Kinsleigh Bethune, the Concordia High School (CHS) Student of the Month for January, is an athlete and a scholar. She has lettered in volleyball, basketball, and softball, and also carries a 4.0 grade point average.
The daughter of Danielle and Joel Mahin, and Craig and Allison Bethune, Kinsleigh said her favorite class at CHS is math. "I like the numbers," she said, and then added with a grin, "but not the letters. Numbers, yes; letters, no."
Kinsleigh said her favorite sport is both basketball and cheer. "I just like the game (basketball) in general. It's fun to play. "And I like my teammates and Trey (Coleman, the head coach)."
She loves doing cheer when she's not playing sports. "That's a lot of fun, too. I like performing for people."
At CHS, Kinsleigh also participates in the National Honor Society, Friends of Rachel, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Chamber Choir. On top of all that, she is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Ambassador for the school.
Kinsleigh doesn't have a lot of spare time, but when she does she enjoys being with friends and families, going on adventures, and shopping with her mother.
She also like to watch TikTok, a social media platform for creating, sharing short videos. "I watch it a lot. I like watching videos of people just doing random stuff, like getting ready for their day. This morning I watched a lady shopping at Trader Joe's. I liked seeing what food she bought. I'm definitely a food person. I like food. A lot."
Her favorite food? "Sushi. I eat at this place in Salina and have their Salina Roll. But I'll try all kinds of stuff. Food should be an adventure!"
After Kingsleigh graduates from CHS, she plans on attending Kansas State University. She's not sure yet what she will major in, but it will definitely be in the medical field. "I like to help people and make them feel better about themselves. So, right now, I'm leaning toward either physical therapy or maybe even an orthodontist. We'll just have to see."
When Kinsleigh looks to the future she sees a return to Concordia. "I'd like to come back here and be working in whatever field I pick. I think that would be great. And, hopefully, I'll have a family."
Attending K-State means she'll be living away from home for the first. "Oh, I'm definitely nervous about that," she said. "But at the same time, I'm excited for the new experience."
Kinsleigh wanted to thank her parents for all they've given her. "They've just been so supportive of me all my life, and I really appreciate that. I also want to thank all the teachers and coaches I've had for all the things they've done for me. I'm going to miss the community here. They've all been very supportive of me over the years."
Congratulations to Kinsleigh Bethune, the CHS Student of the Month for January.