ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Liberal High School has had its Angry Red Advantage in place for multiple years and last Monday, LHS students and staff had the chance to share their thoughts about the program with the USD 480 school board.
“We really want to share these stories from students and staff about the Angry Red Advantage. They represent a variety of the different processes and procedures and initiatives we have in place at LHS, and they are the great things that have come from them,” LHS Principal Ashley Kappelmann said. “We talk a lot about high school being a four-year process, and with some of these students, you'll hear their journey and how they made it through some obstacles and challenges to get where they are today.”
Up first to share his thoughts was LHS student Dalton Wallace.
“I'm part of the Class of 2024 and during my time at LHS, I've been involved in the Chamber of Commerce's Junior Ambassador Program, the Drama Club, Junior Lions, manager for the football and Unified Bowling teams, and I've also been involved with the teacher's aide program and am currently in the work study program,” Wallace said. “One of my proudest accomplishments was giving the Dowell Lecture about the Vietnam War because I got the opportunity to learn more about the war and talk to my peers about how we can avoid a war like that in the future. Another accomplishment I'm proud of is learning more about my classmates and peers along with the rest of the community. I've learned it is good to be involved in the community and everyone should help out in any way they can because it's a great way to meet people. During my time at LHS, I've faced some different challenges such as my ADHD, multiple family emergencies, and a lack of time management. Looking forward, I anticipate challenges such as time management skills and being on unfamiliar terrain while at college. I have the support of LHS staff and teachers and my friends and peers so looking forward, I know my family will support me.
Wallace added for him, the Angry Red Advantage means encouraging the students to be more involved in the community.
“For example, when I was involved in the shop program, I was able to receive my OSHA certificate, which allowed me to volunteer in the community, and when I was helping the football team, I was able to get another license that allowed be to film the football games. I plan to use those certifications in my future career and continue working in the community,” Wallace said. “I gained many skills and opportunities from being part of the Angry Red Advantage, and in the future, I believe my strengths in research skills and my certifications and other skills will help me succeed.”
Up next to speak was fellow LHS student Alan Porix.
“I'm a member of the Class of 2026 and during my time at LHS, I've been involved in the art club and I work after school with my father setting up HVAC units. One of my biggest accomplishments has been not getting sent to FOCUS – last year, during my first semester as a freshman, I had been in out-of-school suspension (OSS) twice and was failing most of my classes,” Porix said. “Since then, however, I've remained out of trouble and I'm passing all of my classes. Through all of that, I learned it's important to pay attention and care about school because there are a lot of life skills to learn that prepare you for a better future. During my time in high school, I've faced obstacles such as failing classes, not showing up to school, getting in fights, and having poor role models. In the future, I anticipate challenges such as difficult classes and keeping up my motivation to do well in school. I've persevered and found success through the help of my teachers and some other programs that have given me a second chance. Moving forward, I know I can use these programs to help me continue to succeed. The Angry Red Advantage represents a program and staff that cares, and I've been given multiple opportunities and encouragement, and I look forward to maintaining all of that in the future.”
LHS teacher Ashley Prosser then read a letter from LHS student Emmailynn Navarrete.
“At Liberal High School, and within the Liberal community, I'm involved in Baking Club and the Lifelong Fitness powerlifting team. One of my proudest accomplishments from my time at LHS is how my grades and attendance have improved this year,” Prosser read. “In the past, I haven't done well with my grades and attendance because I was sick and/or in the hospital a lot. Through this experience, I have learned patience because my disease came back a few times – I would be doing well for a while, but then I'd get sick again. I also learned patience in regard to my schoolwork – I learned to get my work done, but not to worry about my grades dropping because my teachers gave me extra time. During high school, I was sick and in the hospital a lot, and it was also a struggle to find a ride to school sometimes so even when I was sick, I would have to walk to school. Looking ahead, I worry about my illness coming back and not being able to handle the physical and financial stress of being sick in the future. I've been fortunate to have support from my family, Ms. Riggs, the LHS nurses, Ms. Bell and Ms. Mendoza, and my homeroom teacher, Ms. Kidney. I'm also supported by Ms. Fowler and the other teachers who helped create my 504 plan and come up with ways to make me more comfortable at school. In the future, I know I can rely on my family and my 504 plan since it will carry over to college, and the college nurses. I also know I can contact my teachers if I need to. LHS has provided me with the Angry Red Advantage by giving me an opportunity to catch up after I was sick for so long, the opportunity for flexible seating because of my illness, and early dismissal so if things were really bad, I could leave early. In my future endeavors, I believe my patience and determination will help me stand out.”
Rounding out the student testimonies was LHS student Kaniel Cruz.
“During my time in Liberal, I've been involved in the Tomahawk Shop, and I work at Walmart after school. One of my proudest accomplishments from my time at LHS is being on track to graduate. This is mainly because during my first three years of high school, I hated coming to school and I was lazy, so I just didn't come because of all the work and I wasn't connecting with my teachers,” Cruz said. “I felt like I didn't have any teachers who actually cared about me, but I ultimately grew up, found motivation, and got caught up. From this experience, I learned to not waste my time, do my work during PLT, and to not skip class. The possibility of not being able to graduate stirred me, and I realized I couldn't keep on that path. During my high school journey, I faced obstacles such as teachers not caring about my education and low attendance, and I also had to balance work and school because I go to school from 7:55 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. and then go to work from 4 to 10:30 p.m. five days a week, and longer on weekends. As I look ahead, I anticipate facing financial challenges and finding a way to pay for college. To help pay for college, I've applied for many scholarships and plan to work my way through school.”
Cruz added he plans to persevere through any challenges with a lot of support.
“At the start of my junior year, I joined the school store and Ms. Adrian was my teacher and immediately got onto me and pushed me to do better and come to school and do my work,” Cruz said. “That pushing showed me she cared about my education, and it was the first time I'd felt like I had a place at school, which inspired me to do everything I could to catch up. For me, having PLT embodies the Angry Red Advantage because it gives me the opportunity to get everything done on the day it needs to, which is something many other schools don't have. Having PLT allowed me to catch up from when I was behind, and it allows me to get my homework done during school so I don't have to worry about it after school when I have to go to work. PLT has also helped me become a Marketing pathway completer. LHS has also provided me with Angry Red Advantage, which has allowed me to open up more to my teachers.”
LHS teachers Cindy Orrantia and Theresa Carrillo then shared their thoughts about the Angry Red Advantage.
“I have been working at LHS for almost 12 years now. I started as the testing coordinator and then from there, I was a counselor assistant, a scheduler, the postsecondary success coordinator, and last year was when I started teaching,” Orrantia said. “It hasn't been an easy journey, but I believe I landed at the right place. I started with just my high school diploma at 26 years old working at LHS and because I have such a good support system, I've been able to accomplish a lot. Five years ago, I started college from scratch and from there, I was able to graduate from Fort Hays State University in December with my Bachelor of Science degree in education, meaning I'm now a licensed teacher. If it wasn't for the Angry Red Advantage and all of the opportunities I had through LHS, I would probably be working somewhere else. But because someone believed in me here and pushed me to do better, I grew so much and have been able to accomplish so much.”
“I'm the in-school suspension (ISS) teacher and interim instructor at LHS, and I'm also a full-time student at Fort Hays State University getting my degree in social work,” Carrillo said. “When people hear I work all day with high school ISS students, they rather grimace at that, and I also get a lot of 'Bless your heart' comments.' I've gotten asked so many times 'Do you like your job?' and I will tell you, I love it. My house has never been toilet papered, my car has never been egged, and I've never been accosted. Our ISS is no longer like the movie 'The Breakfast Club' where everyone's a troublemaker – we're not just focused on punishment, and our students work on credit recovery and catch up on assignments. We also take the time to sit with each student and discuss their situation and what led to them being sent to ISS. I talk about breaking bad habits, time management, communication skills and other basic life skills. Most importantly, my students talk to ME and discuss depression, peer pressure through social media, self-harming, and I sit with them and help them make sense of all those feelings by validating and supporting them. I have huge plans in the future to implement a lot of new ideas as far as restorative practices for our students, and I want us to focus on life skills, social skills and emotional skills, because the goal is to create resilient and confident students so when they leave LHS, they'll be able to withstand all the storms life throws at them. I have a great support system – my ideas are considered, my changes are supported, and my passion is recognized. I love my job, but I LOVE my students, and I'm excited to see how our ISS program will grow and evolve at LHS.”
