NORWOOD — To say Kylee J. Kellison made the most of her experience at Norwood-Norfolk High School would be an understatement. Inspiringly, she did it while facing challenges--both personal and pandemic--that would derail many of the most resolute students.
“I can’t even tell you the last normal day I had at school,” she said, referring to COVID-19.
“I didn’t like going months without seeing my friends and being locked up in a house all day. It wasn’t what I expected at all.”
Despite this, she described high-school as “a ride of many different emotions.”
“It was a fun experience graduating with a bunch of the people I grew up with,” she said.
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget my high-school experiences.”
Throughout high-school, Ms. Kellison was a three sport athlete, playing soccer, basketball, and softball. For three years, she was captain of the basketball team.
“I grew up in a household of athletes, and I was coached for a long time by my mom,” she said.
“The sports I played made me who I am today, and created a lot of the bonds that will stay with me forever.”
The sports, she said, also helped her overcome off-court devastations.
Junior year, Ms. Kellison lost her mom to a car accident.
“It was and will forever be the hardest thing I ever had to go through,” she said.
A couple of weeks ago, she also lost her stepfather to addiction.
Rather than shut down in the face of such heavy loss, as most people would, she used the memory of her mother and stepfather as inspiration to accomplish more.
“I am normally one to just always come to school with a smile on my face, and get done what I have to, because I know if my mom and stepdad were still here they’d want me to keep being me,” she said.
“I know they’re still with me, so I just want to make them proud.”
Ms. Kellison has several talents, not limited to athletics.
She was a member of the Norwood Drama Club and did stage crew for the high-school’s production of Shrek The Musical this year.
“I’m also a part of the National Honor Society and the Norwood-Norfolk National Technical Honor Society at Seaway Tech BOCES Center.”
She went to BOCES for criminal justice, but underwent a change of heart.
“For the longest time I wanted to be in law enforcement, but now I want to study early childhood,” she said.
“But BOCES was definitely a new experience, and we’re all like a big family.”
Nowadays, Ms. Kellison hopes to become a juvenile counselor.
After graduation, she said she’s moving to Oklahoma with her boyfriend, where she plans to take online classes in pursuit of her career goals.
“I have learned that time goes by quicker than you think,” she reflected.
“You don’t ever want to take people or places for granted, because it can all be gone in an instant.”
“So,” she advised, “create those bonds, have someone by your side, make sure you do your work, and don’t do anything stupid.”
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