19 Jul 2015 Inspired and inspiring: Gifford excited to pursue special education degree

by Levi Gilbert

For many students, college is a defining time in their lives. For some, those defining moments come even earlier, in high school, thanks to great educators and the opportunity for growth.

In the classroom and on the pitch, Kortni Gifford was exposed to these opportunities at Conway High, and she leaves the school with a sense of purpose moving forward.

“I plan to attend UCA in the fall and will be a part of the Honors College there,” Gifford said. “At first, I was planning to major in biology in hopes of going on to dental school, but after being a part of Caring Cats and working with three amazing teachers — Mrs. (Cheryl) Daniels, Mrs. (Yvonne) Bradden and Ms. (Gabrielle) Cain — and eight life-changing students in the special education classroom at Conway High School, I couldn’t imagine majoring in anything besides special education. I had three perfect examples to watch and hope to be half the woman and teacher that the current special education teachers are at Conway High School.

“The kids won over my heart, and I learned more from them than they learned from me. They became my best friends and changed my life for the better, so I hope to make many more friends and learn more in the future as a special education teacher.”

In her time at Conway High, Gifford also found inspiration in the sport — soccer — she had played since she was 3 years old.

“I was in all types of athletics starting at an early age,” Gifford said. “I think my parents made me play so many sports so that I could get rid of all of the energy I had as a kid. Soccer was the only sport I stuck with though. Soccer not only tests you physically, but it is also a very mental game, and I think that is the reason I love it so much. It always keeps me on my toes, and no two games are the same. Being on a traveling, competitive soccer team does not leave much time for anything else. I had to sacrifice a lot of things, including other sports, to play the game I love.”

The Lady Cats soccer team finished 9-6-1 overall and 6-3 in the 7A/6A Central. Conway lost in the first round of the state playoffs in double overtime on penalty kicks. Gifford takes pride in her time as a Lady Wampus Cat.

“My four years being a Wampus Cat were the best four years of my life,” Gifford said. “I will miss all of the athletic events, the amazing teachers and administrators, the friends I made, going until 4:15 p.m. and fighting for a parking space close to the building. First semester of this past year, I was literally running to all of my classes to make it in time, and I thought I wouldn’t miss running up and down three flights of stairs and through the courtyard, but I guess I will actually miss that, too.

“Being a Wampus Cat meant being a part of a family away from home. I will miss the unity and acceptance of everyone at the school. I will also miss having to explain what a Wampus Cat is to everyone. It’s a blue mythical cat-like creature that has six legs — four to run at the speed of light and two to fight with all its might! Even though I am leaving the school, I will forever consider myself a Wampus Cat.”

Her presence on the pitch will be missed by the Conway Lady Cats soccer team. With the defensive midfielder’s graduation, Conway has lost a “fierce competitor,” according to Conway coach Kevin DeStefano.

“Kortni refuses to give up on herself and is one of the most coachable players I have worked with,” DeStefano said. “I was harder on her than any other player, and she accepted that and pushed through. She was an excellent role model for her peers on the soccer team as she stayed active in her church and in her community. She also worked on top of her commitments to the soccer program.

“Kortni exceeded my expectations. She is one of a few players who rarely spent time on the bench. She was a leader and the rock of our midfield. She allowed others to express themselves in the attack by ensuring they were covered in defense. This is not easy to convince an athlete to do, but Kortni was always willing to sacrifice for the team.”

Gifford has a heart of service — both in the classroom and in the community. She served as vice president of Caring Cats at Conway High and was also involved in Fellowship of Christian Students and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is an active member of Conway’s Second Baptist Church. She was a member of Faulkner County Teen Court for the past two years and Faulkner County Youth Leadership Institute during the past year. She also volunteers regularly at the Bethlehem House and Conway Human Development Center and previously helped coach Mighty Mites for the Rush Soccer Club. On top of everything, she was also a member of the Conway High band.

Gifford embraced the busyness of her senior year. Between schoolwork, a job, soccer, family time, band, church and a lot of other extracurricular activities, she never gave in to the madness of her schedule.

“I was awful at managing my time before this year, but I had to figure it out quickly this year,” Gifford said. “I had to sacrifice most of my social life to make sure all of the important things in my life were taken care of. Somehow, I managed to stay in all of my activities, maintain good grades and keep my job. It might have required staying up until 2 in the morning and a lot of prayers, but it was worth it. Time management will be something I will use in college and throughout the rest of my life, so I’m glad I struggled with it this year and learned from it.”

On top of all of her commitments, Gifford volunteered much of her time during her senior year to serve one of her own teammates by helping raise funds for Morgan McAlexander. McAlexander was injured in a car accident last December and tragically passed away in July.

“This year was by far one of the most challenging years for me on the field,” Gifford said. “When one of my teammates, Morgan, got in a wreck early in the season, it really brought me down. It was hard not having her in training during the season and not hearing her laugh or voice on the field. During pre-season of this year, I sprained my MCL. Trying to get back in shape from that injury was very rough. Playing defensive midfielder, there is not much rest time, so I had to gain a lot of mental strength on top of the physical strength. I was constant
ly having to motivate myself to run the extra five yards to a ball or think three plays ahead to know where I needed to be on the field.

“This year’s motto for our team was ‘Play for Morgan.’ I knew in the back of my head that Morgan would have given anything she could to be on that field. She was a fighter on the field . . . She was my motivation this year. On the days that I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore or was in pain, I would remember Morgan . . . She inspired me.”