One day Koal Kinder will leave Indiahoma, Okla., a town of about 335, to pursue a career as a pharmacist. Helping people is what he aspires to do, much like his grandparents helped him.
“The feeling knowing I helped someone through something makes me feel good,” said Koal, who is 17 and will be a senior next year.
Koal’s grandparents have provided him with moral support throughout his life, teaching him confidence and study habits.
“They provided me with Southern hospitality, which led me to pursue my future career,” he said.
Hard work, dedication and that moral support helped him get to the point where he is at the top of his class, maintains a 4.0 GPA and scored a 28 on the ACT.
His focus on academics came after he realized he had asthma at age 7. It was then that Koal found his passion for reading.
He said he loves the challenges that come along with learning.
Even though he has asthma, he never let it hold him back from doing what he loved. In fact, he said, it pushed him forward.
“That pushed me inside and into learning.”
It’s paid off. As a sophomore, Koal was in an upper–level chemistry class.
“Being the only tenth-grader in there felt overwhelming,” he said.
Things didn’t come easy for Koal. Countless nights and weekends were spent studying. He said just like anyone else, he had to work for it.
Because learning is a challenge, Koal pursues something new every day. Learning the unknown is what he has always enjoyed. It’s a pursuit that he hopes will one day take him to Lawton, Okla., a town of about 97,000.
