” and “When Was God Born?” followed, with the entire series receiving a large amount of praise from numerous teachers, authors and churches.

Rodgers’ work as creator, author and illustrator of the series has created an opportunity to entertain and edu-cate children about God through adventure and art. He also presents his “Discovering God” program at schools, churches, conferences throughout the country, and acts as a guest speaker for numerous other educational events.

“He was always a talented young man,” said Bunch, who is the art teacher at Ringgold High. “A lot of talented students have passed through here over the years. It’s great that Phillip has found success, and we are all really proud of his accomplishments.”

“It really means a lot being a part of this Wall of Fame,” Rodgers said. “It’s an honor to have your alma mater in your hometown recognize what you’ve been able to accomplish in life.”

Rodgers still lives in Ringgold with his wife Stephanie and their two daughters, Kaylee and Abby.

For more information on the Rodgers’ Discovering God Series, or to purchase books or merchandise, visit his website at www.DiscoveringGodSeries.com.