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For Kinsley Hobbs, faith and family have never been separate parts of life. Instead, they are woven together into nearly everything she does — from the way she treats people to the goals she has set for her future.
On the morning she graduated as valedictorian of Drew Central High School, Hobbs was already thinking less about accolades and more about the positive impact she hopes to leave on her peers and community.
“I just try to be a light to the community as best as I can,” Hobbs said during a recent interview.
That simple statement captures the heart of the 18-year-old senior, who has built a reputation not only for academic excellence, but for kindness, optimism and a deep-rooted Christian faith.
Hobbs said she has always pushed herself academically. She took extra college courses during high school and will enter college already considered a sophomore. But despite being at the top of her class, she said she never wanted success to be only about grades.
“A lot of times I feel like people look at me as someone, ‘She’s just so smart,’” Hobbs said. “But I really do love everyone. I try to be the one to make others laugh and make them happy.”
That love for people, she explained, comes directly from her faith.
Hobbs attends Pauline Baptist Church and is already actively involved with the Missionary Baptist Student Fellowship (MBSF) at the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM), where she helps lead worship on Thursday nights. Music and worship have become one of the biggest ways she expresses herself spiritually.
“Really, I feel like worship’s a big part of me,” Hobbs said. “That’s how I like to go spread the gospel.”
Her favorite Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 16:14 — “Do everything with love” — has become something of a personal mission statement. Hobbs even incorporated the verse into her valedictorian speech.
Friends and classmates describe Hobbs as someone who naturally encourages others. When asked to describe herself in one word, she chose “optimistic.”
“I just try to be positive in everything I can,” she said.
Still, Hobbs admitted that standing out academically sometimes made it difficult to feel like she fit in completely.
“It’s hard to kind of fit in sometimes in today’s society,” she said. “But I just try to be a light to others.”
Much of that outlook, she said, comes from the close-knit family that has supported her every step of the way.
Hobbs described herself as a “homebody” who treasures time spent with family and close friends. She shares a particularly close bond with her older sister, whom she called her “best friend.”
“I love her so much,” Hobbs said.
She also spoke affectionately about her younger brother and her parents, describing them as her “biggest friends.”
“They’ve always loved and supported me in everything,” she said. “I do love my parents a lot.”
Her father works as a safety manager at Weyerhaeuser, while her mother teaches health science technology at the Monticello Occupational Education Center (OEC). Hobbs said watching her parents invest in both their family and community taught her the importance of service and compassion.
That family connection is one reason she plans to stay close to home while attending college at UAM. Hobbs plans to major in biochemistry before eventually attending pharmacy school, inspired in part by her work at City Drug.
“I want to become a pharmacist,” Hobbs said. “That’s kind of pushing me toward that goal.”
Long term, Hobbs hopes to eventually return to Southeast Arkansas after finishing school.
“I want to have a family and I want my kids to grow up like I did,” she said. “I want to make sure to stay in church, have a good job, provide for my family and still be the same person I am now.”
Her faith journey is also beginning to expand beyond her hometown. This summer, Hobbs will travel to Belize on her first international mission trip through Pauline Baptist Church. During the trip, she and other volunteers will help evangelize and lead children’s activities while veterinarians provide animal care in local communities.
“Missions is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Hobbs said. “I’m excited that I’m getting to do this because it’ll be my first one.”
As Hobbs reflected on her years at Drew Central, she repeatedly returned to one theme: support.
“Everyone’s always loved on me and supported me through everything,” she said. “Having people that push you toward those goals is really important.”
While her resume already includes academic honors, leadership roles, tennis, worship ministry and community involvement, those closest to Hobbs say her greatest accomplishment may simply be the way she makes others feel seen and valued.
And as she begins the next chapter of her life, Hobbs hopes people remember her not just as valedictorian, but as someone who lives with compassion, faith and love at the center of everything she does.
