You might say Quinn O’Leary lives life on the run.
And in front of the camera.
And on the sidelines.
And advocating for social justice.
And ... OK, you get the picture.
But don’t get the wrong impression — Quinn’s schedule isn’t merely filled. The flurry of
activity she calls “today” or “tomorrow” leaves her FULfilled, and she takes on new endeavors not out of obligation, but out of gratitude. This 2025 graduate of Beaver High
School simply loves to share what she’s first been given.
“In every interaction, I am who I am because of the people who have touched my life,”
Quinn offers. “Maybe I can be the type of person who touches other lives that way.”
When examining her ever-expanding resumé, a casual observer might think she’s too
good to be true for someone who’s just 18. Yet those who know her best come to a different conclusion:
“Yep, that’s just Quinn.”
LIFE ON THE RUN
It’s a gorgeous, sun-splashed afternoon in late April, yet more than 120 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders are milling around inside the gym at Dutch Ridge Elementary School. Classes ended just a few minutes earlier, and students spent the day answering questions on a statewide aptitude test. As you might imagine, they are ready to GO! Good thing, since it’s warmup time for the weekly Running Club.Quinn’s mother, Tara, is a sixth-grade English teacher at Dutch Ridge and one of the advisors for the club, which encourages students to initiate a healthy habit they can carry on for life. A few feet away a teacher named Chris Frye organizes the children on the sideline, then leads them in a series of jogging, skipping, and karaoka drills.
Quinn is introduced and takes the microphone.
“You guys helped me love running again,” she says, pointing to a group of sixth-grade girls she’s mentoring. Quinn goes on to explain that she wrote an essay on the subject and earned a $2,000 scholarship for her prose. (Overall, she’s received $20,500 in academic awards.)
Quinn smiles as the kids applaud. “And that’s because of you. So thank you!”
Afterward, she reveals a tumor was discovered on her right knee when she was a freshman. After seeking medical advice from a variety of sources, Quinn opted for surgery. “I was really disappointed because I was in the best shape of my life.”
The extended recovery time took her off the cross country team as a sophomore, but it also led her to join another unit she grew to love — the cheerleading squad. These days, when she does lace up the sneakers, she’s no longer racing against the clock. It’s simply to witness the joy on the faces of the kids who run with her.
“You would never find me running five laps around the school on a random Wednesday,” Quinn says, chuckling. “This is really special for me to be a senior and connecting with the younger kids. We show up, power through, and share some good laughs.”
Everyone heads outside and the kids are segmented by grade to hit the mile-long course together. One young man asks Tara if he can wear his AirPods during the activity. “No-no-no,” she responds. “We are being serious today. Real runners don’t listen to music when they run.”
Moments later sixth-grade teachers Linda Lang and Molly Smith head to the starting line and count down together — “Three-two-one ... go!” — and the kids begin circling a paved path that surrounds the school.
“C’mon, you got this!” Linda shouts to a few students struggling to catch their breath. To her right, Molly encourages a young man who is beginning to lap his classmates. “Great job, Liam!” She looks down at the feet of another boy who plods by and notices he’s wearing Crocs. She shrugs her shoulders.
“Honestly, we do send an email home every week to remind kids to wearing running sneakers.”
Tara runs with the group and crosses the finish line in 12 minutes and 1 second. “Not bad for an old lady,” she quips. Quinn and a sixth-grader name Johanna Sitler arrive 50 seconds later with huge smiles on their faces.
“She’s amazing,” Johanna beams when asked about her relationship with Quinn. “She held my hand as I was running with her. She’s just this sweet thing. She’s kind to everyone and I love it.”
Amazing, sweet and kind?
Yep, that’s just Quinn.
Quinn O’Leary was a dual standout on the football sidelines at Beaver — she served as a cheerleader and a social media specialist.LIFE ON THE SIDELINES
When Kevin Krzeczowski assumed the role of athletic director for the Beaver Area School District, he was on a mission — find someone to update the social media accounts during sporting events.“I’m OK at it,” he concedes, “but I needed someone who could really make it special.”
Quinn still remembers their conversation: “Mr. Krzewczowski said, ‘Get to whatever events you can and post, post, post.” And for the past two years, she’s been taking photos, capturing video clips, and providing live updates for a variety of athletic encounters. Quinn even performed double duty on the football field, serving as a cheerleader AND social media specialist.
She laughs about that one.
“I didn’t know how football and basketball worked at first. I really wanted each post to say something, and I wanted to communicate why each moment is meaningful, so I had to be intentional about learning both the sport and the social media skills. The team members put in so much work — there’s so much blood, sweat and tears that go into it — I really want to highlight them well.”
Kevin shared an anecdote that conveys Quinn’s mindset for doing just that. Several Beaver athletes had earned medals at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in May, and Quinn learned that local police were escorting them back into town. She texted Kevin and said she would meet him at the school to capture video of their arrival.
“She has such a passion for everything she does,” he emphasizes. “She’s just a great kid from a great family. She’s always gone above and beyond with anything we’ve asked her to do. She was a godsend for me.”
Someone you can count on when it really counts?
Yep, that just Quinn.
SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE
Think back to your own high school days and the tribes that formed. The jocks. The burnouts. The theater kids. The boys and girls in the band. The ones who struggled to keep up in class. Those who sat alone in the cafeteria. Quinn doesn’t see those labels. And her life doesn’t fit neatly into some box. She believes all paths — no matter how smooth or rocky — eventually funnel in the same direction when someone who cares about you is guiding your steps.“People ask me sometimes, ‘Why would you join THAT group? And I’ll say, ‘Why WOULDN’T I join that group?’ ”
Whether it’s tutoring younger students, reading morning announcements on camera, performing in the school musical, playing sax in the concert band, volunteering at the Special Olympics, or serving in the children’s ministry at Northbridge Community Church, Quinn points to a common thread in any endeavor she pursues: inclusiveness.
“No matter where I am, I want to create the best possible experience. I want people to feel connected, accepted, and safe.”
Perhaps no activity speaks to that desire more than SHOUTS, which stands for Social Handprints Overcoming Unjust Treatment. Quinn is a founding member and was the club president this year. The group spearheads such pursuits as a No Place For Hate Day, voter registration drives, a Day of Giving, gift card and diaper drives, and monthly mindfulness sessions to address mental health concerns.
“It’s been a super-cool experience,” Quinn explains. “We’re not political at all. Our focus is on kindness and inclusivity. Instead of calling people out, we invite them in.”
Heather Bixler teaches English Language Arts and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition at Beaver High School. She co-sponsors SHOUTS with Aimee Firmani.
“Quinn is a driving force for us. We’ve never done so much as we did this year,” she points out. “We had an outstanding group of seniors, and Quinn is definitely a strong leader.”
Quinn says her grandfather, Louis Tutt, and her faith in God have inspired the passion for social justice.
“Grandpa Lou-Lou,” as Quinn calls him, was the first Black teacher and coach at an all- white school in Virginia during the mid-1960s. After earning a pair of master’s degrees, he became an administrator at a school in Michigan, and then assumed the role of superintendent for several schools serving the deaf and the blind.
“My dad is an amazing guy,” Tara says proudly. “He grew up in segregated schools, and then he broke down a lot of barriers. He was the first Black coach these whites kids ever had. His story is important to Quinn and all of us. He got to live it, and we are all enjoying the benefits.”
Tara had been a children’s ministry director before coming to Beaver, and Heather says Quinn took those lessons learned at church to heart — and into the classroom.
“Her family definitely lives and loves like Jesus. She is very faith-driven. I think that’s where her heart and compassion come from. She is just one of the most genuine and compassionate people I know.”
Genuine and compassionate even while doing hard things?
Yep, that’s just Quinn.
FAMILY MATTERS
McKenna Quinn O’Leary was born on August 14, 2006, the first of four children in the family of Tara and Dave O’Leary. “My first name was supposed to be Quinn, but my parents couldn’t decide on a good middle name, so they flipped the names around.”Her siblings are:
•Fiona,15, who is entering her sophomore year at Beaver
•Magnolia, 14, who will be a freshman
•And John Patrick, 10, a rising fifth-grader
Quinn describes herself simply as a “big sister” who loves to connect with people through school, writing, babysitting, or working over the summer. “When I meet someone, I always hope I can remember your eye color by the end of our time together. My family is big on eye contact.”
In fact, Dave and Tara have three social rules for each of their kids:
•Be nice
•Look people in the eye
•Ask a lot of questions
Quinn is excited to do all three in the fall when she ventures to Syracuse University, where she will major in Broadcast Journalism. The Newhouse School of Communications on campus has become famous for producing such notable alums as Bob Costas, Mike Tirico, Ted Koppel, and Steve Kroft. Quinn has dreamt of attending the institution in upstate New York since working on a career project in fifth grade. “My teacher said to research what you want to do in your life. I was clueless. I loved to talk and communicate with people, so I said I was going to go to Syracuse, live in New York City, and work for CBS News.”
Time has only intensified those desires. Her inspiration is Norah O’Donnell, a corre- spondent for the network’s nightly newscast as well as “60 Minutes.” “I just love her. She finds a way to bring out the story in everything she does.”
But before Quinn moves on to the world of higher education, the work world beckons this summer. Her father purchased Kenson Plastics in 2008 with his brothers Christopher and Patrick. The trio have transformed a company that was on life support into a thriving enterprise with three locations: Wexford, Zelienople, and Chippewa Township.
Last summer, Quinn began contributing to the family business as a rank-and-file employee, and she’s jumping back in this year. Quinn doesn’t just enjoy the experience — she LOVES it.
“It’s so cool to see what my dad does every day,” she explains. “It’s super-amazing to see how his work serves hospitals, mass transit, and the aerospace industry. But I think the best part is making friends with the people on the floor with me. I get to know about their families. I learn their children’s names. Last summer I went from being Dave’s daughter to being Quinn.”
She offers a knowing smile.
“I would never be friends with these people if I hadn’t agreed to take the job.”
Turning co-workers of all ages into friends?
Yep, that’s just Quinn.
INTO THE FUTURE
At work, Dave calls her a “model employee.”At school, teachers call this student with the 3.9 GPA “the whole package.”
And at home, her younger siblings say she’s their “best friend.”
Dave leans on the kitchen counter and smiles.
“I know I’m her dad, but I think Quinn is pretty good at everything she does. She reads me her essays and they’re impressive. I’m very proud of her for what she’s been doing. She takes it all seriously and it shows. Luckily, she takes after her mother and that’s a good thing.”
Fiona and Magnolia are standing nearby and Dave points in their direction: “I feel bad for the other two,” he says, laughing. They have some big shoes to fill.”
Quinn looks over to her sisters and reassures them: “You'll make your own path."
Tara says the traits she most appreciates about Quinn are her thoughtfulness and authenticity.
“People come up to me all the time and say, ‘Did Quinn tell you she saw me at Starbucks and bought me a coffee?’ Or I’ll hear from someone else that Quinn saw them walking in the rain and gave them a ride home. It doesn’t surprise me because that’s who she is. She’s thoughtful, responsible and kind. But I still love to hear those stories.”
Tara pauses.
“Oh, boy. We are really going to miss her when she goes off to college. We are going to miss her light.”
Same for Heather.
“I will miss her every day. She is definitely a student I will remember for the rest of my career. If my daughters grow up to be like her, I feel like I’ve done my job.”
Although she will no longer interact with Quinn at school, Heather is confident she will see a lot of her again in the future — even if it’s through a large screen in the living room.
“I have no doubt she’s going to be on national TV someday. She’ll make the connections. She’ll work her tail off. And she will do whatever it takes to get there.”
Of course she will. That’s just Quinn.
(If you know students in your district who are shining stars, breaking through barriers, or overcoming challenges, email tkolodziej@portagelearning.edu and tell us why we should profile them.)
