By Chris Cox
Earlsboro senior Tahnya Kennedy is the very definition of a multisport athlete.
“I play basketball, softball, and I cheer,” she says. “I’ve played basketball for 10 years, softball for seven, and I’ve been cheering for the past two. I became interested in sports as a little girl. I would watch my brother play basketball and dreamed of playing. I loved watching softball since I was a little girl and when I was in middle school, I started playing school ball. I also enjoy cheering on my team and showing my school spirit. It’s been fun to be a part of the cheer team.”
Beyond her busy schedule with athletics, Kennedy is also preparing for her future by taking part in the Early Childhood Education program at Gordon Cooper Technology Center.
“Growing up I loved working with babies and children,” she says. “I have always been interested in learning how their brain works and about child development. I wanted to become a teacher since a young age so getting to come to Gordon Cooper and take the Early Childhood Education Program has been so beneficial to me.”
For Tahnya, the best part of the Early Childhood program is the blend of class work and work in the field.
“The balance between class course work and working with children in the childcare lab setting has helped me so much in my methods of teaching,” she says. “Mrs. Keri, Ms. Taylor, Ms. Ive, and Ms. Sam have also helped me by watching their teaching styles, guidance and classroom management.”
Keri Laxton, the Early Childhood Education instructor at Gordon Cooper, is confident that Tahnya will make a great educator.
“I have had the privilege of teaching and training Tahnya for the last two years,” she says. “She has perseverance and strength that will take her far in life. As a future teacher, she will persevere through challenges she faces with little ones. She does not give up and that quality will help her future students.”
Along with all her athletic activities and studies at both EHS and GCTC, Kennedy, who also serves as the FCCLA president at Gordon Cooper, serves as an assistant teacher in the Earlsboro lower elementary classrooms.
Following graduation, Tahnya plans on attending Randall University to get her teaching degree.
