Resilient: Turnaround Achievement Awards celebrate rising student

In the past they may have been failing all their classes. They might have been the loudmouth acting out or the student so withdrawn they never spoke. Friday morning, April 5, they were the center of a celebration at the Capitol Theatre in Maryville honoring the new paths they have chosen.

The 2024 Turnaround Achievement Awards honored students from public middle and high schools, and the family members, teachers, coaches, pastors and others who supported them through tough journeys. The annual breakfast event is sponsored by Costner Greene Attorneys and filled with not only students, their families and educators but also members of the Blount County court system.

The teens might have struggled academically, socially, behaviorally or, as one teacher noted, have gone through personal obstacles “that as adults would knock us off our feet.”

Many learned to make better choices, in their friends and their actions. For example, finding better ways to channel their abilities than hacking into the school network to appear on classroom TV screens.

Today they are not only achieving themselves but serving as leaders and helping other students.

Soaring

In presenting the award to Kayden Wimbley, Maryville High School teacher Chase Vandervelde compared her to a starry sky — the name of his favorite type of fireworks.

“If I were to light a starry sky, it would take off, it would hover around your face, sparks would fly around. It would get a little wonky, it would go left and right, it would make you think it was going to light your hair on fire. It would make you think it was going to start the yard on fire next door,” he described. “Oh, but then, oh, pssshh, it would take off, sparks, beautiful sparks.”

“Kayden Wimbly is a starry sky,” said the teacher, who also called her a blessing in his life and said she is like a daughter to him.

When Kayden arrived in his biology classroom two years ago, he said, she was “a lot wonky,” failing about half her classes.

Now she’s an A student.

Before thanking MHS Assistant Principal Donna Wortham and family members, Kayden clarified one thing. Vandervelde teased her during his remarks about a D in art, but the student noted that because the work was recovery from an earlier F, that was the highest grade that could be on her transcript for the effort.

In presenting the award to Emalie McMahan from Eagleton College and Career Academy, eighth grade English language arts teacher Angela Whitehead said the word that describers her and most of the award winners is resilient: able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions.

As a sophomore at William Blount High School, Arthur Gillespie avoided making eye contact and struggled to play the flute loud enough in the concert band for anyone to hear, according to band director Noah Tuten. With encouragement from Tuten and other students, Arthur joined the marching band. At his third football game as a band member, he was knocked out by a football hitting him in the head after a field goal attempt.

“When Arthur joined marching band, he not only took a massive leap of faith out of his comfort zone, he blossomed, and in his senior year, Arthur is now our flute section leader and band historian,” counselor Wendy Petty explained. “He has transformed from a shy student who refused to play his flute loud enough for anybody to hear into a strong musician who’s a frequent soloist.”

Failing is learning

During her keynote address, Blount County Juvenile Court Judge Kenlyn Foster shared her recent difficulties when completing an orienteering course with a map and a compass for directions.

“It won’t be the last time that you have struggles,” she told the students. “It won’t be the last time that you have to work and use your skills to turn things around.”

The judge told the students when she was growing up she benefitted from the free and reduced-price school meals program, and later she was a homeless single mother on food stamps. “I moved in with my mom, I took out some student loans, and I went back to law school,” she explained.

“I have learned more from my failures than I have learned from my successes,” Foster said.

She told the students that sometimes they will feel lost. “It is so brave to ask for help,” she said. “If the first person you ask for help won’t help you, ask again. Be braver still, and ask for help.”

The judge also emphasized the importance of not only hard work and perseverance, but also self care.

“It’s OK to fail,” she told them. “Failing is not failure. Failing is learning. Failing is how we get better,” she said. “Look back at all your accomplishments and how far you’ve come. And look with expectation and hope to where you’re going to go.”