PENDLETON — With 30-plus years of experience at South Madison Community Schools, Pendleton Heights Middle School Principal Jennifer Chestnut has seen a lot of young men and women leave the halls and classrooms on a path to success.
So, after she was hired in May as principal — with 13 years as assistant principal and 20 years total in administration — she decided to implement a “What it Takes to be Great” program, which arranges for successful people to visit and talk to students.
Last week, former Pendleton Heights High School and Butler University basketball star Kellen Dunham came to the school. Dunham has been playing basketball professionally for the past three years and will play again this year at a yet to be determined destination.
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Dunham said he was glad to give back to the school system. He is a 2012 graduate of Pendleton Heights High School, where he led the state in scoring his senior season before heading off to a stellar collegiate career at Butler.
He has played professionally in Europe and the G-League — a minor league to the NBA — the past three years. He has an offer to return to the Capital City Go-Go, an affiliate of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, though he may return to Europe to play.
“(PHMS assistant principal) Tony Candiano ran the idea by me and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve had so many positive biblically driven people in my life, I would love to be able to give back as much as I can to these kids. If one kids’ life can be encouraged, that would be worth it to me.”
The “What it TAKES to be GREAT” program was set up to have the speaker talk to students in classrooms, spaces where some of the speakers sat when they were in school, instead of a more tradition venue for such a program, such as an auditorium or gymnasium.
The guests also hang out with students during lunchtime.
“It’s much more informal,” Chestnut said. “We all know, as educators, the way you reach the kids is through relationships.
“(We) want to bring them in where they can just hang out with our kids and let them mingle.”
Chestnut said she will bring in others that have had success in sports and business and will also invite members of local town government and other officials to hang out with her students.
“One of our initiatives this year is to help kids understand that goals can and should be made at an early age,” Chestnut said. “To have those goals in place, requires a plan, requires thought and we wanted to give an example of people who had made goals early on and had achieved goals and probably still have goals they haven’t achieved yet.”
Dunham said students asked him about his travels to Europe, movies, pop culture and more.
“I wanted to know what he did to get to where he’s at now,” eighth-grader Kaylie McFarland said.
Dunham said, when he was in high school, some of his motivation and inspiration came from a former Arabian who would come back to visit.
While Dunham was playing for the Arabians, Vaughn Duggins, a 2006 Pendleton Heights grad, who also played at Wright State University, was playing basketball professionally in Europe. Dunham would play with and against Duggins when the recently retired pro was in town.
“(Duggins) used to come back and play open gym with us. That was so cool. This guy was living my dream by playing, in Germany, professional basketball. Being around him and rubbing shoulder to shoulder with people like that was pretty inspiring,” Dunham said.
“I love doing this. I was so thankful for people to come back (when I was in school).”
Chestnut said Duggins is scheduled to come to the middle school in September. Initially, she is having the South Madison successes come in once a month but is hopeful to increase the frequency.
“I feel kids need to see it’s not just the luck of the draw,” Chestnut said. “People really work at being good, being great, being successful. It doesn’t just drop in their laps for the most part.”