Kaevon McCray, Sr. Administrative Assistant for Commercial and Residential Service, is the 2022 Outstanding ADDitions School Volunteer for Wekiva High School.
Going the “extra mile” to help prepare a group of juniors and seniors for college has earned Kaevon McCray recognition as the 2022 Outstanding ADDitions School Volunteer for Wekiva High School (WHS).
“She is always involved, always here, always supporting the kids,” says Travis Brown, curriculum resource teacher at the Orange County public school in Apopka. “But she can be tough when they’re not communicating with her. She goes the extra mile.”
McCray, Sr. Administrative Assistant for Commercial and Residential Service at OUC, was awarded a certificate, along with tickets to SeaWorld Orlando, in an on-campus ceremony in March.
The recognition speaks to McCray’s advocacy of education as the best path forward for youths from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her volunteerism at WHS is even more impressive considering she no longer lives in Apopka and only one of her four children graduated from the school. Her daughter, the WHS grad, and oldest son have earned college degrees, and her two younger sons are in college.
“I’m an empty nester, so I have to do something with my time,” says McCray. “I just love it. I feel like it’s my responsibility to help lift others up.”
At Wekiva High, McCray leads a program called College Admissions Process (CAP). It’s sponsored by the Maitland chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., McCray and six other members of the sorority hold a monthly virtual meeting with about 20 students, some considered at-risk, who are interested in going to college but “need an extra push academically,” she says.
As its names implies, CAP seeks to help students navigate the college application process, preparing them to take the ACT and SAT, apply for scholarships and financial aid, and write compelling essays. The program also pairs students with mentors and hosts guest speakers.
Ay’Jaylah Blandin, a senior in the CAP program, says McCray helped her with accessing financial aid resources and personally prepared her for interviews with prospective colleges and employers. She plans to attend Valencia College for two years, then transfer to a university to pursue degrees in dance, psychology and criminal justice.
”She an amazing person to talk to,” Blandin says of McCray. “She’s always there when you need her. She always checks in on us, even when we don’t check in with her. She’s dependable and trustworthy. You can count on her to do what she says she will do.”
