For all of Brennen Coffield’s achievements at Iola High School — and there have been a bunch — his work outside the classroom is equally extraordinary.
On top of his sterling 4.0 grade-point average, even while taking Honors Curriculum level courses, Coffield is a decorated multi-sport athlete, including a three-time state qualifier in golf. (He’ll gun for a fourth straight state appearance later this month.)
Coffield was voted Iola’s KSHSAA Citizenship Award winner among his fellow seniors, a testament to his character, and has been active in the school’s National Honor Society chapter throughout high school.
Tack on being named a Kansas CTE scholar in diversified agricultural science, and you come to realize just how packed Coffield’s high school career has been.
Coffield is in line to be one of three class valedictorians, alongside classmates Bethany Miller and Bella Rahming, for Iola’s Class of 2026. Commencement ceremonies are planned for 2 p.m. Saturday in the IHS gymnasium.
COFFIELD attributes his classroom success to two primary factors: staying on top of his work to ensure assignments were done on time; and communicating regularly with his teachers, particularly if he had to miss class for different activities.
“As long as I got my work done, that was the big key,” he said. “And my mom being a teacher definitely instilled in me how important it was to communicate with my teachers.”
He credits both of his parents, Travis and Jessy, for his success. “They try to keep me to a high standard.”
Such standards included doing assignments on bus trips when necessary, to ensure his assignments were done correctly and on time.
IN AN ODD way, Coffield’s philosophy about golf has aided him in his other pursuits.
“You can never master it,” he noted. “No matter how well you play, there’s always something you could have done better.”
The same could be said in the classroom, where Coffield found an affinity for physics courses.
“I enjoy getting to see the world differently through physics, to learn how things work.”
Coffield also found an ancillary benefit to hours on the golf course with his father.
Like his son, Travis was a highly decorated high school golfer.
“I would hang around my dad a lot and take after what he does,” Coffield said. “He guided me through a lot when I had problems.”
