KYLE WAKEFIELD Alumni Spotlight
In the fast-paced game of basketball, water and/or sweat on the court is a common occurrence. Whether it comes from a beverage or a player’s sweat as they tumble on the court, it stops gameplay in order to be mopped up to prevent injury. Mopping up the floor during those instances was one of the University of Mississippi’s (Ole Miss) Kyle Wakefield’s job as the men’s basketball student manager. During a February 2024 game against rival Mississippi State, Kyle mopped up the moisture on the court with an unbridled enthusiasm that was infectious. The crowd lit up and cheered him on, and he fed on that energy and gestured towards the crowd to get even louder.
Kyle became a viral sensation. With the extra attention, he never felt that the moment was too big for him.
“It just motivated me to do my job a little bit better,” Kyle said.
A determination to get better and grow was instilled at a young age. Kyle is on the Autism spectrum and didn’t speak until he was 5 years old. Despite his early educational challenges and need for significant therapeutic intervention, his mother, Brandi, remained determined to get him into college. Kyle enrolled at The Parish School in February of 2004, determined to get “a little bit better.” His time at Parish ended up being the perfect fit for his needs. “Parish has had a huge impact on my life, learning language and really being able to learn off other kids as well. It's just been a really big impact,” Kyle said. “I definitely learned the power of language and really starting to really put everything together with the leadership of Ms. Rhonda and Ms. Camilla.” Kyle made exponential gains at Parish and attributes his teachers and the student-to-teacher ratio as being key factors. Parish not only provided a foundation for Kyle to continue his development, but also a safe space that allowed him to adjust to his overstimulations.
“He couldn't sit still. We didn't sit around the dinner table as a family because Kyle couldn't sit,” Brandi said. “And again, Parish allowed him to
| THE PARISH SCHOOL POST 4
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