By Brett McMahon
For Oakwood High graduate Tricia Keith being recognized at the VASE Excellence in Education Banquet for Special Educators in Vermilion County was extra special.
Her recognition, along with that of 37 others across the county, was thanks to Oakwood Superintendent Larry Maynard’s recommendation.
Keith, who graduated from the district, is quick to give credit to many of her former teachers.
She said, “I had some of the best teachers at Oakwood, and I feel like this gives them a little pat on the back too.” Keith adds that those educators believed in, motivated, and inspired her, helping to nurture her desire for working with kids.
While she greatly appreciates the recognition, Keith is quick to sing the praises of others across the county. If it were up to her, she would bring more of those people to the forefront and make sure they could be celebrated on a daily basis.
Her heart for the community has been recognized many times in the past, including by the News-Gazette in their 40 Under 40 segment and in Vermilion County as a Hero in 2016, along with the Golden Ruler award in both 2011 and 2021.
Based at the Regional Office of Education, located near the building that houses the Vermilion Association of Special Education (VASE), Keith is the program coordinator, which, in her words, means wearing many hats.
“I am the Regional McKinney-Vento Coordinator, which serves our youth facing housing insecurity. I serve as the Regional Safe Schools Coordinator, which is an alternative program for students that have been expelled from their home districts, and I also oversee our Regional Safe Schools GED Program. All of these programs support students that don’t fit inside the perfect little box. We offer opportunities to continue their education, we offer support services and we provide consistency and hope for better tomorrow.”
The word home insecurity does not mean the students are homeless, though it could encompass that. It could also mean displaced from their natural home environment for any number of reasons.
Last year alone, there were over 400 students falling into the housing insecure category.
Keith says those numbers will fluctuate throughout the year with more than 200 currently part of that program. While every day presents something different, the bottom line is still the same for Keith:
“I’ve had some absolutely amazing days and some really, really hard days,” she said. “But knowing that I can maybe make the day a little bit better for a student or family, no matter how big or how small, keeps me going.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made for some unexpected challenges, but one of the biggest was not being able to see the kids in person each day. Keith states that it is impossible to know how a student is really doing without being in the same physical space. Despite Zoom and E-Learning offering some positive alternatives, there were also drawbacks as some students, upon returning to school, had trouble in the classroom after being away for so long.
Working with kids also runs in Keith’s family as both her grandmothers were directly involved with schools. Her maternal grandmother was the school nurse in Oakwood, meaning she got to watch her every day. Her paternal grandmother was a lunchroom worker at Royal and sometimes she got the chance to attend work with her as well.
After bouncing around in jobs a little bit, she got the chance to work for the Regional Office of Education in 1999 and has been there ever since. To this point, she feels her greatest accomplishment comes from community involvement. In addition to her efforts within county schools, she also holds a shoe drive called From Your Heart To Their Soles, which provides new tennis shoes to students in need.
Keith has some lofty goals for the future. When asked, she revealed a list that includes being able to “continue to offer creative educational environments for kids that aren’t succeeding in a traditional school environment. Keep expanding the shoe drive. I hope one day we will have an emergency shelter for unaccompanied youth.
“I’d like to establish food/necessity pantries in all of our schools.”
Other areas she feels passionate about is expanding include mental health services for kids.
Currently, there are waiting lists, and much of the time, travel is required to receive help. In a crisis situation, this can be pivotal. Not to mention, the need to travel can provide logistical nightmares for some families. Housing for unaccompanied youth is yet another target area for Keith who states that currently there are no options for this service throughout Vermilion County.
