By Chance Burk
Keylee Ranabarger is a sophomore at Elgin High School. She is a part of the softball team and is also an award-winning artist for Elgin. Not only does she find success in those fields, but she also maintains a 3.9 GPA and is a part of the National Honor Society. Keylee strives to be the best at whatever she does and will stop at nothing until she succeeds. Out of everything Keylee pushes herself to be the best at, softball stands above the rest.
To her, softball is a family sport. Everyone in her family has either played softball or been around it their entire lives. A big reason why Keylee wanted to play softball was her Aunt Shayna. “She was an amazing
pitcher and had grit you don’t see much of today. She pushes me to be the best and I hope to be as good as she was,” said Keylee. Outside of pushing herself to meet personal goals, Keylee finds motivation from competition. “I want to be the best and outwork my opponents,’ said Keylee.
Outworking her opponents has never been a problem. “I take lessons weekly, work at home daily, and play competitively all year,” added Keylee. She invests nearly all of her time to getting better. Although softball means a lot to Keylee, family and faith are the most important things in her life. “All of my family is extremely important to me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them,” said Keylee. She feels very blessed to have such a supporting, loving family. Her two parents have been there every step of her life and are the biggest supporters in Keylee’s life.
She is also very thankful for the relationship she shares with her siblings and her Mawmaw. Each of them has had their own way of shaping Keylee into the person she is today. Keylee’s faith holds a special place in her heart and she walks in a life of faith daily. “I had open heart surgery four years ago and I know that it’s because of God that I am able to stand on a softball field and play the sport I love,” said Keylee. Since being blessed with a successful openheart surgery, Keylee has fully devoted her life to Christ and gives God all of the glory.
In the future, Keylee hopes to pursue a collegiate softball career and study forensic science. After receiving a degree, she plans on becoming a crime scene investigator. Her family, faith, and sports have taught her numerous valuable life lessons that will help her succeed.
