Kacy Keysor has a busy schedule. An elementary school physical education teacher by day, he is also the athletic director of Kenmare High School Athletics, in addition to being the head basketball and track-and-field coach. Just listening to Keysor’s daily schedule is exhausting but judging by his attitude you’d never guess that.

“Whenever someone asks me, ‘What’s up?,’ I just tell them, ‘My life, and the sky,’” Keysor said with a tone of enthusiastic certainty.

Keysor has the natural optimism characteristic of the best kind of teachers and coaches. He talks adamantly about serving his students and players, and doing what he can to care for them, to help them excel.

Growing up in a military family, Keysor attended more schools than he could count on one hand before he even started high school. But after his father retired from the Air Force and transitioned into teaching and coaching, He caught a glimpse of where his own future was heading.

“My dad was my coach for most of my life,” Keysor said. “I saw firsthand his passion at practice and during game time. He exceled at sports with his dad coaching him to his fullest potential. If there was any doubt that he would follow in his father’s footsteps it was put to rest when he served as a peer mentor for an elementary class during his high school years.

“I really enjoyed being around those kids and discovered my passion to teach,” Keysor said.

After graduating high school, Keysor had the chance to make one of his dreams come true, to play basketball at the collegiate level. He was recruited by Coach Jason Harris, and after visiting campus for the first time, knew he had found his new home away from home.

“From the very first day of my visit, the people who worked there treated me like I was already part of the community,” Keysor said. “I felt so welcome there and it was a no brainer that’s where I would be spending the next two years.”

Keysor exceled on the court but found his classroom experience to be the most rewarding part of his college career. In fact, Keysor’s performance in the classroom earned him a top place among his peers and he was elected to give the class speech at graduation.

Tim Davis, his college speech teacher, helped him prepare for the graduation speech. “Mr. Davis really helped me figure out what I wanted to say, and how it was that I got where I was at that point in my life. It was really important that I honor my classmates and our teachers, and he knew that. He put in so much time with me. He didn’t have to do that, but he wanted to,” Keysor said.

He went on to earn a four-year degree and eventually return to his hometown of Kenmare where he has achieved great success as a teacher and coach. But with all the success that has come Keysor’s way he still looks back on his days at DCB as an integral part to his journey.

“People ask me where I went to school, and even though I didn’t earn my bachelor’s degree there, I tell them I went to Dakota College at Bottineau. That was my school.”