Profile by Ivy Geary
Graphics by Eagle Media

This week's OCHS staff spotlight is Q’Daryius Jennings. This is Mr. Jennings first year teaching, however this is not his first year in the classroom. Mr. Jennings was previously a substitute teacher here at OCHS. The classes he is teaching this year are strength, speed, and conditioning. He went to college at Murray State for four years and Tennessee Tech for one year where he played college football. Mr.Jennings is also a football coach here at OCHS for the running backs and also coaches for the freshman basketball team.

Mr. Jennings states that the thing that inspires him to keep coaching is to help kids, “I just want to help kids”, "I want to take what I know and put it to good use.” He says that making a connection with his students is something else that inspires him and is also something new from going from being a substitute to having his own classroom. “Building a connection with the kids from seeing them everyday as to one day from being a sub.”

Mr.Jennings loved playing football in college, he says that a plus from playing is scholarships paying for classes that would otherwise be expensive. “You can get scholarships from playing sports”. “It saved me and my parents a lot of money.”

Mr. Jennings final thoughts were that he encourages people to join his class and that it's never too late to start. “You will know how to lift weights properly, not just in high school but stuff you can carry with you as you continue to grow as well.” He states that it is important to maintain a healthy body mass “so you won’t have to play catch up as you get older.” We welcome Mr. Jennings in his first year of teaching here at OCHS and are very happy to have him as a part of our staff.