It’s incredibly rewarding to reconnect with the folks who knew us before we became the adults we are today.
From building careers and families to fighting for causes that matter or beating cancer – stories from the community never cease to amaze us. Everyone has a story and lessons they’ve learned along the way and hearing from the folks who knew us way back before we became the adults we are today can be refreshing, inspiring and frame-shifting.
If you are from John L. McClellan High School and would like to be included in this reunion series you can submit your story here.
If you’d like to see if your high school is already part of the series you can check here.
Now, with no further ado, please find some of our favorite folks from the John L. McClellan High School Class of 2022 below.
Dwight Allen O’Neal
Since high school, my journey has been filled with diverse experiences, personal growth, and professional achievements. After graduating, I moved to New York City, where the vibrant culture and opportunities significantly shaped my outlook on life and provided numerous avenues for growth. I ventured into creative projects, founding Christopher Street TV, the first black gay web series that resonated with many viewers and highlighted significant social issues. This experience honed my skills in storytelling and media production, allowing me to express my creativity and passion for representation.
Balancing my academic commitments with extracurricular activities, I discovered my interests and developed key skills like time management and perseverance. These years were marked by a deepening understanding of myself and the world around me. Family and personal life have also played crucial roles. I’ve faced challenges and losses that have profoundly impacted me, driving me to cherish relationships and continually seek personal growth. These experiences have taught me the importance of resilience and the value of supportive networks. Today, I reside in downtown Los Angeles and continue to work on significant projects, aiming to make a positive impact both in media and community-focused initiatives.
My career involves co-founding the Rose Neal Collective, dedicated to enhancing the shopping experience for BIPOC consumers, and I’m exploring partnerships to recruit talent for major beauty brands. Professionally, I am a best-selling author and have produced TV and film for networks such as Bravo, Showtime, and Here TV. Notable works include the reality show “Your Husband is Cheating on Us” for Bravo, “The Noah’s Arc Movie” (Fall 2024) for Showtime, and several projects for Here TV, including “The Breeding,” “Collar Confessions,” and both seasons of “Go Go” (with Season 2 premiering in Fall 2024). My journey has been a blend of learning, adapting, and striving to make a meaningful difference in the world. From high school to now, it’s been a remarkable path characterized by continuous growth and a commitment to both personal and professional excellence.
- https://www.facebook.com/onealappeal
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/dwight-oneal-8340b3103
- https://www.instagram.com/onealappeal
- https://bigo.onelink.me/1168916328/onealappeal
Melanie Miller (Thomas)
Since high school my life can be summed up by using one word, Transformed. It not only describes what has happened physically like getting older and my knees not being as strong as Meg the Stallions but it speaks to how I’ve blossomed into someone amazing. It definitely didn’t come without exercising perseverance.
Whether it was from losing my dear friend in 2007, giving birth to my four angels Alyssa, Carder, Maddox, and Annalynn, working diligently to pursue entrepreneurship by becoming a licensed cosmetologist/ instruction, or the loss of my biggest fan my mother. I got and is till getting through it. I have come to learn that life is truly what you create. I have accomplished many this and had a few losses but transformation is what I am committed too. And let’s be real I am having a ball. Loving every minute of being able to do what I love everyday owning my own salon Transformed by Melanie Miller and coach All Star Cheer 🩷🫶🏾🌻
Tiana Haire
Since high school a lot has transpired … I had survived being physical beat with extension corded and verbal abuse from my mother while simultaneously being molested by my stepfather. He went to jail… I was gay, then straight. I always used my singing and talents as a was to escape my painful reality. I went to Arkansas Girls State and Governors School in the summers of high school. As I healed and continued therapy in college I found myself in talent shows and actually placing and winning in pageants etc. for example, I won 2nd runner up Ms Henderson State University.
I Graduated with a minor in Psychology and became a Registered Psych Nurse in May 2009. Like a lot of other southern women, I too was rushed into marriage. Married and had a baby with a beautiful a man … he was beautiful on the outside, not so much on the inside. Since I was rushed into marrying him, I didn’t take the time to assess and make the best decision. I knew when I married him that I shouldn’t have… I knew he wasn’t the one for me, but he was the best one so far… I was almost 30 and I had kissed a lot of frogs…. So I married him. It didn’t take long for me to realize that though God had gotten me through a lot of things in life … some may say on a “wing and a prayer” a marriage is not the kind of thing you can get through on “a wing of a prayer”. He was physically abusive, and he cheated with as he admitted “countless escorts both men and women.” I was devastated. But I had been trained to keep my marriage together at all cost. So, sadly I moved downstairs in our home to avoid him but keep our family together… But it was my daughter’s words that ultimately made me realize that we had to escape this reality. One night after preparing for bed, my maybe 3 yr old daughter and I said our “goodnights” to each other…then she locked the bedroom door and said, waving her little finger at the door, “now daddy can’t come in”. I sat there in pain that this was her normal. I realized this was not healthy… this was not good for her to see us living separately but in the home together. I found an apartment and told my ex husband that I would move out January… start the year off anew. Even though he cheated and was abusive, he did not want me to leave. He threatened suicide. It was all a part of a manipulation scheme… See, as I stated before, I am a Registered Psychiatric Nurse. I work at a Veterans Hospital on an acute care psych unit. I work in what’s called a “level one unit” meaning all people admitted here are either suicidal, homicidal, or so disorganized that they are considered a potential threat to themselves or others. Unfortunately my ex husband knew that he would have to be a patient at my job, on my unit if were to actually be suicidal. He knew that I wouldn’t want my colleagues exposed to my personal life in that embarrassing way. So, I stayed…. But it only took me 30 days to move out anyway. I decided I did not care who knew about him cheating etc…. I decided that I I would face embarrassment if necessary….as long as I was able to be free again. I leaned on God and my family for support.
Narrowly I escaped this situation by moving out while he was at work. February, I arranged for some make do workers to move a few items from the home and into a 1 bedroom apartment. I also arranged for an elder from the church to be in our home when my ex arrived from work to aid him with his potential “suicidal “ thoughts. After I didn’t want my daughter’s story to include this tragedy. Since my ex was the bread winner, I was financially afraid to leave. I made good money but in our relationship he paid the bills and I paid the fun stuff like travel and food. So I sheepishly hadn’t realized the money I made as a nurse. I was literally throwing money away while with him. I took a 6 month financial course and worked on improving my finances. I payed for my apartment and half the mortgage on the home for 1 year. It wasn’t until the end of the year that I realized, I did it. I didn’t sink or drown. I escaped and even saved some money, and I lived well while doing so. The judge awarded me the home after one year. My daughter and I moved back into our 3400 sq feet home, and we have overcome challenge after challenge. She is a cancer survivor. You would never know it from talking to her today. She is hilarious and genuinely such a sweet hearted kid. I have a wonderful man now who is the best friend and partner a girl could ask for. His name is Shawn. I prayed for him. He’s a wonderful man. He is a car salesman. And he also bought me a car and an F150 Truck this year. I wonder if he’s bought a ring to propose yet? I recently handed off being the young Adult Bible Study leader at my church. I did it for 2 years. I had to come to the realization that I was no longer a “young adult”… I am still the youngest Trustee Board Member at my church. We have the responsibility to open and close the church and help with counting and transferring church donations. I also stepped down from the praise team and choir in order to step into a new Season of singing and expanding my vocal skills and range. I was the guest Soprano solo singer for an all male chorus Sons of Orpheus last year. I had about 3 performances with them. That job led to me auditioning for Arizona Women’s choir this year. In this choir I received a special quartet singing part for our Spring Concert which consisted of about 5 local performances April/ & May. This month June 21-30 we are performing in London at Bath Abbey with John Rutter. We will also be singing at 2 other Churches while in London this summer. I am now singing Latin.. French and I even learned that I can sing in an opera style. I also began teaching at the community college during my divorce in 2018. I have continued to teach and even though teaching does not pay as much as my federal job, I absolutely love teaching. I will never stop. I love being able to be paid for something that I am so passionate about. I literally feel like I am majorly blessed and it’s hard for me to talk about everything that’s going well in my life publicly because I feel like I am bragging… I’ve been through a lot, but nothing has been in vein. God has sustained and grown me through it all… and my life shows. I have a fruitful life… I was a nerd back in high school but I am proud to have been a nerd now.
Kevin Holmes
Life has been a journey! I had the opportunity to attend several colleges such as Clark Atlanta, Grambling State, and Devry. I opted to stay at home and help my mom raise my siblings. This led to a string of different jobs like call centers and retail, and I even became a professional makeup artist! In 2007 I started volunteering in the LGBTQ community and came across a young lady who was starting a non-profit organization dedicated to helping queer people of color succeed and get back ok their feet. I worked their for about 5 years.
In 2012 while there I decided to enroll back in school. I was able to travel all over the country to be involved in LGBTQ issues. After my departure I went to work for the Arkansas Cancer Coalition. This was short lived as I missed working in community and doing grassroots work. I was then fortunate enough to go on to work for The Arkansas Department of Heatlh as the LGBTQ Community Liasion for the infectious disease branch and here I thrived which has led me to where I am today! I am thriving in public health. I received my BS in Health Education and Promotion and I live a pretty full life. I travel, do public speaking engagements amd spend time with Family and friends.
Calvin T Johnson
Since high school I have married a fellow McClellan lion who was graduated in 2003. We have three children, and we live in the we live in Virginia., My career has went from serving in higher education to working in government in the state of Maryland as the chief of procurement for the Maryland Department of Health. Overseeing the states contracting opportunities with to safeguard the health and well-being of Marylanders. Probably one of the biggest projects that I loved was when working in higher education, I created an African-American male initiative to help increase graduation persistence rates for black men, Hispanic students as well as African-American women. Since coming to the DMV area, I successfully implemented partnership with all of the HBCUs in the area to enhance the department ability pipeline for more African-Americans to work in public health. Contracting opportunities and research development opportunities in public health for the state of Maryland. I’m also a member of the Alpha Phi alpha fraternity Incorporated and enjoy volunteer opportunities presented
Leslie Topps
After high school, I moved to Memphis Tennessee to go to college in 2002. I studied for a 4 year BA degree in communications and radio broadcasting. I worked in radio after college for 7 years. Then I moved to Atlanta Georgia in 2011. I started working in entertainment public relations and eventually started a business. Now I still have the PR business, as well as a music industry organization for songwriters and producers. I also have a business for the clothing industry, where we create events for people who want to be stylists, designers, start a clothing brand or sell clothes. I feel that right now I am in a capacity where my passion is, which is music. I’m around a lot of influencers and celebrities and people who are successful in my career field. I feel very blessed. I have a wonderful church home – Renaissance Church of Christ in Atlanta, Georgia. There I assist our minister as an administrator and I work in several committees and ministries for the church and the community.
- https://www.facebook.com/MsLeslieTopps
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslietopps/
- http://instagram.com/leslietopps_
- http://toppsprfirm.com/
Nicole Sumner-Wheeler
My journey since High School has been one for the books and the saga continues. Right after High School I attended college at the University of Central Arkansas. I met who I thought at the time was the love of my life in the summer of 2002, right before my girdt semester as a college student. I attended school full-time until I became pregnant during my junior year. My son was born July 12, 2005. Becoming a mother was one of my greatest achievements, but my relationship with my child’s father was toxic and abusive. Doing what was best for me and my son at the time I left tge relationship. I moved to Dallas with my son and started over. I was doing well for myself and my son, working as a customer service supervisor for a fortune 500 company.
At that time I was 22 and things were going well. I decided to start dating again and got into a relationship that was more toxic than my previous relationship. And just when I decided enough was enough to leave I found out I was pregnant a second time. I was at my worst. The worst I had ever been. I lost everything I had. Everything. I just kept telling myself; this ain’t it, I don’t deserve this, why me? I had to figure some things out about life, and quick. I gave birth to my daughter November 2, 2009, and made preparations to move back home to Little Rock. But just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, my ex kidnaps my daughter. I go to the police and get no help there because they said he was the father (Texas Law). I had to get an attorney and go to court to get my daughter back. She was 5 months old at the time. After finally getting a court date, my daughter was 9 months old when she returned home. It’s 2010 and I’m back home in Little Rock to build a stable life for me and my children. Dating is the last thing on my mind. I apply to work for the Little Rock Police Department as a 911 dispatcher. I get the job, then days later I’m informed that I will be let go due to a DWI on my background. Mind you I’ve never had any encounter with police prior to applying let alone a DWI. There had to be a mistake. The manager allows me several days to work out the issue. I had to contact the court clerk, request a hearing with Judge and arresting officer, go to court to testify I didn’t get the DWI and have the arresting state trooper verify it was not me that the trooper stopped that night. Come to find out the person who was stopped was Shanei Burks (Mcclellan student) who had given the trooper my information. She and I were best friends in high school but had fallen out and were no longer friends after high school.
I began working as a 911 dispatcher until going to the police academy in 2013. I have been in Law enforcement for 13 years and the last three of those years as the outreach and community engagement coordinator. Training officers and civilians on various topics as self defense, situation awareness, sexual assault, active shooter and many other community programs. During my time back home, I began working on me, healing, and figuring out what Nicole wants and what makes Nicole happy. I’m not settling and excepting anything. In 2015 I met my soul mate, my other half, the man I prayed for, and the man God made just for me James “Jim” Wheeler. We dated 9 months and got engaged. We got married May 19, 2017. The best decision I’ve made. In January 2018 I was hit with the worse news ever. My father was robbed and murdered. My world came tumbling down. That’s when God gave me the vision to start my Boutique. The Bougie Frog Boutique was birthed April 2018 in memory of my father. We became pregnant and my family was complete August 7, 2018 after giving birth to my 3rd and last child. I grew deeper in my healing journey and learned the power of manifestation. Through my experiences, journey, lessons, and things I’ve mastered in life. As an empowerment Coach I now help other women evolve into their full potential. Giving them the blueprint to overcome fear and Opposition and cultivate a growth mindset. As a mental health first aid instructor, I train individuals how to identify and assess a mental health crisis or episode, how to help someone experiencing a crisis, what resources are available , which resource to use. I am truly in a Happy place in my life, and blessed I don’t look like what I’ve been through. I decided to go back to school and finish what I started 19 years ago. I completed my degree requirements and graduated May 4, 2024, with a Bachelors of Arts in General Studies from the University of Central Arkansas. I understand now that I experienced everything I went through in order to help someone else. And if I can do it. You can too. I’m enjoying life filled with gratitude. Loving on my family and taking vacations. It was a time I couldn’t afford or didn’t have the means to travel or take vacations. Now I take at least 3 international vacations a year. So when you see me out here living my best life. Just know I prayed, believed, and worked for it all. God’s Grace.
Did you go to John L. McClellan High School: Submit your story here.
Check for your school: If you’d like to see if your high school is already part of the series you can check here.