Published: August 10, 2009 08:15 pm      

Homeschooler keeps busy all year long

DUNCAN — Kaitlyn Shondelmyer is so active in 4-H, church and educational activities that there are hardly enough hours in her day.

The daughter of David and Ann Shondelmyer is an 11th-grade homeschooled student. She won a $1,000 state 4-H scholarship in Family and Consumer Sciences/Visual Arts at the 4-H Honor Night assembly on July 30 at Oklahoma State University.

Kaitlyn is president of the STAR 4-H Club in Duncan, and is a Stephens County 4-H officer and active in the Teen Leader Club. She is the county’s senior grand champion in the demonstration contest, poster contest, dress review contest and impressive dress contest. Kaitlyn was chosen as Outstanding Senior Member of the Year in Stephens County in 2008.

She received the American Youth Foundation’s National Leadership Award in 2008 in recognition of personal integrity, balanced living and potential for leadership. The National Leadership Award is presented each year by the American Youth Foundation (AYF).

She was team captain of the Stephens County 2008 Consumer Judging Team, and earned third place in individual competition.

“In 4-H, I have had the opportunity to learn a wide variety of skills. I have made friends from across Oklahoma and Stephens County. I invite all kids who want to have fun and meet new friends to join 4-H,” she said.

A regular exhibitor at the Stephens County Free Fair, Kaitlyn won a blue ribbon at the 2008 Oklahoma State Fair for her homegrown butternut squash. Kaitlyn knows how to grow it, and knows how to use it. She showed those skills when she placed third for her Cracked Wheat Butternut Bread in the Other Wheats division of the competition sponsored by the Oklahoma Wheathearts through the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. She had already won a blue ribbon on the county level for the bread made from a recipe she developed herself.

And that was no easy task, said her mother.

“We love butternut squash, but it’s not an easy thing to grow in Oklahoma. It’s more of a Northern thing. We moved here from Pennsylvania four years ago, so my husband decided to try it and has had success getting it to grow here,” Ann Shondelmyer said after her daughter’s local win.

Even with the many 4-H activities, she continues to excell academically. In April, she received a gold medal and certificate of honorable mention, summa cum laude, for her score in the Latin II national Latin exam. In May, she was inducted into membership in the National Society of High School Scholars.

This summer, she attended the Intensive Summer Academy in Mathematics, Science and Technology at Langston University. One of only 36 students from across the state, Kaitlyn received instruction in college math, science and ACT preparation. She was awarded certificates for Outstanding Math Student and Outstanding Biology Student. She also received college biology and calculus textbooks for further study.

“I recommend this camp for anyone who loves math and science and is willing to work hard to learn advanced concepts,” she said. “The ACT training helped me understand how to improve my math and science scores. I made many friends, also.”

After completing high school requirements, Kaitlyn plans to attend a Christian university and major in biomedical engineering or geology.

And, if that were not enough to keep her busy, she is a member of the Oklahoma City Home School Choir. She attends Immanuel Baptist Church and is active in the youth program at Tanglewood Bible Fellowship.

When people comment that homeschooled students miss out on the companionship of other students and activities, Kaitlyn Shondelmyer begs to differ. She is an example that students can have it all, no matter where they get their education.