Jolene Goodheart Peterson

Otis-Bison MS and HS KAY Club, 1993-1999

Community Service Director, Music Director, Recreation Director, Vice President, President, Area 5 President

Wamego HS KAY Club, former Sponsor

KAY Leadership Camp Staff, 1999 - present

Jolene graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Mathematics Education, a minor in Leadership Studies and Programs, and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently working on a doctoral degree at Kansas State University, where she is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant.

Jolene is also an education consultant, touring the state to work with educators through professional development and instructional coaching.

Previously, Jolene worked as a Teacher Leader Consultant for the Kansas State Department of Education and as an Instructional Specialist for USD 305, Salina Public Schools. Prior to that, Jolene taught middle and high school mathematics at Junction City MS and Wamego HS.

Jolene resides in Clay Center with her husband, Josh, and their children: Izzie, Braeden, and Emmett. She helped to restart the KAY Club at Clay Center Community HS and Clay Center Community MS.

KAY has shaped who I am as a leader and continues to influence my life every day. My journey with KAY began in middle school, where I first learned the importance of service, character, and leadership. Through simple acts—helping others, showing kindness, and stepping up when needed—I began to understand that leadership doesn’t have to be loud or attention-seeking. Some of the most powerful leadership happens quietly, through consistency, compassion, and example.

Attending KAY Leadership Camp was a turning point for me. During my first year at camp, I remember sitting quietly in a discussion group, convinced I wasn’t outgoing enough to be a leader. As a shy, introverted student, I often assumed leadership belonged to the people with the loudest voices. By the end of the week, I realized leadership wasn’t about being the loudest person in the room—it was about influencing others through your strengths. KAY helped me recognize that my ability to see different perspectives, build connections, and encourage others were valuable leadership gifts. I didn’t need to change who I was to be a leader; I simply needed to use my gifts to serve others.

That lesson became a guiding principle in my life. It gave me the confidence to keep saying “yes”—to leadership roles, opportunities to serve, and challenges that pushed me beyond my comfort zone. Looking back, many of the opportunities and accomplishments that have shaped my career can be traced back to lessons I first learned through KAY. The confidence I gained through KAY inspired me to take on leadership roles in education, advocate for math learning across Kansas, and eventually co-author a book focused on helping students succeed.

KAY also shaped my mindset. It taught me to see life not as a list of “have tos,” but as a list of “get tos”—opportunities to contribute, grow, and serve. That perspective continues to influence how I approach challenges, setbacks, and leadership responsibilities in both my professional and personal life.

Years later, I had the opportunity to return to KAY as a sponsor, and I witnessed firsthand the same transformation in students that KAY had sparked in me. What makes KAY special is that it welcomes every student and provides meaningful opportunities for them to contribute, regardless of their background, personality, or previous experience. What makes KAY different is that students aren’t simply taught leadership—they are trusted to practice it. Through planning projects, serving their communities, and working alongside their peers, students discover their own ability to make a difference.

Most importantly, KAY showed me that ordinary actions—holding a door, helping someone in need, choosing kindness, or including someone who feels left out—can make an extraordinary impact. It instilled in me a lifelong commitment to being “the best for the world,” not the best in it.

Because of KAY, I lead with service, act with intention, and strive every day to leave footsteps that others can follow.