2025 Winner of The Butler/McDaniel Memorial Scholarship

Kayden Clark

While growing up in Splendora, Texas, Kayden has witnessed the seemingly overnight growth of her small town. Adjusting to this change was not without its challenges, but she ultimately appreciates the various opportunities it has brought to her community. Congratulations, Kayden, we look forward to all you will accomplish!

Read her essay here:

Anytime someone asks me where I live, I just say, “Oh it’s a small town north of Houston. You probably haven’t heard of it.” Without fail, my assumption is always correct. No one outside of my area has ever heard of Splendora, Texas. Yet somehow, this seemingly irrelevant town taught me a lesson I will carry with me for the rest of my life: do not be scared of growth, but rather embrace and enjoy it.

I have lived in the Splendora School District my entire life. Growing up, I always recognized my hometown as a tiny little rural town. We had a small population of undiversified families, most of whom had been here for a few generations. I was never bothered by the fact that I lived in a small community. I actually enjoyed being able to recognize all the kids in my school. There was hardly any reason to go out of my comfort zone, because Splendora had become so usual and predictable. However, this quiet piece was quickly uprooted as our town began to grow quicker than I could blink.

Within what seemed like no time, our forests were cut down and replaced by neighborhoods, our class size grew so swiftly that I could not recognize my peers, and businesses started popping up left and right. There were strangers everywhere and all of our small town “charms” felt like they were slowly disappearing. Splendora did not feel like Splendora.

Despite this forlorn feeling, a brightside started to emerge through the clouds. With all of the new subdivisions, unfamiliar and diverse people were brought to Splendora. This brought me one of my now closest friends. Additionally, the increase of people brought new opportunities to our community and school. The community was able to create a soccer team, develop new classes (like a real estate licensing class I have been fortunate enough to take), increase the number of student organizations like L.A.S.O. (Latin American Student Organization), and so much more. With the growth of our small town also came the growth of the surrounding areas like New Caney. This growth brought us Valley Ranch Town Center, which has brought so many desirable businesses and job opportunities to the area. I began to see that the change and growth was not some regrettable happenstance, but a way for our community to enliven and become a better version of itself.

Before experiencing the true wonder that growth can create, I hated the idea of things changing. Everything was great how it was, so why change anything? Then, I truly got a chance to observe that growth, not just in population, can be a beneficial thing. Without growth, we would all just be on a repeat cycle for our entire lives. Growing and changing as a person, just like a town, is how you fully become who you are and expand your capabilities. I will carry this lesson from my hometown of embracing growth with me forever.