(Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles on Iola High School seniors who have excelled in the classroom.)
Harvard University, a citadel of education, is to get one of Iola High School’s best.
Kent Toland, who will speak on behalf of his classmates at Iola High School’s graduation ceremonies May 16, has been accepted to the 374-year-old university.
“Our school and town gets a lot of knocks and I think this shows if you work hard and take advantage of opportunities, you don’t have to be in a high school in Wichita or Kansas City to succeed,” Toland observed.
That he vied for a seat in the Boston-area university, was prompted by the encouragement of friends, he said.
“I decided I wanted to give some out-of-state schools a shot, as well as KU,” he said, and applied to the universities of Virginia, Texas and Oklahoma. “Then Aaron Cheung and Ryan Latta told me I ought to apply at Harvard.”
He did and had an interview with alumni of the school April 2 in Kansas City.
“It lasted about 45 minutes and was really nerve-wracking when I thought about what was on the line,” Toland recalled.
While the interview went well, Toland was told there was no set formula that led to acceptance, rather that “they were looking for well-rounded students,” as well as those who can cope academically.
Toland scored 34 on the ACT (American College Testing) — perfect is 36 — and will be graduated from Iola High as a straight-A student through four years. He was named Academic All-State, one of 30 seniors selected from high schools in the nearly 300 districts in the state, and was named a Governor’s Scholar, recognition for students whose grades are in the top 1 percent among all seniors in Kansas.
He also is a National Merit Scholar, an honor that has special meaning.
“My dad was a National Merit Scholar,” Toland said. “He was my role model, as has been my mother,” Karen Toland.
John Toland, an Iola attorney, died June 2, 2006.
He also has two older brothers and a sister who have provided guidance. Carol Toland, a graduate of the University of Kansas and its law school, is an attorney for the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Mark was graduated last year from Wichita State University and is pursuing a career in entertainment as a magician. Scott will be graduated from KU the same afternoon as Kent, which, he allowed, “is causing some problems for Mom.”
TOLAND HASN’T settled on what direction his studies will take at Harvard. All he knows is that he’ll pursue a career that allows him to be “debt-free and living a stable, family life.”
His academic interests are math and music, two fields that aren’t as dissimilar as they seem: There is a rhythm to mathematical equations while numbers are very much a part of musical scores.
“I don’t have to decide an area of concentration until the end of my sophomore year,” he said. “Earlier (in high school) I had thoughts about teaching and pre-law.”
Toland, Southeast Kansas League No. 1 singles champion, hopes to walk-on with the Harvard tennis team. If that doesn’t pan out he will play club tennis, to give himself a chance to develop a wider circle of friends and continue to enjoy an activity he loves. He also plans to try out for choir or drama, because of his longtime affinity for each and to immerse himself in all that is Harvard.
“I have so many people to thank for what I’ve been able to do and accomplish,” Toland said.
Tonya Smedley was his fifth-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary School.
“She was an incredible teacher,” Toland said. “She pushed me further than I thought I could go in reading and also really pushed my limits in math. That helped going into middle school.”
He mentioned several others who have influenced his pursuit of learning in high school, including Travis Hermstein, Mary Ann Dvorachek, Dianne Kauth and Marvin Smith, as well as Principal David Grover.
“My church family at First Presbyterian and Pastor Jim Rausch have been important,” he said.
His analysis: It does take a village to raise a child.
EXTRACURRICULAR activities have been a part of the mix of his development.
“I’m so happy to be a veteran of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center,” where he has sang, danced and acted in stage productions, both through Iola High plays and in those produced by Iola Community Theatre.
“Seems like every play I’ve been in, I’ve played a bad guy,” such as Judas in “Godspell,” he said. He is quick to say that the Bowlus Center itself has permitted him to explore stagecraft and all that goes with it that students in most Kansas high schools can only dream about.
Richard Spencer has tutored Toland on stage. “I’m so thankful for all he’s done for me,” Toland said.
Vocally, he credits Greta Adams, Iola High vocal music instructor, with cultivating his voice to the point that he was chosen three years running for the all-state choir.
In addition to tennis, Toland played basketball and was a member of the Iola High cross country team.
“I’ve had some very good tennis coaches and this year Lyle Kern has been awesome in making it so much fun,” he said.
Tennis is a favorite, he said, because he knows it will be a game he can play throughout his life.
“I love to have so many ways to interpret” the game, he said. “I also like the one-on-one aspect.”
Cross country gave him the opportunity to work as part of a team — he thrived on the camaraderie — under the direction of Smith, “who is a legend. It was a real treat to be involved with him,” in sports as well as the classroom. “Some of my best friends I made while running cross country. And I found if you can run up Moonlight Hill (southeast of Gates Corporation’s plant) you can do anything.”
AT THE END of the day, though, whether after a tennis match or a play rehearsal, Toland said he always was cognizant, that “classes and academics have to come first,” which will weigh well in his favor at Harvard.
