Devin Carey said his parents insisted he and his brothers try new things to figure out where their talents lie.
They made us try everything, said Carey, who grew up in Beatrice, Neb..
So he tried sports from football to track to tennis and wrestling and developed an appreciation for sports but I wasnt very good. He broke his collarbone watching a wrestling match. Two wrestlers tumbled into the crowd where he was sitting. That ended his wrestling days.
He tried Cub Scouts, but never made it to Boy Scouts.
He tried music in fifth grade, playing the trumpet and thats where Carey found his passion. Hes now the new band teacher for Iola Middle and High Schools.
Carey credits his parents encouragement to try new things for his discovery of music.
Otherwise, I dont think I would have done band.
AS IS often the case for many who become teachers, it was a band teacher who inspired Carey to join the profession.
He really influenced me a lot, Carey said. I wanted to do the same for other students, to help them get better and connect with a love of music.
Perhaps because of his own experience, Carey understands why so many Iola students still speak fondly of a previous band teacher, Matt Kloepfer, affectionately known as Mr. K. In fact, when he interviewed for the position, Mr. K reached out to him and talked to him about the school and community.
Even in his first few days into the job, students told him I only took band because of Mr. K. Carey said he hopes students will give him an opportunity to prove himself.
The only thing I can do is be myself. Im going to try my best to make a connection with the students and hopefully knowing me and knowing my experience will help, he said.
He also talked with Ranie Walter, the band teacher who succeeded Mr. K. Also, a friend from Fredonia encouraged him to give Iola a try. Carey liked the size of the city, having worked at Oberlin in western Kansas. Most of his family lives in the Kansas City area, so he wanted to move to the eastern side of the state.
He attended the University of Kansas, following in his mothers footsteps; his father and two brothers graduated from Kansas State University. His mother and two brothers work in health care, while his father is retired from selling feed.
