News travels fast in this small, rural, close-knit community teetering on the edge of northeastern Pontotoc and western Hughes counties.

In May, 37 teenagers formally marched to “Pomp and Circumstance” at Allen High School’s graduation ceremonies.

Amazingly two of them received the coveted Gates Scholarship. Applicants are selected from a national pool of tens of thousands. The selection process and competition for the Gates Scholarship is extreme and arduous.

One Allen grad will travel 1,347 miles in August to begin classes at one of the most prestigious universities in America – Yale in New Haven, Connecticut.

The other will remain closer to home, opting to attend Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.

Keenan Walker

Chickasaw citizen Keenan Walker, 18, returned to Allen on April 26th from a final excursion to Yale and Harvard, another Ivy League school located in Massachusetts, before making his final decision.

In fact, he was bombarded with five offers to attend Ivy League schools before deciding on Yale. They included powerhouses of educational opportunity at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, Columbia in New York City, Brown in Rhode Island, Harvard and Yale.

He was born in Ada and attended Allen Public Schools since prekindergarten. He is the son of Davelynn Walker and the late Ronald Walker, both of whom built successful careers with the Chickasaw Nation.

“I have always had a healthy respect for small towns, even as I am about to leave one,” Keenan noted. “I was never athletically inclined, so my time was spent cheering on the Mustangs while concentrating on education and having fun in other ways.”

In 2022, Keenan was a national award — winner competing in San Diego, California, as a member of the Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) organization. His presentation and arguments were judged the finest in the nation when he spoke of career investment research as it applies to practicing law.

This year, the Allen High School academic team finished third in statewide competition fielding math, science, current events and – what Keenan judges as “trivia” – questions from state competition judges. He serves as president of FCCLA and is one of seven who was awarded valedictorian honors this year at Allen’s graduation.

“There are things that will always be a part of you. Allen has been that for me. I have always had a desire to achieve, to do something bigger than myself. Every teacher at Allen Public Schools recognized that in me and fostered it, encouraged it, and helped me realize my dreams,” Keenan said. “I’ve never had a teacher who didn’t believe I was capable of achieving something huge.”

For several years, Keenan has been involved in the Chickasaw Nation’s Toksali SMART program, a summer work opportunity for Chickasaw youth ages 14-21. Creating a SMART workforce, the Toksali (to work) SMART (Successful Mindsets with Attitude and Readiness for Tomorrow) program encourages students to develop productive work patterns and behaviors in real- world environments. Innovative partnerships with a variety of community resources provide youth with meaningful job experiences, strengthening the community workforce.

In 2021, Toksali SMART assigned Keenan to Allen’s public library. With his love of books, it was a perfect fit, he said. Keenan spent his time organizing and cataloging books for more than a year before transferring to the Ada Early Childhood Center where he provided care and leadership to children aged 4-5 — a very challenging yet rewarding experience. He is still involved with the program this year completing activities of cultural importance for the Chickasaw Nation virtually.

“My father graduated from Allen and worked for many years with the Chickasaw Nation making a difference in the lives of Chickasaw citizens and the general population. My mom and my brother, Mika, (who attends East Central University in Ada studying business) are so supportive of my efforts too, although when mom and I traveled to Columbia University, she was not impressed with New York City,” Keenan recalls with a hearty laugh.

Keenan plans his undergraduate education at Yale to be political science–based with an eye toward earning a law degree upon completing his bachelor’s degree. History, Sociology and English also interest Keenan.

In fact, he said his “plethora” of interests have been playing a game of tug-of-war with his emotions as he sets out on his unique Ivy League career.

“If I do attend law school, my primary goal will be to work in government at a federal level. My other interest would be living and working in New York City practicing corporate law with an emphasis on contracts,” he said. “It is funny, when we visited Columbia, my mother hated it because of all of the people who are there, and I loved it because of all the people who are there,” Keenan said chuckling.

Determination and dreaming big, along with a bit of Lux et Veritas — Light and Truth, which is the motto of Keenan’s new Connecticut home — are all elements of Keenan’s personality.

The death of his father in 2021 from COVID-19 rocked him back on his heels but he used that time for introspection and renewed determination. An avid reader of all genres, Keenan found himself in the throes of Sarah J. Maas’ “House of Earth and Blood” when his father passed. A New York Times bestseller, the ending of the book provides solace for Keenan with the loss of his father.

“A few days after my father died, there was a part of the book that really resonated with me. It concerned healing after a traumatic experience and the characters were speaking to friends they had lost,” Keenan said. “I remember thinking everything the characters were saying to each other was the same things I wish I could have said to my dad.

“It has a profound impact on me emotionally. I’ve reread it three or four times. It is a source of power for me because I remember where I was emotionally when I read it for the first time, which was not a particularly good place. Since rereading it, I have more positive emotions concerning it because of my emotional state now — it’s empowering to see how far I’ve come,” he explained.

Keenan admits books he reads may be any topic, from serious to dramatic to “corny cliché romance novels.” His favorite musician is Taylor Swift with her “Reputation” album judged her finest. His favorite school tradition is homecoming.

“I think it is just adorable. Memories of us building floats are some of the best and I hope I remember them for a lifetime,” he said. And, despite an overwhelming desire to learn, “hanging out with my friends and making memories” is another A-list activity for Keenan.

Between Yale University financial aid and scholarships, a Gates Foundation Scholarship and the Chickasaw Nation, Keenan will attend Yale debt-free. After a yearlong process of applications and essays, Keenan earned the prestigious Gates Foundation Scholarship. The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, lastdollar scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households.

Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential. Being accepted by these elite schools is no easy task.

Keenan wrote essays, filled out applications, personal statements and tons of other paperwork to earn the right to attend Yale.

“Honestly, while I was applying there was a little voice that would say ‘what are you doing? They won’t accept you,’ but I am a very confident and slightly delusional person, so I forged ahead and refused to give up on myself. I would rather try and fail than fail to try,” he posited.

“There are pre-set formulas about how to be accepted, but I decided to just be myself. I wanted to forge a path different than taken by most students and I don’t regret anything. I read advice on how to write the essays, all of which essentially told me to mold myself into an entirely different person, but that didn’t really sound like something I was interested in.

“Rather than writing about classes, studying and research, I wrote about wanting to join dance clubs and be a famous actor, and I didn’t really mind if it wasn’t what they wanted because it was my truth. In high school, could I have gotten a higher ACT score if I spent a bit more time studying? Most likely, but that wasn’t the person I wanted to be nor the life I wanted to live. I did work hard, but I’ve had unspeakable amounts of fun, too, but what I believe really got me where I am is my belief in myself and determination,” he said.

“I think one of the most important things someone can do for themselves is have fun and truly live in this amazing world of opportunity we are fortunate to be in, and we will find ourselves where we belong.”