Meet Kyla Neal, Class of 2021 Senior from Dee-Mack High School!  Not only is Kyla a dream to photograph but she is the perfect combination of sweet and sassy, silly but laid back, sometimes daring, social and outgoing.  To say that Kyla loves animals would be a complete understatement.  She has had a true love for animals since the age of 3 and riding horses since age 7.  Horseback riding and showing horses for over 10+ years has been a huge part of her life and she has recently started showing horses on a national level!

In fact, she brought a cat and a goat to one of our themed sessions, and then we had a blast capturing her senior pictures with her horse!  This fall, she will be attending college and plans on pursuing her dream of being a vet; something she has dreamt of doing since she was a little girl!  She wants to be the first exotic pet vet in the area.

Kyla’s favorite teacher is Mr. Hill, her woodshop teacher. “He is sarcastic and jokes all of the time. Woodshop is also my favorite class. There are no tests and you can be yourself. It’s a relaxing class even though I work with heavy wood and loud, sharp machines because it’s a social and friendly atmosphere.”

Her favorite school event is homecoming because “it’s a night where the only thing expected is to dress up and it’s fun to get ready and I love seeing all of my friends, listening to music and dancing with them.  Kyla has played volleyball throughout her high school career, and outside of school, played club volleyball, volunteered at horse shows, the Midwest Food Bank, Wildlife Prairie Park, Baby Fold, and 4-H.

“My perfect day would be waking up early, going out to the ocean to find sand dollars and star fish and then releasing them as the sun rises. I would also go to the barn, ride my horses with friends and then go swimming with my friends. We would swim with the wild dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. Then I would come back to the beach for a small bonfire with all of my friends and rescued puppies and dogs. The night would finish with fireworks and a sleepover!”

“A moment I am most proud of is joining her family to clean up Washington after the tornado. We all froze but stuck through it to help the people.”

Three things on my bucket list: 1. See the Eiffel Tower 2. Go to Congress and place well 3. Swim with a sea turtle

Food and Family:

1. Favorite family recipe – The toffee that my mom now makes, my Great Grandma used to make it we would go to her house and play with kittens and then go in and make the toffee it was hard work but there was a lot of bonding in it.
2. If I could eat only one meal for the rest of my life, it would be the teriyaki steak that my grandmas makes. It’s the absolute best. I would also eat the cheeseballs that she makes!
3. The weirdest thing I have ever eaten is Kangaroo.
4. My hero is my mom because she is always there for me, every time and she is definitely someone to look up to as a single mom and being very successful in life proving a lot of people wrong. She is the funniest person alive! I love making jokes with her and doing dumb things with her. She always seems to find the positive in everything, when my grandpa passed we were both very upset but she found the positive in it. She always brings out memories that I would forget and bring it back to my memory. My mom is the most amazing person, I don’t know what everyone else thinks but if its not my idea they are definitely wrong. My mom deserves everything because she gives me everything. She drops everything for my horse shows and traveling. I would describe her as the light to every star in the sky. She is the reason I see the stars shine. Happy, positive beautiful people glow, she is strong enough for the stars. She is my everything just as much as I am hers. I love you so much mom!
5. My favorite family trip was a Disney Cruise that I went on with my mom and grandparents because we had a blast the entire time! We would wake up early in the morning and sneak strawberry banana ice cream up to the room. The islands were absolutely gorgeous, I also learned while snorkeling that I am scared of fish when they don’t leave me alone after I shoo them away.
6. My favorite childhood memory is when all of my family, cousins and all got together at my grandmas old house and we were all playing tag outside and my Uncle came out and grabbed us all and started putting us upside down in an empty trash can, it may sound like abuse but we were all laughing and having a fun time.
7. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the family tradition of having dinner at my grandmas and seeing all my family and watching them open my gifts up as well as seeing what they got everyone else.
8. My favorite ice cream flavor is Oreo and favorite dessert is Cheesecake
9. Favorite restaurant?  Maggianos Little Italy. I love the pasta!
10. My favorite beverage is Dr. Pepper!

Do you have any advice for incoming freshman? Its a rocky road but it is definitely worth it, you get to see who you were and who you are going to be within a matter of 4 years. It may seem absolutely horrible but at the end of your years you will look back and miss it.

What’s the most daring thing you have ever done?  Parasailing

If I had the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, I would go to Mauritius Island in Madagascar!

I used to participate in hoola hoop competitions in gradeschool and win cakes!