15 minute read
Staying the Course
Written by John Kirkpatrick // Photo by Jamie Alexander
Ke’Asha Phillips was featured in Owensboro Parent in 2017 as a decorated golfer with strong ambitions. Fast forward four years and the Owensboro High School graduate has earned four letters and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Xavier University.
The NCAA granted athletes another year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, affording Phillips and several others the opportunity to further their education while playing the sport they love. She will attend Akron University this fall in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in Social Work and join the golf team.
“With COVID it was difficult to meet coaches and players when I went on visits — Akron was one of the few places where I was able to visit and meet the whole team — it felt a little more normal,” Phillips said. “Right now my goal is to play golf during the first year of the program and possibly be a graduate assistant during the second year.”
Phillip’s coach at Xavier actually studied under Akron’s coach; that connection also played a pivotal role in the decision-making process. She also added that she loved the home course at Akron, but was heavy-hearted about being further from home.
During her tenure at Xavier, the women’s golf team won the Big East Conference Tournament twice, toppling several esteemed universities in the northeast. Phillips also earned allacademic team honors and recorded a career-best sixth place in the MAC Preview.
“I enjoyed my time at Xavier a lot — it was different from high school because we had seasons in the fall and the spring,” she said. “We also had an indoor facility so it was nice to be able to practice indoors while there were three inches of snow on the ground outside.”
Phillips also developed a special bond with her teammates and enjoyed being able to tour the country for the sake of golf.
“I’ve loved being a part of this program and my teammates,” she said. “Being able to travel has also been enjoyable — we went to Hawaii — I’m blessed to have been able to visit all of those places while doing something I love.”
Phillips attributes a large portion of her success both on and off the course to her parents David Phillips and Tiresha Hall, and younger sister Alicia who were “beside her every step of the way.” Seeing her dad interact with local youth through his roles in the school system ignited her passion for helping young people through social work.
“Both of my parents have played major roles in my success — from taking me to tournaments, praying before rounds, and being my biggest support system,” she said. “My dad has always been my world — witnessing the impact he’s had on kids in the community and seeing reactions he gets when he’s out is priceless.”
While social work remains a solid backup plan, Phillips remains adamant about chasing her long-time dream of competing professionally in the LPGA. Her first step following graduate school will be to enter Q (Qualifying) School and earn a spot on Symetra Tour.
Similar to the Korn Ferry Tour for men, the Symetra Tour offers women an opportunity to qualify for LPGA events by winning tournaments or finishing in the top percentage.
“After grinding out grad school, I’m going to try for the tour — I’ve put in too many reps not to try,” she said. “It’s always been my passion and a dream of mine.” OP
trunnells
Visit the Most Beautiful Sunflower Field in the Ohio Valley this Fall
A Sunflower field is one of life’s breathtaking pleasures that everyone should experience. There is something magical about these blooms. These bright beautiful flowers have the ability to evoke feelings of warmth and happiness, and they are even more amazing when they’re growing as far as the eye can see. When you visit a massive field of sunflowers with rows and rows of them on display, it is a truly awe-inspiring experience. If you've never visited a sunflower field or sunflower farm, put it on your early fall bucket list. Luckily, we have one of the most beautiful sunflower fields in the Ohio Valley planted right here in Daviess County, Trunnell’s Sunflower Experience located at 9255 U.S. HWY. 431 Utica, KY.
If you and your family are looking for a unique and delightful event this fall visit Trunnell’s 4th Annual Sunflower Experience Sept. 4th - Sept. 30th. This Event is so much more than just a field of sunflowers. Trunnell’s has proudly planted 65+ different varieties of Sunflowers with over a million blooms (that is 15 more varieties than last year) for you and your family to enjoy. All these beautiful blooms bring pure happiness to all ages while wandering through the field and admiring all the different kinds. Every bloom is so unique it is hard to decide which ones to cut and take home.
Remember your camera or photographer because the Trunnell’s have added a ton of picture ops throughout the field making this experience one of Kentucky’s most insta-grammable events. In addition to the viewing pleasure of the huge stretch of yellow, red, and orange sunflowers, make sure to experience some of the delicious food at the farm, play on the 30+ Attractions, visit the baby animals in the animal barnyard, grab a glass of wine or brew from the farm bar and enjoy all the SUNSHINE and HAPPINESS that Sunflowers Bring! MORE SUNFLOWERS, MORE FUN, MORE MEMORIES! OP
Special Events at Trunnell’s Sunflower Experience
DINNER IN THE BLOOMS
September 4th & 11th: A Delicious Farm to Table Dinner with Live Entertainment in the Sunflowers
SIPS & SUNFLOWERS
September 10th, 17th, & 24th: An evening sipping wine and beer with friends, live entertainment amid a gorgeous sunflower field
SUNFLOWER BRUNCH
September 9th & 19th: Enjoy a delicious brunch while sipping mimosas or wine amongst the Sunflowers
SUNFLOWER HARVEST, HOPS, & HOUNDS
September 18th: An outdoor dining event in the Sunflowers with your favorite furry friend. Proceeds benefiting SparKY Animal Rescue.
Ten Years of OP BEHIND THE SCENES, HITS AND MISSES OVER THE YEARS
10 YEARS. 75 ISSUES. HUNDREDS OF STORIES.
As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary of Owensboro Parent, we wanted to share some memories from the last decade. We take you behind the scenes of making the magazine and share some of our biggest hits and misses.
Our staff has had so much fun reminiscing as we have put this issue together. And the one thing we realize now, more than ever, is that none of this would have been possible without the support of our amazing community.
BEHIND the SCENES
Left: Jason and his family at our first promotional event, East Bridge Arts Festival, where we debuted our very first issue. Photo by Dream Copy Photography.
Above: When Owensboro Parent first launched, we held a Birthday Bash at RiverPark Center each August. We celebrated another year of the magazine alongside our loyal and supportive advertisers who manned booths offering fun activities for families.
Tanner Publishing staff at the Chamber Works Expo, hosted by the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce
Jason on Midday with Mike promoting our 5th anniversary issue. Former Accounts Director Bo Alexander's kiddos at our first Chamber Works Expo.
The Tanner Publishing team was among the first to test out the Thunderbird roller coaster at Holiday World. photographer, Jamie, brought a copy of Owensboro Parent on her trip to Norway.
Kids Triathlon
Monica showing off both covers of our January 2020 double issue of Owensboro Parent and Owensboro Living, the only time we have printed both magazines together.
Photographing kids can be challenging. Jamie learned that pets can be even more interesting when she photographed our 2020 Pet Contest winner, Hazel the goat, who jumped on top of her during the shoot!
When setting up for photo shoots, Jamie typically borrows a coworker to test the lighting setup before the subject arrives for the shoot. This makes for some interesting behind the scenes shots of our team!
Owensboro Parent HITS & MISSES
It's hard to believe we have been doing this for 10 years. That's 75 issues, people! In that time, we have done some great things. But not everything has been a success. In this little section we are affectionately calling "Hits and Misses," we are detailing some of our greatest accomplishments and the things that just didn't turn out like we expected.
HIT: Owensboro Parent Kids Triathlon
This event was dreamed up by our ad sales rep, Robert. He had seen events like this in other states and wanted to bring something similar to Owensboro. With our friends at Independence Bank and Owensboro Health, we were able to make it happen. Our first year, we had nearly 200 sign up and have had over 800 kids sign up in the five years we have been hosting the event. Not only was this a win for Owensboro Parent, but a win for Owensboro kids who are learning valuable lessons of lifelong healthy habits.
HIT/MISS:
Henderson Family and Bowling Green Living
With Owensboro Parent doing well, publisher, Jason Tanner, decided to expand Tanner Publishing and launched Owensboro Living in 2014 with great success. Building on that momentum, Tanner Publishing released Henderson Family in 2016 and Bowling Green Living in 2018. While Henderson continues to be a strong publication, serving our sister city to the west, Bowling Green Living proved too far away to make successful.
MISS: Arctic Adventure
Don't remember this one? That's ok. It didn't last long. Seeing a need for family fun in the winter, Owensboro Parent set out to create an epic event of indoor fun. In 2015, we hosted Arctic Adventure at the Owensboro Convention Center. Basically, we fit as many winter themed inflatable attractions as we could into the Convention Center. It was fun, and certainly gave families something to do on a cold January day in Owensboro. But it was very costly. We brought it back for a second year in 2016, but ultimately declared it a fail, and moved on to a better event -- the Owensboro Parent Kids Triathlon!
HIT:
Helicopter shot
Our August 2018 issue featured end of summer family adventures. We wanted a unique cover that we hadn't seen done before. Naturally, the answer to the cover dilemma was a helicopter! We borrowed an old red convertible, asked a family to drive it across the bridge (no fewer than 12 times) and got the shot from a helicopter! Go big or go home, right?
HIT: Lane Goodwin Cover
In the fall of 2012, Owensboro Parent was planning the ever-popular Cover Kids contest for our October issue. At the same time, a wave of thumbs up photos took over social media, all in honor of a western Kentucky boy battling what would be a losing battle with cancer. Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood, Anderson Cooper, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, and Paula Dean were amongst the thousands that posted photos in support of 13-year-old Lane Goodwin.
A Facebook fan challenged Owensboro Parent to delay our Cover Kids contest and feature Lane instead. Nearly 2,500 people agreed within a matter of hours. We agreed too. In a whirlwind of a few days, we commissioned local artist Aaron Kizer to paint Lane's portrait. I connected with Angie, Lane's mom, and had an interview that changed me forever. Our editor, Ashley, spoke to her for an hour, mother to mother, as she prepared for her son to leave this Earth. Not long after our interview, Lane passed away.
We were so moved by the sense of community Lane's story created and the awareness for childhood cancer, that our team found as many stories of children battling cancer in the greater Owensboro area as we could. We are proud to say that we shared 12 additional stories of brave children battling what Lane called, "the monster."
Written by Kaitlin M. Wells, DNP, APRN
Senior year has ended and your baby is suddenly no longer a baby. Your once kindergartener is now heading to college or entering the work force. Cue the dorm packing lists, the tearful goodbyes, hunting down the nearest grocery store, or helpful nagging to wear the shower shoes. The high school chapter has officially closed and adulthood ensues. This transition to adulthood brings new responsibilities and exciting opportunities for your young adult. Another important transition to remember is healthcare.
Transitioning out of the pediatrics office and into an adult office can be a scary but necessary next step in young adulthood. This developmental stage is characterized by self-awareness and new independence. According to recent studies, almost half of adolescents do not have a primary care preventive visit within a 12-month period (Rand & Goldstein, 2018). The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians recommend adolescents to have preventive visits annually. Primary care serves as a home base for the patient. Primary care providers treat common illnesses such as respiratory infections or urinary tract infections and chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes.
Establishing primary care with an adult primary care provider ensures continued screening, immunizations, and assessing for risky behaviors. Seeing a primary care provider also helps to improve the health and wellbeing of a patient, manage complex or chronic diseases, and reduce emergency department visits. Additionally, an adult primary care provider can help coordinate adult specialists or behavioral health specialists for chronic conditions.
In order to make this transition smooth, one can consider these helpful tips. Remember to look for a provider that is taking new patients, who accepts your insurance, and is accessible. Some will offer telemedicine options for follow up appointments or rechecks. Make sure to bring a list of current medications, allergies and reactions, and a history of any health problems or conditions. This fosters an environment of selfadvocacy and makes it easier to talk about healthcare needs. These steps will build the foundation for the provider to get to know you and make a plan of care. Working with a new provider should have open and honest communication. This collaboration should offer shared decision-making. Don’t forget to bring a list of questions for the provider and keep in mind multiple visits may be necessary depending on the chief complaint. Many offices now offer patient portal websites or apps to communicate with your provider and expedite the check in process.
Ultimately, initiating care with an adult primary care provider is a big step when transitioning from pediatric care. Although your young adult’s health may be in great shape now, establishing care early in adulthood helps them to build a relationship with their provider as they grow older. Primary care providers can assist in individualized care and health maintenance. The primary care provider serves as a navigator and advocate when collaborating with other specialties, when leaving the hospital, or transferring facilities. When your young adult’s health status changes, they will be there. Making the timely transition to adult primary care will allow for earlier detection of illness and optimal wellness for your young adult. OP
