Kya Evangeline Qvale | Young Hero Award from Alabama Public Television
EDUCATION

Kya Evangeline Qvale

Sparkman High School

Harvest, Alabama

“She had purple hair and no arms. She was surrounded by friends as they talked and laughed with each other walking through the halls. She did not know me from anyone else at the new school, but still returned my smile in the hallway.” So began Sparkman High School teacher Renée Quaife’s nomination of senior Kya Evangeline Qvale as a Young Hero.

Kya was born with arms that were not fully developed. She has never allowed this condition to limit her activities. Ms. Quaife told of a co-worker asking her what Kya’s level of activity was and what sort of accommodations needed to be made. Ms. Quaife smiled and said, “None.” Kya carries a laptop. She types her assignments and emails them to her teachers. She drives, she served as an assistant stage manager in the school’s drama department, she works on the staff of Sparkman’s literary magazine Silhouette, and she served as the Project Manager of Research for Spark Industry Robotics, a student-led simulated workforce. In addition to her school activities, Kya was on the planning committee and served as a volunteer for the Sparkman Arts Festival in 2015 and 2016. She is also a regular volunteer at House of the Harvest, a local food line/pantry.These achievements alone would qualify Kya as a Young Hero, but they are only the beginning of the hardships she has faced and overcome. When Kya was in middle school, her mother was wrestling with demons of drug and alcohol abuse. A child herself, Kya often found herself responsible for the care of her two little brothers when her mother was unable to do so.

Eventually, Kya’s family moved to Alabama to get a clean start. Both parents were working long hours, so Kya was again left to care for her brothers (now 13 and 10.) She cooked their dinners, helped them with homework and put them to bed—as her parents worked as late as 3:00 a.m.

Through the processes and changes involved in moving 800 miles away, Kya’s grandmother – Nana – assisted her family both financially and emotionally. In the fall of 2016, the family was devastated when Nana died from cancer. The loss impacted Kya greatly.

Ms. Quaife concluded her nomination letter: “In class, someone asked Kya what is one thing she would change in the world. Her reply—she wished people would stop being so negative. She calls herself a “forever optimist” and wishes that people would stop looking at the negative and focus on the positive. That is why Kya is my hero. Even though she is young, she is wise and insightful and working to improve the world around her.”

We need more positive people in this world. For her courage and tenacity in the face of extraordinary hardships. Kya is recognized by her school and our state as one of the 2017 Young Heroes of Alabama.

Young Hero Sponsors

The Young Heroes Program is made possible through the support of:

Derek Chen

The
Harris Trust

YellaWood

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APT EDUCATION SPONSORS

These educational programs and services of Alabama Public Television made possible by the generous support of the following contributors:

Community Events & Engagement
  • Books-A-Million, Young Heroes
  • Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, Be My Neighbor Day/Young Heroes
  • Brookmont Capital Management, Young Heroes
  • C. W. Daniel Charitable Trust, Young Heroes
  • Medical Properties Trust, Young Heroes
  • Fred Rogers Productions/PNC, Be My Neighbor Day
  • WNET-CPB, Sesame Street in Communities
General Support
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
  • Public Broadcasting Services (PBS)
Learning Adventures
  • Alabama Bicentennial Commission
  • Alabama Humanities Foundation
    a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities
  • Alabama State Council on the Arts
    a state program of the National Endowment for the Arts
  • American Graduate
    a program of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • Daniel Foundation of Alabama
  • Malone Family Foundation
  • Robert Meyer Foundation
  • Sybil Smith Foundation
  • Troy Univiersity
  • U.S. Space & Rocket Center
  • Wells Fargo Foundation
Media Library
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting, American Graduate
  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting, American Graduate, Getting To Work
PBS Kids Programs
  • Alabama Department of Human Resources
  • Alabama Power Company
  • Books-A-Million
  • Children’s of Alabama
  • HEAL Alabama
  • Medical Properties Trust
  • U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Professional Development for Educators
  • Community Foundation of South Alabama, PBS KIDS EdCamp
  • Sybil Smith Foundation, PBS KIDS EdCamp
Workforce Development
  • CAWACO, Career Forward
  • Southeast Alabama Works, Career Forward

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