From attending 10 different schools in a year to recovering from a near-fatal car crash, two Indian Creek graduating seniors had to overcome many challenges to get where they are today.
These students and others walked across the stage Saturday and entered a new chapter of their lives.
Triumph over tragedy
In August 2021 Megan Murray, along with Indian Creek students Kya Lasley and Keilyn Stauffer, were in a near-fatal car crash on Interstate 65 when they were on their way to the Indiana State Fair to show their cattle.
Because of the accident, Murray had been in recovery for most of her senior year and she wasn’t able to go to class until January. Since August 2021 she has had 13 major surgeries, and had to learn to walk again, feed herself, write, and how to overcome memory and vision problems.
Being in and out of hospital, she started to get closer to her faith, and appreciate what she had in her life.
“I haven’t always been a churchy person but this has pushed me to look into my faith more and trust in him (God), he will get me through the hard times,” she said. “He only put me through these hard times because he knew I could handle it.”
November 2021 was the first time Murray got out of bed with help and a walker. For a month and a half Murray could only walk with a walker. By May, Murray could walk without assistance.
“It feels amazing, I can’t put words to the fact that I don’t take things for granted because I started to walk and I walked out of my rehab facility with a walker.”
Murray tries to live her life as “normal as possible” even with the few difficulties she might face from time to time. The challenges she faced in her senior year have taught her a lesson she believes many people should keep in mind daily.
“My biggest advice I would give people is, right now for life in general, don’t take anything for granted,” she said.
Murray has lived in Johnson County her entire life and has gone to school at Indian Creek since kindergarten. The first thing she wanted to do after she got out of her last rehabilitation hospital was go back to school.
“I went to the school and toured the school, I wanted to see everybody, I just wanted to see my friends,” she said.
This fall she will attend Oklahoma State University (OSU) to work toward a degree in farm and ranch management with a minor in animal science. Her goal is to one day run her own ranch.
Murray is excited to go to OSU, but she is sad to leave her childhood friends.
“It’s bittersweet because a lot of the kids I grew up with together and we’re all going to get this one last moment to walk across the stage together,” Murray said.
Succeeding under pressure
Graduate Norissa Bailey was pulled out of school for a semester during her sophomore year. Within that year Bailey attended 10 different schools, making it difficult for her to succeed in her classes and form bonds with students and staff members.
“Moving to 10 different schools in one year was very difficult, I got to meet new people but the worst part was trying to fit in, then leaving all my new friends behind when I had to move to another school,” Bailey said.
She finally transferred to Indian Creek high school and the administration allowed her to skip her junior year and go into her senior year. But to skip her junior year she needed to complete two years of required classes in one year.
She took eight of her required courses along with the extra work she needed to complete to be able to graduate with the class of 2022. While trying to keep up with her class work she faced family problems that tested her focus in class.
“I struggled a lot, I started to have trouble sleeping and then I was always tired at school, sometimes I would sleep in my classes and get behind, then I would catch up,” she said. “For most of my time at school I felt sad and it was difficult for me, especially when I missed a whole semester of school my sophomore year.”
Sometimes Bailey felt she was her only supporter, but that didn’t stop her from succeeding. She got through it with less sleep, more studying, and taking everything “one step at a time,” she said.
With everything she faced throughout her high school career, she felt lucky to have at least one friend that stayed beside her to make sure she didn’t lose her motivation.
“My best friend that I’ve known since fifth grade knew I was struggling and I wanted to give up but she would tell me ‘you can do this, you got this’ she always said inspiring words,” Bailey said.
Those inspiring words Bailey heard from her best friend was the motivation that she needed to not give up on herself.
She was also tested by bullies who picked on her and started rumors.
“I had to try my best to ignore them and focus on school and get my work done and turned in … if you don’t then you’re not going to pass,” Bailey said.
With high school complete, she’s looking for a job and eventually plans to go to nursing school.
