WOODBURY — Imagine being 5 years old sleeping on a couch in a high school library knowing one day you will be attending that same school where your three older siblings made their mark.
Kyleigh Paige is a senior at Nonnewaug, but her years at NHS did not start four years ago. Paige has been around the high school since the ripe age of 5 because of her older siblings, now 29, 26, and 19 years old.
Even though Paige has spent her whole life in this school, this did not stop her from being involved with everything she could.
“Ever since I was little, I literally had five clubs every day after school,” Paige said.
In elementary school, Kyleigh and her older sister, Jamie, were part of the Lego Club, Tea Party Club, and Gardening Club, and she said they also “helped out with all the events that were at the school.”
She continued that involvement in middle and high school, where she continued to follow in Jamie’s footsteps with clubs like the Leo Club, National Honor Society, and National English Honor Society.
“I definitely started to realize it more: Me and my sister were very similar in the sense of everything she was involved in, I was involved in,” Kyleigh said.
Kyleigh has always felt a little in the shadows of her sister but she has not let this stop her from making her own impact on the community.
“Her determination to become her own individual and not be in the shadows of her siblings anymore has been exciting to watch,” said Christine Paige, their mother. “For example, I have had a front row seat in watching Kyleigh develop and discover her relationship with God, and committing to living a more faithful life. Which has been inspiring to myself and many others to say the least. She is definitely a wonderful influence and leader, and I am so proud to say she is my daughter.”
FFA was a huge part of Kyleigh’s time at Nonnewaug.
“I’m super involved in FFA,” Kyleigh said. “I love it. I love helping out. I was in multiple CDEs and LDEs.”
Being an FFA officer has helped Kyleigh become a good leader.
“She helped Sam Kostka run all the meetings,” said Nikki Perssico. “She was a good leader to look up to. She also would help you stay on track in a professional, more mature way. She made sure we had fun while learning to be leaders and grow with the chapter.”
All this involvement in the school had to stem from something.
All of Kyleigh’s inspiration came from her mom, Christine, who was involved in everything with all her kids. She was always room parent, PTO mom, head of parents at the middle at Woodbury Middle School, helped on field trips, and most importantly she was head of GradNite for all four of her children.
“Growing up and, even now, my dad works a lot, so he’s very busy and my mom practically raised me and my three siblings by herself,” Kyleigh said. “She had to do everything on her own, and she kind of took on GradNite as a full-time job, even though she has another job also, while raising four kids, which is another full-time job. She is such a hard worker and works a lot, but she still took time out of her life to make sure she was always involved with us, and I think that definitely shifted my perspective on life and how I want to be involved in everything and always be a part of things.”
Christine Paige has seen how Kyleigh Paige has grown as a person over the years.
“Being the youngest of four can be very challenging,” said Christine Paige, “always trying to live up to your older siblings, and trying to figure out who you are as an individual. Kyleigh has grown more compassionate and enthusiastic about her interests, and become a more self-sufficient and independent young woman. I have really enjoyed watching her grow into her own person and I am extremely proud of her determination to stand out on her own merit.”
Kyleigh having so much involvement in everything has made her have a big impact and effect on others around her.
“She is always there for me, 24/7, ” said Sam Kostka, one of Kyleigh’s best friends, “and she just makes me want to be a better person.”
“Throughout her childhood, Kyleigh has always been kind and caring with an excited, bubbling personality, and that has not changed,” said Christine Paige. “Kyleigh can give some people a run for their money. She doesn’t let anyone walk on her and she stands up for what she believes in, and those she loves and cares about. Her peers can rely on her to be an honest, trustworthy friend.”
The end of Kyleigh’s career here at Region 14 is not just the end of hers — it is the ending of the Paige family’s involvement in the district. The entire family has always been involved in as much as they can handle and their name here is coming to an end for now and that has had a big effect on Christine and Kyleigh.
“I have been involved with volunteering with Region 14 since 2002,” says Christine, “so to say this will be a huge change in my life is an understatement. Being present in the moment is important and I am doing my best to focus on that, or I start to get emotional. I honestly don’t think it has really hit me yet.”
“To think I really am the last one and that in a few months, that’s it, I’m not going to be super involved, not going to be at the school ’til 5 p.m. at night for something silly, or like being with all my friends at a football game after school, or just always having something to do at Nonnewaug, I’m going to be on my own, and it’s definitely a hard thing to process,” Kyleigh said. “It’s definitely going to be hard to adjust to. I don’t know, this school has been like my home for the past 17 years, so the thought of leaving it is kind of hard.”
