Highlights - Oneida Baptist Institute

Progress on Walker Athletic Complex

Work is nearing completion on the Susan and Bob Walker Athletic Complex. The synthethic track and field plus installation of fencing, lighting and a press box with sound system are completed. Final touches include finishing the Field House, installing the 450-seat bleachers, paving a driveway and completing the landscaping. The tennis courts were upgraded to include lighting and surrounding concrete sidewalks and steps to the lower paved parking area. The next phase of the Athletic Complex includes repositioning the baseball and softball fields and upgrading fencing and dugouts. A dedication ceremony for the Walker Athletic Complex is planned for August, 2023 in conjunction with the first home soccer game.
Class of 2023's William A. Evans Award Recipient

Taraporn “Wawa” Prommanok received OBI's highest graduation honor, the William A. Evans Award. Wawa is from Thailand and attended OBI all four years of high school. Read more about Wawa and other graduates with the Class of 2023 in the May/June issue of The Oneida Mountaineer.
Gifted Bus Arrives at Perfect Time

Read about this providential donation from Kuttawa First Baptist Church at Kentucky Today.
New Cafeteria

Underwood Hall is open!
OBI Class of 2022 Valedictorian awarded four-year scholarship

Oneida, Kentucky, April 8, 2022—Madison Gritton, the OBI Class of 2022 valedictorian, accepted a four-year academic scholarship to the University of the Cumberlands in an awards ceremony at Oneida Baptist Institute on May 5, 2022. Gritton also won the Cartis and Merkie Carpenter scholarship through the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky and the 2022 WYMT Mountain Classic Scholarship.
Gritton is the daughter of OBI alumni and administrators, Larry and Angela Gritton. Following in her parents’ footsteps, Gritton got involved in sports at OBI at an early age. In volleyball, she was named to the Regional All Tournament Volleyball team two years in a row and competed at the state volleyball tournament in 2019. Gritton advanced to the state track meet in the discus field event in 2019 and 2021. She earned the KHSAA Academic All State Award for both sports.
An academically gifted student, Gritton benefited from advanced and dual credit classes offered at OBI. “I took classes that would challenge me. I always strive to do the best that I can,” she said. Gritton was the recipient of the Hazel Burns scholarship as well as OBI’s highest graduation honor, the William A. Evans award. She plans to earn a degree in sports and exercise science before entering UC’s newly-added physical therapy program.
A Christian since age seven, Gritton stated, “I was already a believer, but I definitely think Oneida has helped grow my faith.” With chapel services, Christian staff and biblical principles incorporated into classes, she added, “I know what I believe and why I believe it, and OBI has played a big role in that.”
OBI Math Teacher Grades AP Exams

After a rigorous application and screening process, OBI math teacher Steve Grant, received an invitation to be a “reader” for the AP calculus exam. He traveled to a convention center in Kansas City, Missouri, this year’s “reading site,” where he joined math colleagues from across the U.S. for seven intensive days of grading the nation’s AP calculus exams during June, 2022.

“AP” is short for Advanced Placement, a program run by the College Board, a non-profit organization which promotes college readiness for students. Advanced high school students may take AP courses, and at the end of the course take a standardized AP exam, the score of which may result in college credit and/or a bump in their high school GPA. OBI offers several advanced placement classes in addition to dual credit college opportunities.

Grant stated that he looked forward to this opportunity because, “I thought it would be a good experience to be a part of the program. Getting together with math people to do math—this is something I felt that I would enjoy, and I also thought that I could contribute to the process.” Grant was responsible for two problems from the calculus exam and completed over 2,000 tests, grading eight hours each day. While grading, he gained valuable insight for his own teaching. “It gave me an opportunity to see what the students were understanding [and] an indication of how the material was being taught. I saw things that I could apply in my own classroom,” he explained

Grant has been teaching for 35 years, the last 26 years at OBI. Before coming to OBI, he taught at missionary schools in South and Central America. He holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree and is OBI’s advanced math teacher.

Grant enjoyed the experience of grading the AP caluculus exam among fellow math teachers, but noted it was also a refreshing time of professional development. He said, “There were opportunities at meal time to talk to other educators who were, like me, passionate about what they do. We talked about our experience in the classroom, we shared ideas, we shared the titles of must-read books and good websites. Questions would come up about the schools that we were from, and I was able to talk about OBI and the work that we are doing here.”
OBI Senior Wins Top Asbury Honor

OBI senior Aliceson Barger was named a John Wesley Hughes Scholar at Asbury University. The prestigious award includes full tuition at Asbury. Aliceson has attended OBI since the 7th grade.