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Getting a higher education can be an endurance test, admitted Dianne Kauth, including “how many late-night study sessions you can endure.”
But the journey builds a foundation that makes you not only stronger, but opens doors to myriad opportunities, Kauth told Allen Community College graduates at their commencement ceremony.
As the ACC Distinguished Alumnus from the Class of 1989, Kauth served as Saturday’s commencement speaker.
KAUTH implored whether the graduates have ever said they’d never do something, but then turned around and did it anyway.
She used former professional basketball player Michael Jordan as an example.
“Do you remember, when he was cut from a high school basketball team?” she asked. “Instead of giving up, he took this disappointment and it fueled his determination. He ended up playing 13 years for the Chicago Bulls, became a six-time NBA champion, and a five-time MVP.”
She added that at Jordan’s retirement, he stated that he would never return to basketball. “But, he did,” she noted. Jordan went on to play for the Washington Wizards for two seasons.
“When I graduated from high school, I told myself that I would never step foot in school again,” Kauth said. “Do you know what my occupation is now?” Kauth teaches math at Iola High School.
REFLECTING ON her experience of school, she noted her older sister breezed through high school with top grades.
“School was not as easy for me,” she explained. “I wasn’t dumb — I just had to work a little harder. That didn’t bother me so much. What did bother me was that I was continually being compared to my sister. I felt like I could never measure up.”
Her time as a student at Allen changed her outlook on school, Kauth said. “It helped me be what I am today.”
Following high school, Kauth worked for a local dress factory where she enjoyed her work. “But, I was a little bored and something didn’t feel right,” she said. “I prayed that the Lord would open and close the right doors for me.”
Kauth enrolled in a night class at Allen. She loved it. One class led to another, leading her to discover a love of math.
After graduating from Allen she attended Pittsburg State University, earning a bachelor’s of science degree, followed by a master’s in science from Friends University.
“Allen’s teachers really care about their students,” said Kauth. “Allen gave me the opportunity that I needed. It was the perfect fit for me.”
