Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools (KCKPS) Mission:
Inspiring Excellence: Every Grownup, Every Child, Every Day.
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2006 Alumni Honor Roll | Reasons to Believe
Role models who give us Reasons to Believe in the power of education
Marsha Oyer
Wyandotte High School, 1970
Since the age of seven, Marsha Oyer has wanted to be a teacher.
Her mother teases her about the way she used to line up the neighborhood kids in her backyard clubhouse and give them homework assignments. Her inspiration came from her day-to-day contact with her own teachers in the Kansas City, Kansas School District, at William Allen White Elementary, West Junior High and Wyandotte High schools.
She still remembers all of her teachers' names, especially those who taught her a love for music.
"They were always very caring and organized, and they went the extra mile in the classroom and outside the classroom," she reflected.
Upon graduating from Wyandotte in 1970, she enrolled at the University of Kansas, studying music education then came back to the district to carry on the legacy given to her: inspiring students to believe in themselves. She said KCK has always been home and there's no place else she'd rather be.
She has a deep sense of community, which can be witnessed through her vast involvement in local organizations. Each position she has taken on has been dear to her heart. She is a graduate of Class II of Leadership 2000. She has held numerous board and committee positions with Sigma Alpha Iota, a women's music fraternity, and she has been an active member of the Kansas Music Educators Association since 1975. She has been a devoted member of the Junior League of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties for more than 20 years. Her love of children has led to her volunteerism with organizations such as the Sunflower House, Kaw Valley Center and Special Olympics.
In 2004, her unending dedication to the teaching field earned her the Secondary Teacher of the Year Award from the KCK School District.
Her advice to today's students is, "always have dreams and strive to be the best you can be all the time. Don't be the underdog; always be the champ."
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