We recently had the opportunity to interview Karsyn Whitman, a promising 18-year-old high school senior at Peachtree Ridge High School in Duluth, GA. (On a side note, she also happens to be neighbors with OWG President, Dr. Michelle Lombardo!). Karsyn is not a new face to The OrganWise Guys as she actually appears in some of the early OWG videos. She maintains a 3.9 GPA yet finds time in a busy schedule for friends, family, sports and volunteer work. She also enjoys staying active, being involved in her community, and participating in extracurricular activities at school. She recently participated in the Miss Peachtree Ridge High School scholarship pageant and was fortunate enough to be crowned Miss PRHS! This pageant provided Karsyn the opportunity to reconnect with the OWG, as her platform involved educating the youth about the importance of eating healthy and exercising.
OWG: Can you share with us your pageant platform and why you decided on it in particular?
Karsyn: I am very passionate about working with kids and one of the biggest issues facing young children today is childhood obesity. Our society is moving at such a fast pace now that fast food has become the norm and not the exception to our meal plans. With long work and school days, exercise has taken a back seat for a lot of families. A huge reason childhood obesity exists is lack of education, so my platform was to educate our youth on making better food choices and making time to exercise and The Organ Wise Guys program provided me with that opportunity. Kids are eager to learn, so I really hope that I can help make an impact on their future.
OWG: You had the opportunity to use The OrganWise Guys materials in a classroom setting. What kinds of feedback did you receive from the kids?
Karsyn: The children loved meeting OrganWise Gal and all The OrganWise Guys. Each visit, I had a different lesson and corresponding activity to teach the children. We would start off by naming the organs and identifying their functions in the body. I would then read the lesson to them and allow them to ask questions and tell their personal stories (probably some their parents would be mortified about!) related to the lesson. Finally, the kids would do the activity related to the lesson.
The children got so excited about everything I did with them! After the first day, I didn’t even get to ask “Who is this?” before the kids shouted the different names of the characters. They were eager to answer any and every question the books or I had for them. Their teacher told me how much they looked forward to my visits and wondered why I couldn’t come more often. It is such a great feeling knowing the kids were having a blast while they were learning the importance of living a health life.
OWG: What was your favorite OrganWise “teaching moment” with the kids?
Karsyn: My favorite moments were when the kids worked on the activities or worksheets because this was the time I could truly have one on one time with each of them. They loved having “Ms. Karsyn” give them personal attention. It really warmed my heart to hear them tell me on my following visit how they practiced the lesson we learned the week before at home. They would raise their hands to tell me how they brushed their teeth, what healthy foods they ate, or what type of exercise they did. I will never forget these kids; it was a great experience for me as well.
OWG: What are your future aspirations?
Karsyn: I have big hopes for myself and I am so excited for what the future holds for me! Next year, I am attending the University of Alabama where I will major in Pre-Dental. I want to become a pediatric dentist or orthodontist to continue working with kids and helping them maintain a healthy lifestyle! I will be able to teach them how to take care of their Calci M. Bone in their mouths!
We love hearing stories like this! Karsyn exemplifies how hard work, dedication, making healthy choices, and being confident in your self can take you far in life! Best of luck Karsyn in all your future endeavors; we know you will be successful!
