When I was a kid in school at Stonewall summertime meant days of playing, swimming and being with my buddies. School was out, and this meant no teachers. But there comes a time when this blessed summertime ends, and time makes a drastic change in your life. It was called graduation. And summer was redefined. It seemed like everyone was wondering, sometimes aloud, what you were going to do with your life.

It’s an interesting look in the rear-view mirror to see how all that works out and it gives an old guy like me a bit of perspective when I look at our graduates from our Allen school system. Both past and present, I might say. Rural high-school grads do pretty good in life generally and it’s always a happy time to learn that kids we knew “back then” have mostly been very successful.

Sometimes we tend to just look at the few who screw up their lives and who find so many ways to do so. Perhaps it has a lot to do with attitude. I laughed when a teacher told me one time that a boy answered (after he was asked how he expected to make a living when he grew up) that he just wanted to get out of school, get a government check like his grandma did and not work. We can laugh at this while hoping not many feel that way, but it raises this question. Just how well do our Allen graduates actually do anyhow? Makes one wonder, doesn’t it?

When I think of Allen graduates’ success, I think of people like Kandi Stinson who was invited to speak to all our kids a few years back. She delivered a dynamic story and gave a really inspiring motivational speech. Her story was very inspirational to me — an old Allen School booster. I remember, too, Allen grad Dr. Owen Gilmore, MD, who has become a wellknown Pediatrician and has spent much of his career working to help Indian children on reservations out west to have better health outcomes. Or perhaps another Native American boy, Dr. Brandon Postoak who also serves his people’s needs as a doctor. Charlea Leonard was better known for her basketball excellence when she was just another pretty Allen Mustang female athlete. She is now working on her optometry degree.

Michael Peay is another well-known Allen graduate who has now graduated Law school and is practicing law as are Alison Sells and Tessa Black. Dr. Ron Bullard, MD is busy at his practice of pediatric medicine in a place called Bakersfield, California. Allen has many grads who went on to become respected medical technicians and nurses. We’ve also had many graduates attend trade schools and have outstanding careers. I think of Allen grad Christie Pipkin a highly placed technician of technical medical equipment.

And let’s not forget our many successful entrepreneurs. Allen grad Tim Files comes to mind. And no list of our local academic heroes would be valid without the name of Keenan Walker, class of 2023. Keenan was bombarded with offers from Ivy League schools, such as Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, and Harvard. He has decided on Yale. I am awed by Keenan’s scholastic abilities, his personal integrity, and his humanistic goals for his life. A Bill Gates scholarship for Keenan? You bet.

I close with this reminder. Our FCCLA went to San Diego last year and Keenan delivered a speech on Career investment. It was judged best in the nation. This year Allen’s Academic Team came in 3rd in the State Academic Bowl in class 2A. I’m sure I have left out some other outstanding Mustang achievers, but I listed these guys to help remind our many parents and boosters that that our educators and parents here in Allen continue to do a good job in preparing our kids for their futures. There are way too many success stories to include in this article.

Those of you who are considering allowing your kids to become “Home Schooled” should think twice before depriving your own kids of the fellowship and experience of being a real Allen Mustang. Your kids need to be in this school and this school needs your kids and your support.

Have a good week and take your family to church this Sunday.

Wayne Bullard, DPh cwaynebullard@gmail.com