Family & Community Engagement Alumni Spotlight
Our Family & Community Engagement values our Alumni. We love to hear from them and see what they are up to after graduating! We want to start highlighting some of our awesome graduates as they take on the world as Oark Hornets!!!
Meet Kaylee (McAnear) Willis, a 2018 Oark graduate! Kaylee is married to her high school sweet heart, Trever Willis.. Who is also Oark alum!!! They’ve been together since April 2013 and got married April 12, 2019. Kaylee and Trevor have a beautiful baby girl name Callie! Kaylee recently graduated college and chose to come back home to Oark to teach!!! We are SOOO glad she did!
Check out Kaylee’s responses to our questions below! We are so thankful Kaylee took the time to answer these and catch us up on her life. We are so proud to call her a member of our Oark Hornet Family!!!
Why did you choose Oark Schools?
“My mom moved my sister and I up here when I was at the end of my 5th grade year and my sister the end of her 6th grade. I quickly fell in love with Oark Schools!”
Who influenced you the most during your time at Oark Schools and why?
“Honestly, everyone influenced me during my time here. There wasn’t one teacher or staff member here that didn’t treat me like family. I always felt at home here at Oark. It’s so hard to pick certain ones when everyone here did their best to make me feel welcomed and loved my entire time here at Oark!!!”
Share your favorite OHS memory!
“For me, it probably has to be the ball games and any other event we had at Oark. There was ALWAYS so much support from the community and everyone at the school. There’s just so much school spirit and pride at Oark and it’s something that I will always love about Oark School. It’s still this way to this day!!”
What is the most important thing you learned at Oark Schools?
“ I learned that just because Oark is a small school, that it doesn’t mean you can’t accomplish big things. So many people have the mindset that “It’s just Oark” but Oark is so much more than what most people think it is. People think that you can’t do anything with your life just because you come from a small school but I had teachers that supported me and made me believe that I could accomplish anything and so I followed my dream, got a scholarship to University of the Ozarks, and took advantage of it. I think the fact that I went to a small school prepared me more than if I would have attended a larger school.”
What advice do you have for current students to make the most of their experience at Oark Schools?
“Just live in the moment. You don’t realize how fast time flies until you are about to graduate and realize that your time here is done.”
What is your greatest professional accomplishment?
“I just recently graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and have sent off everything I need to receive my teaching license. I’m licensed in K-6 Elementary Education!”
What activities and sports were you involved in at OHS?
“I was involved in Band, Basketball, Track, BETA Club, and Shooting Sports.”
What advice would you give current OHS students interested in pursuing a career in your field?
“If you are thinking about teaching, know that you have to have a heart for it. It’s not as easy as people make it seem. Building relationships with your students is the most important thing. If you want your students to learn and respect you, build that relationship with them. Let them know that you care about them.”