Rheanna McDaniel: Beyond the Project

Spunky, witty, sweet, kind, amazing, loving, and determined. These are just a few of the words used to describe 11 year old Rheanna McDaniel. Not only was she awarded “Volunteer of the Year” by the city of Scio, she is also widely known throughout Linn County for her massive community service project.

            Underneath all the fanfare is simply your normal 6^th grader who loves to hangout and spend time with her friends and family. Her parents are Warren and Terise McDaniel. Terise is a hairstylist, who works from home. Rheanna has one younger brother, Gary. She attends Scio Baptist Church, with her grandparents Gary and Denise Clevenger, owners of Clevenger Automotive in Scio. Like most children her age, she thinks school is pretty boring.

            “My favorite subject though is math.” Rheanna says with a laugh, “It’s really easy for me.” Her favorite teacher is Mrs. K, simply because she is funny and makes her laugh all the time.

            When she’s not sitting on her couch watching her favorite TV show “The Voice” and eating bananas, or in her room listening to her favorite artist Justin Bieber, Rheanna can be found at AWANA, sewing, or playing her favorite sport volleyball.

            Asked what her favorite memory regarding the sport was, Rheanna gives a huge grin and answers very quickly.

            “Spiking it on the other team for the first time was the best. The girl that I spiked it on was mad. It was great.”

            The first time that Rheanna showed an interest in community service was after Hurricane Katrina had hit. After seeing and hearing on the news about all the pets that had been abandoned, Rheanna and her friend decided to do a dog wash, with the proceeds going to a shelter in the affected area. Her parents decided that they probably wouldn’t make much, and promised the girls that they would match whatever they made. In the end, the two girls raised over $1000, which Rheanna’s parents matched.

            Rheanna’s fellow church members were more than happy to share their thoughts about Rheanna and her project that she just recently completed.

            “It’s amazing that a young girl wants to take on and complete a project of that extent. Realizing she had help, from the church, her parents, and the community, it’s still amazing that she had the vision and the dedication to pull through and finish. I think it’s absolutely amazing. And so is she.” Says Marilee Wilson, one of the Sunday school teachers at the church.

            Her friends also think that Rheanna is a really sweet girl, and that she is always there whenever they need someone to talk to. They were also very supportive of her project.

            “It was awesome that she wanted to do something,” adds Wednesday Sprague, “and instead of just talking about it, she actually did it.”

            Asked if she had any idea as to what her next project might be, Rheanna simply said, “You never know what God has planned. Who knows what the next idea He gives me will be. But I’ll be ready for it.”

Local Middle Schooler Gives Back

Blue-eyed, blonde Rheanna McDaniel is anything, but your average sixth grader at Scio Middle School. At 11 years of age, she wants what any girl her age would, to go to school, hang out with friends, play her favorite sport of volleyball, or sometimes watch “The Voice.” However, unlike fellow 11 year old girls, she also envisioned, undertook, and completed a project of monstrous proportion

After hearing of a school in Buedu, Sierra Leone, Africa, that in order to receive funding from the government, needed matching uniforms for all of its students. McDaniel decided to tackle the task head on. Months of planning, fundraising, and hard work finally ended in success. Making 260 dresses from assorted sizes of pillowcases, buying the needed t-shirts to go under them, only led to a larger project. Not only did the girls at the school need matching uniforms, so did the boys.

      With a dedicated mind set, McDaniel decided to also make navy blue shorts for the boys, pairing them with yellow polo shirts. Several months, dozens of long days sewing away with her friends and family, and finally, the uniforms were ready to be delivered.

          On Jan. 21, with her mother Terise McDaniel and friend Fiona Kyker by her side, McDaniel embarked on the 18-hour flight that would take her to Africa. After landing in Monrovia, Africa, the party first visited the Mt. Barclay School Kyker funded. While they were there, McDaniel saw all the students sitting outside. She asked why and was told that they were sitting outside to take a test, because while they were inside they were sitting too close together, and the teachers didn’t want the ability to cheat.

            While in Monrovia, the group went to their “big” bookstore, about the size of an average bedroom, and purchased many books for the school.

           “At the end of the day, the receipt that McDaniel got was taller than she was,” her mother explained. “The reason for this being that they didn’t simply multiply the price by the number of items you bought. Instead they counted and checked each and every one out of their system. It took forever.” 

            In the store, all the prices were written out both in American dollars and in Liberian dollars. “…When they saw white people the price of things automatically went up,” said McDaniel, “so that’s probably why they had all the prices written out.”

             In the bookstore, there were other books than just textbooks, but they weren’t your average leisure books. These books dealt with subjects, such as how to deal with the death of a person with AIDS, or going to the market place. Once they had spent a few days in Monrovia, they continued their journey to Buedu, Sierra Leone, about an 18 hour drive.
 
            Upon reaching the school, pure chaos erupted when word was quickly spread that they had arrived with the goods. Each child received a uniform, shoes, pencils, a notebook, chalk, and a slate.
“Some of the kids felt like they were too dirty to put on their new clothes, while others simply dropped everything and changed as soon as they got them,” said McDaniel with a laugh.

            One girl in particular remains in McDaniel’s mind. The young girl chose a pair of shoes that were much too small for her, but kept saying repeatedly that they were exactly what she needed. No one could convince her to take a larger pair of shoes. Later on, they found out that the girl had a little sister without shoes, so instead of taking the new shoes for herself, she found a pair that would fit her little sister.
Along with the textbooks, pencils, slates, chalk, uniforms, and shoes, McDaniel also was able to purchase some medical supplies for the school pharmacy.

           
            McDaniel’s friends were also supportive and some even helped with the sewing part of the project. “It was awesome that she wanted to do something and actually did it,” stated one of her friends, Wednesday Sprague.
           
          McDaniel had plenty of laughs on her trip, and hopes to someday go back, maybe with better knowledge of the language they speak there. “I don’t know what they were saying because they were speaking in a weird language and laughing at me.”

 

Audiences say "Wow!" To "The Vow"

            A vow, it’s something that goes beyond just a promise. Something that is meant to be kept forever, even when it is written on an old menu from your favorite restaurant. A masterpiece in and of its own, “The Vow” is sure to wow audiences across the country. Based off the true life events of the Carpenters, tragedy strikes a young married couple in the form of a life altering car accident in which the young wife Paige, played by Rachel McAdams, loses all memory of life with her husband Leo, played by Channing Tatum.

Trying to help her memory return, he recreates her daily routine, only to be disappointed after each wavering attempt. His love for her is never ending and she hopes that “one day I can love the way you love me”. Paige has gone back to her old self, the law school going, family girl that Leo never knew. Long gone is the art sculpting, ticklish, crazy beauty that he fell in love with.

            As Leo tries to win her back, Paige is conflicted as her family fills the holes in her memory. Weaving tapestries into her mind of what her life was before the accident, they leave out one very important piece. The piece of her past that drove a wedge between her family to begin with. Paige strives to find herself in her crazy “new” life, moving back to the city to pursue her career as an artist. Will Paige and Leo ever find their once in a lifetime love again? Or will Paige’s memory loss keep them from each other?

            Bringing in $41.7 million to beat out “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”, “Star Wars 3D”, and “Safe House”, “The Vow” finished out the weekend at the top of the list. Perfect for a romantic, fun date with your significant other, or for a fun filled girls night out! Make a vow to see “The Vow”, for this movie is sure to be a must see.