Aaron Cunningham - driven to excel and share

Aaron Cunningham

Aaron Cunningham is a typical high school senior. Athletic, friendly but kind of shy, likes school and is looking forward to college. But what makes him a standout is that he is incredibly generous with his time and talent, giving to Special Olympics kids, helping at a no-kill animal shelter, delivering meals to people in their homes.

Aaron began playing tennis the summer after eighth grade. “I chose tennis because it was an individual sport that challenges you,” Aaron said. “It is a game of patience too.” Aaron plays five to six days a week, and is the captain of his high school tennis team.

The summer after his freshman year, Aaron was looking for opportunities to earn community service hours. He decided to teach tennis to Special Olympics kids, and has done so on Thursday evenings in June and July every summer since.

Besides teaching, Aaron has played in Special Olympics tournaments. The first year, he played with a young man from his school, and they won a gold medal together in a Special Olympics Doubles Tournament. For the past two years, Aaron has worked with a 24-yr-old named Kyle, who has Down Syndrome and a heart problem.

Aaron and Kyle

“Kyle is funny, smart and very kind,” Aaron said, but noted that Kyle has some trouble focusing on multiple tasks. “It has been difficult to teach him how to position his feet and watch the ball at the same time.” Nevertheless, Aaron said, Kyle is easy-going and happy to be on the court having fun.

Aaron shared a story of playing in a doubles tournament on the Plaza with Kyle this past summer. “Kyle was so excited as we waited for our turn to go out on court to play the other teams,” Aaron said. “He was very confident that we were going to win every match in which we didn’t win any matches.” Aaron teaches Kyle tennis, but Kyle teaches Aaron a little bit about life. “It is refreshing to see how people with disabilities like Kyle enjoy things that we take for granted on a daily basis,” Aaron said. “He makes you realize what is really important in this world. He is a true friend.”

Aaron has had to learn how to temper his own style of play to teach the Special Olympics kids. He said that slowing down from his natural competitive pace so that he can break down the basic tennis moves is a challenge. “I play without thinking,” Aaron said. “It is hard to stop and think about what I am doing, so that I can teach others.”

 

Besides tennis, another interest of Aaron’s is working with his family for Furry Kids Refuge, a no-kill animal shelter. They have fostered homeless pets at various times for the past seven years. Aaron and his younger sister, Casey, also go to a local pet store on Saturday mornings when they can to help with adoptions.

Aaron’s other gift of time is delivering meals during the summer for One Good Meal, a Lee’s Summit not-for-profit whose mission is to deliver hot meals to seniors and those who are homebound regardless of income.

All this is in addition to working toward an International Baccalaureate diploma. Aaron is required to take college classes in high school, earn 150 hours community service, do a community service project, write a 4000-word extended essay, and take a “Theory of Knowledge” class before school each morning for one year. “I will have approximately 40 hours college credit when I graduate from high school,” Aaron said. He plans to be a chemical engineer. He also squeezes in time to go to Kansas City Royals games and spend family time in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Aaron is driven by the desire to be the best he can be, but he balances that with generosity. “Giving back to others is a big part of our family life whether it is people or animals,” Aaron said. On a personal note, he added, “I get the satisfaction of doing the right thing for others while learning various life lessons from different perspectives.”