Hannah Senior 2009

OBI’s 2009 valedictorian, Hannah is the daughter of OBI staff members, Jerry and Kathy Worcester. Hannah was halfway through her sophomore year when her family moved to Oneida from Pennsylvania. Her parents had been looking for jobs in ministry. She recalled, “We were just going to take a trip down here just to rule it out...Everyone at OBI was just so kind and friendly. It felt like home even though it wasn’t yet.”

Her family’s decision to move to Oneida was cemented when they put their house up for sale and had two buyers within three days. “We said, ‘O.k., that’s a sign. Let’s go,’and we packed up and moved,” Hannah recalled.

As Hannah completed high school at OBI, she said the advanced placement classes were “my absolute favorite classes.” She enjoyed the academic challenge as well as getting close to the other AP students. “I was grouped with the same eight to ten kids all day in our AP classes. They were like family,” she said. Hannah plans to study the arts and psychology in college. “I like people. I just want to help people. Maybe I can do art therapy or dance therapy,” she said.

Hannah is highly talented in several of the fine arts. She placed third in mixed media at the state art show her junior year and received two honors, the Art Education Student Association award and the ASID Interior Design award, at the Bluegrass regional art show as a senior. She was in the OBI choir for two years and had leading roles in four school plays at OBI.

Trained in ballet, Hannah shared her love for Jesus with OBI students through dramatic interpretation of Christian songs in chapel services. She also began a dance class for OBI’s younger faculty/staff children. She said, “That’s a dream come true. It’s a chance to teach kids self-respect, godly values and how to dance.”

In her two and a half years at OBI, Hannah said, “I’ve never seen so many awards in my life! I think I had maybe two in my entire school life before I came here. I have a really nice resume now. It’s kind of fun.” The two she’s most proud of are the Most Outstanding junior girl award voted by the OBI faculty and the Director’s award she received in drama. On graduation day, Hannah received OBI’s highest faculty-voted honor, the William A. Evans Award for excellence.

Hannah appreciates how the Lord used the last couple of years in her life to deepen her faith and develop her gifts and ministry skills. “I really had to learn how to stand on my own two feet spritually,” she said. She spent the last three summers with a missions team in Mexico where she received spiritual renewal for the upcoming school year. “I was able to be around radical Christians who would challenge me [to] walk out [my] beliefs. They taught me that when people hate you, you have to love them anyway. There was no complacency in Mexico,” Hannah said.

Her junior and senior years, she was the president of OBI’s Baptist Campus Ministry and a leader in the weekly girls’ dorm devotion group. She was the main speaker at a girls’ worship service this spring which was attended by 70 OBI girls. “[Being a leader] made me want to be a good example in every way,” she said. She spent a lot of time after hours with the dorm students. “I had to learn how to balance time with family, friends and alone time. I wanted to love all of these people, but I needed to make sure I was o.k. spiritually... The dorm students taught me that there is a need to pursue people. You have to show people you’re there for them. Relationships don’t happen easily. They take a lot of effort. I would have loved to be everyone’s best friend, but I learned that I couldn’t, and that’s o.k.”

Houseparent and leader of the girls’ devotion group, Jamie Jory observed Hannah’s faith in action. She said, “Hannah has been a huge inspiration in the girls’ dorm. A lot of girls look up to her. She shares the love and the passion she has for Christ with everyone. This year, she has really excelled as a leader with the devotion group, BCM and her ballet class. She is also a blessing to the staff with her sunny smile and caring, compassionate heart."

Shokunbi Senior 2009

Born in Nigeria, Shokunbi (shuh kun' bee) lived in Texas for about two years before he enrolled at OBI. “My dad came here on a project for two years. My two brothers, my mom and I came with him. When they went back [to Nigeria], they wanted me to stay. They thought if I went to school here [in the U.S.], it would be better,” Shokunbi recalled. His two older brothers remained in Texas, where they found jobs and started college. Shokunbi has a cousin who is a student at OBI. His parents felt it was best for him and for his brothers if he went to Oneida rather than stay in Texas.

After two years in Texas, Shokunbi had friends that he missed when he enrolled at OBI. He said, “I didn’t want to go anywhere. I wanted to stay with my brothers...When I got here, I thought, ‘Whoa! What is this?’ Houston is a big city, and I had never seen mountains like this before. I didn’t feel at home.” 

Once he began meeting other students, Shokunbi was able to adjust. He liked that there were people from all over the world at OBI but that it was still a small school. “I just met friends and met my friends’ friends and met my friends’ friends’ friends! This is OBI—everybody knows everybody. I think it’s better this way. You live together, eat together, do everything together. You get closer,” he said.

Shokunbi did not have difficulty adjusting to the many rules at OBI. For him, good behavior was a matter of upbringing. “Where I’m from, if someone older than you says do something, you pretty much do it without saying anything,” he said.

Shokunbi adapted easily to his required chores and daily job. “It wasn’t that bad. At home I did chores,” he said. He started out as a classroom cleaner. His junior and senior years, he joined sports. He competed in track for two seasons, played soccer for one season and was a team manager for basketball.

Shokunbi graduated in OBI’s top ten of the class. He was on the honor roll the entire time he was a student here. He believes his academic success was due in part to good teachers. “Education in America is better. The teachers actually explain things to you. In Africa, a teacher might explain it one time, but if you ask them again they get mad. Here, I can ask 20 times! It’s much better,” he said. His favorite and most challenging classes this year were pre-calculus, government and English.

Shokunbi received sports letters, worker and academic awards. He noted, “That’s another thing about OBI—they give out a lot of awards. Sometimes it’s overkill, but most of the people who come here never got an award before. It makes them want to do better. When I got an award, I wanted to get another one the next year. Students work to get them. It’s a good thing.”

He plans to attend a university in the U.S. to study mechanical engineering.

Brittnee Senior 2009

Brittnee (right in photo) decided to attend OBI after an academic setback at home her freshman year. “I had to have surgery on my right hand...I was out for three months,” she said.

Oneida was not too far from her home in central Kentucky. “I was up to doing new things. I was excited about going to OBI at first, but when the day came for me to leave, I cried and called all my friends. When I got here it was even worse. I wanted to go home,” she recalled. She decided to make the best of it and pushed herself to make new friends. “Before I came to Oneida, I always kept to myself. I got to know people here and got out of my shell,” she said.

Brittnee became a Christian at OBI during the summer before her sophomore year. “I put my faith in Somebody who loves me unconditionally. This was the best place for me. The environment really helped me. In the city, I was exposed to a lot of things. It was easier to stay focused on God and to feel comfortable around my friends as a Christian at OBI,” she said.

She began to see positive changes in all areas of her life after she became a Christian. “I never in my life thought I would have a 4.0 GPA, and I did this year,” she said.

Brittnee appreciates the many opportunities Oneida gives its students to prepare for future jobs. As president of the Student Government Association, she organized and often emceed student events. She was a leader in the girls’ dorm devotion group. She played volleyball and softball and was a manager for cheerleading.

Her senior year, Brittnee enrolled in the Field Placement program. She worked in the assistant principal’s office for one class period each day. She said, “I felt like a personal secretary. It gave me experience interacting with adults about work things and not just as a student. Plus, we had to make resumes and write in a journal every day.”

Her supervisor, OBI assistant principal Connie Belcher stated, “Brittnee worked as my bookroom assistant and did a fantastic job. I believe...she has built a solid foundation at OBI...and will carry on what God has begun.”

Brittnee is graduating on time, having made up credits from her freshman year in two sessions of summer school and by fitting requirements into her regular schedule. On graduation day, she received OBI’s second highest faculty-voted honor, the John Michael Davis Citizenship Award. She plans to attend a culinary arts school to become a chef.

Eui Sung Senior 2009

From South Korea, Eui Sung (Yoo-ee Sung) attended OBI for three years. “Before I came here, I was a foreign exchange student in Arkansas,” he said.

After his one-year program, Eui Sung wanted to finish his education in the United States. “It’s a better education. I can learn English. It’s a privilege that will make it easier to get a job in Korea. I have the opportunity to be by myself. My parents always do everything for me. I wanted some new experiences,” he said.

“One of my friends found [OBI] on the internet. I heard they had a work program, and it was a Christian school. That made me want to come here, since I am a Christian,” Eui Sung said. “At other schools, international students have to pay a lot more money. This school is cheaper. If I work [at OBI] and help my parents save money, it’s a good deal. I liked that,” he added.

Eui Sung noticed improvement in his math skills during his time at Oneida. “Before I came here, I knew only pre-algebra. This year, I finished in calculus II. Everything that I know I learned from Mr. Grant. They cannot say, ‘This is a small school, so you cannot learn.’ Mr. Grant made me like math. He challenged me to study more...This school is small, but the teachers are good,” he said.

Eui Sung learned leadership skills in OBI’s work program. He was promoted to supervisor of his cleaning crew. Later, he worked as a dorm hall monitor and “key man,” responsible to unlock school buildings for the cleaning crews. This year, he was the “dorm chief,” the top student supervisor of the dorm cleaning crews. “[A houseparent] told me, ‘You have good character.’ I really appreciate him letting me do that job. It was pretty tough. I learned how to teach new guys how to do jobs...I learned to be strong at first and later I can talk gently. It works pretty good,” he said.

Houseparent Gary Garrett said, “Eui Sung is one of the finest young men that we have had in the dorm. He accepted responsibility. He was a leader and a work supervisor in our dorm. Anytime we needed any help, we could call on him, and he did not hesitate to do what we asked him to do. He is also a very talented young man, academically, musically, athletically and socially. He is just a fine young man.”

Eui Sung received Outstanding Worker awards and the Highest GPA awards in soccer and basketball. When he played sports, “It was really, really hard. My schedule each day was pretty tough, but I enjoyed it,” he said.

He appreciates the support he received at Oneida. “People at OBI encouraged me. They told me, ‘Good job!’ Mr. White taught me a lot about how to be a Christian. We shared experiences of God. He’s more than a houseparent to me.”

Eui Sung is considering a career as an international accountant, combining his interests in languages, math and travel. He graduated third in the 2009 class and was one of eight students to receive a President’s Award.

Zunilda Senior 2009

Zunilda became a student at OBI her sophomore year at her mother’s request. Two of her younger sisters were planning to attend. “The reason I came here was to watch them,” Zunilda recalled. She is from New Jersey.

A month after their arrival, Zunilda’s youngest sister changed her mind and returned home. Her other sister completed the year but chose not to return to OBI. Zunilda laughed, “I came here to watch them, and here I am the only one left! I had time alone to focus on doing my best and working to my full potential. I liked the school, and I loved the sports. I made such good grades, so I stayed to continue my success...When I look at my transcript, I’m thankful for getting to stay. Back home, there would have been many distractions. Here, I don’t really know of any distractions.”

Zunilda admitted that she had problems attending school at home. “It’s not that I didn’t like school. I just didn’t want to get up and catch the bus. It was aggravating. I almost got kicked out,” she said. Plus, the social stigma of doing well academically made it easier to let her grades slip. It was different at OBI. “Here, the better grades you get the cooler you are! You’re not cool if you’re not on honor roll,” she explained.

Her grades improved from B’s and C’s to A’s and B’s because of the one-on-one attention she received from her teachers at OBI. She especially benefited from the extra help in math. “We have the best teachers. They really do want to see you succeed and it shows in what they say and how they teach,” she said. Navigating OBI’s structured daily schedule taught Zunilda about time management. “I knew when to say, ‘I can’t do that; I have to study now,’” she said. Her hard work was evident when she graduated sixth of 54 students in the OBI Class of 2009.

Zunilda has been thrilled with the awards she has received at OBI. Her sports awards include Most Improved in basketball, MVP in volleyball and the Coach’s award in tennis. She was also named to all tournament and all conference teams in volleyball and basketball. Besides Top Scholar awards in some of her classes, Zunilda was named the Most Improved sophomore girl by the faculty. This year, she was the vice president of the Student Government Association. She said, “Those awards mean so much to me. When you accomplish something, you feel good about it.”

A born athlete, Zunilda played volleyball at OBI for four years. She played basketball and tennis each for three years and logged one season each in softball and swimming. Her experience in sports at OBI has taught her patience and persistence. She said, “I used to be a quitter. Me sticking with something is really an accomplishment. I said I would quit basketball so many times, but I was still playing this year and that says something. I would rather break bad habits now when I’m young. I learned patience by playing with people who didn’t play at my level or playing against teams who play at a higher level. It’s a challenge to keep coming back after losing seasons.”

Zunilda said she accepted Christ in middle school but had “fallen away.” She remembers the day in chapel her first year when she “woke up” and began listening. A guest speaker was visiting and had a vivid visual aid in his sermon. Zunilda said, “The guy threw a coconut at a mirror!” After that, she listened to what he had to say. She noted that she rededicated her life on a visit to her home church. “My mom was happy, but this time I didn’t do it for my mom. I did it for myself,” she said. At OBI, Zunilda noted, “I started listening more to the other chapel sermons. I learned a lot. Before, I didn’t know anything about the Bible but Adam and Eve. Now, I know a lot of stuff and I pick up the Bible on my own a lot more. Sometimes it really helps me when I’m angry or something... I hope in the future I still have the passion I do now to go to church when it won’t be just given to me. I’ll have to decide on my own.”

“Zunilda has come a long way in maturing. She is very serious about her athletic endeavors as well as her studies,” said OBI Dean of Girls, Billie Faye Hoover. Zunilda plans to attend college and is undecided about her major.

Andrew Senior 2009

Andrew enrolled at OBI in the eighth grade. One reason his family considered a boarding school for Andrew was to reduce the stress at home. “My dad and I argued constantly. It was chaos...Over the years, we got closer,” he said.

The other reason was to get help with his grades. “Academics are definitely not my strong point. Before I came here, my grades were pretty bad. I got overwhelmed with school work at home. It was a lot easier here...I made B’s and C’s. There was not as much homework and there was time in class for the teacher to explain it to you,” he said.

Andrew made friends easily at OBI. “You make lifelong relationships with people. You get really close [when] you live with them,” he said.
 
Since he had played soccer at home, he was happy to continue his experience at Oneida. He also joined swimming, cross country and track, earning awards like Most Valuable Swimmer and Most Improved in track. OBI track coach Lance Nutter said, “Andrew was a very disciplined athlete. He took his sport seriously and was a joy to coach.”

Andrew was a Christian before he came to OBI. “I had gotten away from my faith. I thought about it more here because I was around it all the time. The houseparents would talk to me about [spiritual issues],” he said.

Andrew learned basics in graphic design in OBI’s commercial art class. “I loved everything about that class from the computer work to the hands-on sign-making,” he said. He plans to apply his design training to his career in auto body repair. Andrew was one of eight graduates in OBI's Class of 2009 to receive a President's award.