EDGARD — It might have been tough on second grader Ja’Quisha Oates when her family moved from Texas to Edgard years ago, but it also might have been some sort of destiny.

The move put Oates on a path to meet Burnell Hall, a fellow second grader who would soon become her best friend. They grew up together, studied together and excelled together as students and school leaders, standing out to their teachers and administrators.

Now a decade later, Oates and Hall are seniors at West St. John High School and still the best of friends.

In fact, not much can separate the two. He is the student body president; she is the vice president. Both are members of the school’s Beta Club. Both have after school jobs at a nearby Winn Dixie. Both are among the top students at the school.

When it comes time to announce a top graduate, even principal Claude Hill may have trouble. They have identical 3.825 grade point averages.

Not even the thought of a race to the finish can come between them.

“We help each other all the time,” Oates said. “If he gets it, I’ll be happy. It’s a win-win because I would want my best friend to win.”

Together or separate, Hall and Oates are the best the school has to offer.

“They are the ones I count on,” Hill said. “They are exceptional students who lead by example. They are always willing to help and they do whatever I ask of them.”

Well, Hall had to be convinced to run for student body president.

“When they first did nominations, I didn’t want to do it,” he said. “Then they were, like, ‘Why don’t you just try?’ So I put my name up to see what my chances were. I did it because I felt I was responsible enough to handle the tasks of homecoming, prom and all the fundraisers we had to do. I knew it would be a lot to handle, but I said I thought I could do it. So I went along with it.”

Then he convinced Oates to take the journey with him.

They proved to be a successful team.

As juniors, the two successfully completed seven fundraisers, including can-shakes at the Gramercy Winn Dixie and at the Wallace Bridge, 50-50 raffles at the football games and sales of discount cards.

The proceeds went to fund last year’s homecoming dance, reviving a tradition that had gone dormant, and the prom.

“It was hard just to get people to participate,” Hall said. “The hardest part was just to get all the money.”

Oates said they were determined to make the homecoming dance something special.

“The school used to have a homecoming dance, but some classes had let it go,” she said. “We wanted to bring it back.”

The prom was another story as the two learned about paying bills, accounts receivable, signing contracts and haggling over prices.

Adding in that West St. John is a small school of less than 200 students located in a rural area where the population is spread far and wide, raising money can be difficult.

“Just trying to get everybody to turn in their money because we’ve got to pay these people and those people, and we’ve got to put this deposit down on this place,” Hall said. “We just did what we had to do.”

Added Oates: “It was so hard to get people to pay. Every day we’d have people call home to get money. People would get tired of seeing us.”

Both agree the headaches were worth it.

“Prom was awesome,” Oates said. “We do it big.”

This year the duo will have to find ways to fund events surrounding graduation (such as decorations) and senior trip.

Until then, they are focusing on school and their futures.

Hall, who recently was named the Student of the Quarter by the Rotary Club of LaPlace, has a part time job helping out after school at the St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse, but he’s also the tech guy who fixes everybody’s phone and computer. His dream job is to work for Apple.

“Anytime somebody’s phone isn’t working, they all come to me,” he said. “If I don’t know what’s wrong, I have to figure it out. I want to design software. That’s what I want to major in.”

Oates, who enjoys art, is captain of the dance team, writes a school news column and wants to go to Holy Cross College to study nursing.

“The reason I chose that college is because I’m used to small environments,” Oates said. “I think I could make it in a big college, but I’m going to go with what I’m used to.”

There’s another reason Oates is determined to go to college.

“I’m the second oldest of five children,” Oates said. “I came from a family of people who went to high school then stopped. I don’t want to finish high school and stop. I had one aunt who graduated, like four times. She went back to school and got another degree. I want to be like that. I’m going to graduate as many times as I can.”