05 Nov 2024 Youth of the Month: Wyatt Pettry

By Becky Bell

For Watt Pettry, 16, a junior at Nemo Vista High School in Center Ridge in Conway County, the sky is literally the limit.

There seem to be no limitations to what he can accomplish if he puts his mind to it. As a junior in the fall semester of school, he is at a point in life in which he is thinking about what he will pursue once he graduates.

After graduation, Wyatt dreams of studying interior design and then going to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in architecture. This is a tall order, of course, but if you listen to the reason that Wyatt wants to create buildings, you may believe he can reach as high as a city’s skyline.

“I like how you get to design the way buildings are made,” he said. “I want to design the building to help others, but I also want to bring the city to life in some way through the building.”

Wyatt has the heart of a helper, and he wants his buildings to be designed to benefit others. He doesn’t want to focus on one group of people but on a variety of people with different needs who would use the buildings. Conserving space is also something that matters to this future, hopeful architect.

“I want it to be a building that takes up a small amount of space, but I can still say I got the project accomplished,” he said. Oh, but Wyatt’s future dreams of making a difference in others’ lives through buildings are just one part of his story. He is already making a difference in the lives of others through his life right now.

His teacher, Christina Loyd, said she has seen Wyatt becoming more of the kind of student he is meant to be and that he is a pleasure to watch grow and improve. She said she has enjoyed him as an officer of the Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). “Wyatt is a very kind, creative and gifted student,” Loyd said. “He is that kid who has really bloomed in the last year, taking on responsibilities and problem solving. He is always up for a challenge and has shown great dedication to the activities he takes on. I am blessed to have him on the regional FCCLA officer team!”

Wyatt’s teacher said she was proud of him for stepping out of his comfort zone and running for the regional FCCLA officer’s position. The office allowed him to travel to Seattle this summer to a national convention, and now he is running for state office within the organization. Loyd said Wyatt is also the president of Upward Bound at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, and he also shows dairy goats, is a member of 4H and is an avid volunteer. He got a chance to take a trip to Denver this past summer through his association with Upward Bound.

And besides being a “super sweet kid,” as she describes him, Wyatt also plays the piano. Loyd’s admiration of him is totally reciprocated; he gives her credit for how he has grown and become more involved in organizations as a leader. Wyatt said he owes so much of it to his talented teacher. “She is a fantastic teacher because she gives everyone the opportunity to participate in some way. She gave me the opportunity to be an FCCLA officer,” he said. “She pushed me to do so many competitions I never would have done if she wouldn’t have said something.”

Wyatt said his teacher has been working on his confidence and getting him involved since middle school, and he is so glad she has. It has really made a difference. “She would always tell me I would do good in her class, and I was always going to do a lot of activities that would make me a stronger student,” Wyatt said. “She motivates me. If I tell her no, she says I already signed you up for it. She basically puts me out there and I’m glad she does. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be doing half of the things I’m doing now.”