TOPEKA, Kan. - The KSHSAA Student Advisory Team has selected Laura Klaassen, choral director at Olathe East High School, for the 2022 KSHSAA Heart of the Arts Award and Trista Ann Peterson, senior from Seneca-Nemaha Central High School, for the Spirit of Sport Award.
 
Heart of the Arts
Laura Klaassen serves as the director of choirs at Olathe East High School, and her adaptive music class is what begins the story.
 
Adaptive music at Olathe East is a class with the Center Based Resource students. This would be the group of students with the most severe disabilities (academic, social, emotional, or physical). The use of different instruments, streamers, and sounds brightens the day for these students.

 
Then the Covid-19 Pandemic hit. How can you sing and have choir classes with Covid? At Olathe East, choir prospered. The music continued. What Laura realized through all of this, and still to this day, is the need to address the social and emotional needs of the students while producing incredible music. Olathe East choir is dedicated to the development of the whole student and Klaassen works tirelessly to organize, plan, and see that their needs are met.
 
The next accolade is “beauty” of the music. The fall Concert, Auschwitz: Not Long Ago. Not Far Away, Laura realized the significance of an Auschwitz exhibit which was on display at Union Station in Kansas City. She spent time researching the exhibit, music associated with the Holocaust, and found she could make a truly magical experience for her students. Laura began to work with Union Station and with the Olathe Public Schools Foundation as she wanted to find a way to have her choir students visit the exhibit to grasp the significance of what had occurred. A grant she wrote secured funding to make this happen. After the visit to Union Station, the students dissected each line, each word, and the overall meaning of the music. At that point, the music became more than just words, the students became part of a message that needed to be delivered. But it didn’t end there. Word spread of the powerful performance across the metro and made its way to those in charge of Union Station and the Auschwitz exhibit. These individuals were organizing a series of special events tied to their exhibit leading up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Olathe East choir was invited to perform. So, the concert was showcased again, this time in the Grand Plaza Hall at Union Station. Not only was this viewed by a sold-out crowd, including dignitaries from both sides of the state line, but it was streamed across the country and around the world. There was even a watch event in Poland.
 
“Laura Klaassen changes lives,” said Dr. Mike Wolgast, athletic director at Olathe East. “Laura is deserving of the Heart of the Arts award. She pours her heart and soul into her work, her students, and the Olathe East family.”
 
Spirit of Sport
Trista Ann Peterson has a list. To put more accurate, it is quite the list of honors and activities at Nemaha Central:
Honor Roll (4 years)
National Honor Society (3 years)
Basketball (4 years)
Volleyball (4 years)
Track (4 years)
KAY "Kansas Association for Youth" (4 years)
SADD "Students Against Destructive Decisions" (4 years)
FCCLA "Family, Career and Community Leaders of America" (4 years)
Play (4 years)
CCD "Confraternity of Christian Doctrine" (4 years)
Vocal Music (2 years)
FFA "Future Farmers of America" (1 year)
Senior Project (Dog Boarding Service)
 
Peterson is a student with Down-Syndrome with a passion to be involved in as much as possible for the Thunder. “Trista has never let her exceptionality hold her back. Trista brings joy to every club and sport she participates in at Nemaha Central High School,” said athletic director Jessica Koch.
 

Trista was active on the varsity volleyball team this year serving and returning, much to the delight of the Seneca community. For Trista’s exceptional work ethic and desire to make a difference in her school and community, she has been named the KSHSAA Spirit of Sport Award Winner.
 
About the Awards
The KSHSAA Student Advisory Team participates in the selection for the state of Kansas honorees.
 
As state honorees they will receive a plaque to be displayed at the school.  The presentation of the plaque will take place at a KSHSAA tournament or local event yet to be determined.  The nominations have been submitted for consideration by the National Federation of State High School Associations for national recognition.
 
 
 kshsaa.org