The new school year is always a period of great change. In August 2010, one of the changes that came to Paul G. Blazer High School was a Morehead State grad with a big smile and a math degree. Allison Pankow came into the math department with eyes and heart wide open, and quickly put her stamp on her students. Also in 2010, Allison became engaged to Patrick McKnight. Classes had scarcely dismissed in 2012 when Allison and Patrick married. In the fall, Mrs. McKnight came in with a couple of classes under her belt and a slew of students who could NOT seem to remember that there was no more Miss Pankow. (“Hey, Ms. Pank…McKnight! I keep forgetting!” was a common exchange with current and former students.) The pace of change for Allison and Patrick seemed to take a different tack when she shared with her friends at work that they were expecting a boy in the fall of 2014. Emmett’s arrival was a time of great joy for Allison and Patrick as family and friends celebrated with them. After some time at home, Allison returned to Blazer to continue the school year. Through the spring, Allison was wrestling not only with the demands of being a working new mom, but also with ongoing back pain that, at first, seemed to be an aftereffect of pregnancy. The treatments were not making any progress. Eventually, Allison sought another opinion as to her condition. She left school early to see a new doctor for some diagnostic tests. By later that same afternoon, Allison and Patrick were on their way down I-64 to Lexington under the doctor’s orders that immediate action must be taken. On May 21st, Allison learned that the back pain that she had been addressing as a muscular issue was being caused by a tumor on her kidney. The cancerous tumor, fully the size of her kidney, was operable, and, if it was encapsulated, might be removed intact. Surgery was scheduled for June 16th, just over a week after the couple’s third wedding anniversary. The surgery was successful, so the hopes for a complete recovery rose again among family and friends. Tests showed that the kind of cancer was rare. Recovery over the summer was the hope with the desire to return to the classroom for the start of the 2015-2016 school year. During a follow-up, a slight anomaly was noticed and further tests were ordered. On July 31st, Allison learned that the cancer had metastasized to her bones. The prognosis was that the disease was incurable and terminal.
Words fail in the face of such news which had obviously changed Allison’s life, as well as her husband Patrick, son Emmett, her parents and all the other friends and family close to her. How does one go on? Just as she did for her students in the classroom, Allison has shown us all how stand up to this merciless disease - in faith, with strength, and with love. Allison stood up to cancer and fought ferociously until she left us December 28th, 2016. The life she lived...and the way she left her life...continues to encourage and inspire. To ensure Allison's legacy endures, this scholarship will provide assistance to any senior entering a STEM program. The joy, passion, and mission of Allison Joy McKnight will go on... |
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