Kiwanis club gets a ‘sweet deal’ from Key Club in February

Valentine’s Day was sweetened bytheDurantHighSchoolKeyClub Bake Sale. This auction is held annually to raise awareness and money to cover Key Club’s trip to Texas Oklahoma District Convention (LEDCON 2024) in Denton, Texas. Auctioneer Joe Barrett cajoled Kiwanis members into bidding a total of $2,500. With an additional donation from Kiwanis coffers, Key Club has a total of $5,000 to defray costs for travel, lodging, and registration.

DHS Key Club sponsor Ms. Alicia Farley reported that club membership this year is more than 70 members. Key Club meets monthly after school in the high school commons. Each month the club has a social and a service project.

Kiwanis Durant High Senior of the Month in February is Kamryn Holland. She is a member of Key Club and carries a 3.98 GPA while studying as a concurrent student at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Holland is a member of the Oklahoma Honor Society and the National Honor Society. Her activities include being a tuba section leader in the Pride of Durant, Academic Team, DECA, and Yearbook. She was a 2023 Homecoming Queen Candidate for DECA.

Holland has earned early acceptance to Oklahoma State University, and future plans are to pursue a dual degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering. She aspires to being a member of the OSU Honor College as well as a member of the OSU Cowboy Marching Band. High on her list of priories is being actively involved with OSU’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry. This scholarship will enable Holland to achieve her “dream of becoming one of the few female engineers who help with developing the technologies that help send people to space.”

She received a certificate and a gift card making her eligible for Kiwanis DHS Senior of the Year and a $2,000 scholarship. Also in attendance for the presentation were her parents, Jerry and Amy Holland and DHS counselor Kelly Kane.

Kiwanis Bryan County Senior of the Month for February is Bailey Phillips from Colbert High School where she maintains a 4.04 GPA. Bailey is on the Superintendent’s Honor Roll and is president of the Honor Society. Phillips is editor of the school newspaper, The Lion Scratch and is the creative force behind the Colbert High School You-Tube channel. She is a member of the school’s leadership team, Cheer Athlete of the Month, Choir Member of the Month, and Basketball Homecoming Queen Candidate.

Phillip’s community involvement is impressive. She has organized six blood drives, Random Acts of Kindness activities, and participated in Operation Christmas Child and Red Ribbon Drug Awareness Week. Through her church, she has worked on mission trips and has served as a camp counselor in children’s camps. She plans to attend Oklahoma Baptist University to major in education. She shared that as a former foster child (adopted by her foster family) the probability of her graduating from high school was 50 percent and earning a college degree varies from three to 11 percent. “This scholarship would allow me to pursue a better future and allow me to be a role model for not only my younger siblings but also other kids who have been in foster care and situations similar to mine.”

Phillips was given a certificate and gift card. She is eligible to be named Kiwanis Bryan County Senior of the Month and receive a $2,000 scholarship. Joining her were her parents, Troy and Stacie Phillips and Colbert ISD Superin- tendent Taylor Matlock.

February’s guest speaker was Riley Williams, a Federal Aviation Safety Director and children’s author. Williams graduated from Durant High School and coincidentally was named Kiwanis Durant Student of the Year in 2010. Riley graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree from Harvard University, and a doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University.

Williams, along with her husband Ryan and their two children live in Calera. Rebecca and Reese are her inspirations to write a children’s book. Rebecca has been diagnosed with sensory challenges that make learning in a traditional classroom difficult. Reese was born with Downs Syndrome. The children’s books available focused on what makes challenged children different from their peers.

Williams wrote Richard’s Friends to focus on what children with disabilities could do. She describes her book as “a lyrical account of friendship, play, and innocence.” The text reads as any children’s book might read, sharing what activities a child would enjoy with their friends such as camping, exercising at the gym, running a race, or flying a kite. The artwork subtly illustrates that Richard’s friends all have a challenge. It might be a hearing loss, physical mobility issues, difficulty in seeing, or autism. Yet Richard and all his friends share living a life of fun and adventure. This book’s dedication quotes an anonymous source,” I wouldn’t change you for the world, but I would change the world for you.”

As with all guest speakers, Kiwanis will make a donation to Kiwanis International Project Eliminate in Ms. Williams’ honor. This donation will save 15 lives.

Kiwanis concluded February with the 55th announcement of Durant Citizen of the Year. Presenter Dr. Greg Clay calls this tradition as recognizing “those whose contributions to the community has made it a better place, but as well … to serve as an example, to inspire others to want to follow in the steps of those whose service earned them a stature as icons in this community.”

Bart Rustin was awarded Kiwanis Durant Citizen of the Year 2023. Rustin graduated from Durant High School in 1969 and from Southern Nazarene University (Bethany Nazarene College) in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in business and math. Rustin was a charter member of the first Key Club at Durant High School. He has served as Circle K President at BNC and Kiwanis President on two occasions. Rustin is a member of Kiwanis Legend of Honor and is a Hixson Fellow. He is involved with many Kiwanis activities such as Pastor Appreciation Day, Community Prayer Breakfast, Pancake Day, Kiwanis Easter Egg Hunt, and co-chairs the Spiritual Aims Committee.

After 50 years, Rustin retired from the family business, Rustin Concrete. He is a member of Durant First Baptist Church, serves as a deacon, and sings in the sanctuary choir. He and his wife Phyllis have celebrated 50 years of marriage and have two sons, Brent Rustin and Brock Rustin, a daughter-in-law Adrienne Rustin, and a granddaughter Katia Rustin.

If you are interested in making Durant a better community, consider visiting Durant Kiwanis Club. Meetings are every Wednesday at noon in Roma Italian Restaurant.