Kayleigh Hunstad, part of the Danville High School graduating class of 2011, is a teacher at John W. Bate Middle School and is the Danville Independent Schools middle and high school volleyball coach. She also taught at Edna L. Toliver Intermediate School for three and a half years prior to taking on her current role at Bate. 

She was born and raised in Danville, where she currently lives. She shared her Danville Schools journey. 

Tell us about your Danville Schools journey. What school(s) did you attend, and what’s a highlight that stands out to you?

I attended Hogsett for elementary school and then Bate and DHS. A personal highlight for me is that Danville Schools have always felt like a family, regardless of what elementary school you went to. Once we joined at Bate, we were Bulldogs together and then Admirals from then on out. 

What aspects of your Danville Schools education helped mold you into the person you are today?

Diversity is a big aspect of my education that helped mold me into the person I am today. Danville Schools have always strived to provide a diverse education to their students — whether that be in the classroom, on the field or in the theatre/on stage. There is a little bit of something for everyone within the Danville Schools, which is pretty much how it's always been. They focused on exposing students to different cultural and economic backgrounds. My education from the Danville Schools prepared me for everyday life and experiences. I was taught how to interact with everyone. 

When you think back on your Danville Schools experience, are there specific instances or relationships that stand out to you as having had a significant impact on your success since graduating?

Personally, I think the relationships that our teachers formed with us impacted my success since graduating. They had high expectations for us within the classroom, which set me up to have high expectations for myself as an adult. I feel like our teachers taught us not only the content, but found ways to integrate life skills/life lessons into their classes when applicable. Jennifer Shearer, Aaron Carpenter and Chasati McCowan were three of my teachers who truly helped shape me into the person and, now, educator that I am. 

As a product of Danville Schools, what advice would you give to a parent who was choosing an education path for their child?

I would encourage people to choose  Danville Schools for many reasons. I would encourage them to choose Danville for the many different extracurricular activities that we offer. I feel like we have something for everyone to be involved in, which is super important. Our school staff loves, cares for and supports every student that walks through our halls. They have high expectations and do whatever they can to help them reach those expectations. Danville Schools are focused on the whole child and provide them the resources to be successful within school and in the community as they get older. 

As a product of Danville Schools, what drives you to give back to your local school and/or district?

There's nothing like being a Danville Admiral. Our rich history and pride is engrained deep within me from years of attending our schools and now working within them. I want to give back to our district so that can continue for our current and future students. Personally, I want them to have an education and experience like I had myself, so that they are proud of it for years to come. 

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This piece is part of an ongoing series telling the stories of our Danville Alumni! We share a new alumni story once a month, and we want YOUR story. If you or someone you know is a Danville graduate and an excellent representative of the Danville community and the idea of #SuccessForALL, whether they live in Danville or not, please fill out the form linked below. You can also show your Danville Alumni pride on social media with the hashtag #DanvilleAlumniStories

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