By Shirley Shuman
Criner, fourth in 2023 class, values her leadership roles
Kaylee Criner named two aspects of her high school career which she has liked the most. The first was “the relationships [she has] made.” She explained why. “A lot of people say that once you get out of high school and into college, relationships end. That will not be so with me. I think they will last a lifetime.” The second was the leadership roles which she has held during high school.
She has held several leadership positions. Within Braxton County High School, she is Student Council president, FBLA secretary, and senior class president. In addition, she is vice president of the school’s Local School Improvement Council. On the state level, Criner is vice president of the West Virginia State Student Council. Other school related activities include four years on the golf team and this year on the track team.
Criner, the daughter of Tim and Amanda Criner, noted, “The leadership positions which I have held have made the greatest impact on me during high school. They have brought me out of my comfort zone, helped me to develop into the person I am now, and opened so many doors I would not have had otherwise and let me meet many new people.
Out of school, she runs a videography business and is “very involved with her church group” at Mid-State Church of God.
During her four years at the high school, her favorite subject has been Civics. She named Jerry Frame as her favorite teacher. “He was my golf coach for four years, [starting before he was her teacher] so I already had a bond with him. In class he forms great relationships with his students and teaches history in such a unique way that he kept me interested in all he had to say.”
This young woman will attend either West Virginia Wesleyan or Marshall University. She plans a major in secondary education to prepare to teach social studies. “I like history,” she said. “It gives me a look into the past that is vital to the future. Specifically I’ll be teaching Political Science, which is government. I’m so passionate about youth involvement and in learning what is going on in our state and country.”
Asked what she would tell incoming freshmen, she responded, “I would tell them to get involved in as many student organizations as possible. Also, soak it all in. The experience of high school goes by very fast.”