Teacher’s talent goes far beyond music
Published 1:52 pm Friday, December 18, 2009
On behalf of Mr. McKinney’s fourth period Advanced Placement Statistics class, I would like to congratulate our incredible teacher for finally making it big in Country Music Television’s “Music City Madness Competition.”
It was less than two months ago when Mr. McKinney rather reluctantly revealed to our class of his long-term alternate identity as country musician “Chance McKinney.” He also told us that he had entered the contest for unsigned country musicians, and that his music video, “Be Real,” had been selected from thousands of entries and featured on the contest Web site, along with the music videos of 63 other competitors.
We, his students, had often heard rumors about his “secret” night job, but his announcement had made it official: He was our very own — and very real — Hannah Montana.
His story was so compelling, and his music so “Real,” that we knew that we had to support him. We urged our friends and family to vote. Determined to help Chance advance to the next round, we contacted local media outlets to gain further support from the general population. We put together a network that circled the world — from the suburbs of Mukilteo to the companies of Holland to the green zones of Afghanistan to the metropolis of South Korea.
Ultimately, it was his composition that touched our hearts. We could all relate to his music. The message in song, “Be Real,” urged us to cast away all of our pretentions and accept our own identities — flaws and all. Such a message transcended geography, nationalities and age groups. It reverberated with his students, listeners across America and people around the world, generating thousands of votes online, and finally giving Chance a chance to become a signed musician.
But Mr. McKinney is so much more than a talented musician. He is an inspiration.
He has touched the lives of hundreds of students through his knowledge, his sharp wit and his wry sense of humor. Through school, he has helped students pursue their dreams while pursuing his very own. Most importantly, he has breathed life into the trite old maxim that any dream, no matter how large or how unlikely, can be achieved with consistent devotion and effort.
Although we are saddened by the possibility that Mr. McKinney may not be teaching at Kamiak High School the upcoming year, we are ecstatic about his victory and wish him all the luck in realizing his dream in Nashville.
We would like to thank each and every person who joined us to make Mr. McKinney’s dream come true.
And to Mr. McKinney: Thank you for being our statistics teacher, thank you for letting us be part of this exhilarating ride, and thank you for teaching us the most important lesson in life: Never give up.
Kamiak High School student Yoo Jung Kim chairs the Mukilteo Youth Advisory Committee.
