BUCHANAN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS HONORS 2026 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Buchanan Community Schools officially celebrated its 2026 Hall of Fame inductees this past Friday, September 18th, during halftime of the home Varsity Football Game. Decades after walking the halls of Buchanan Community Schools, the three graduates have each left their mark in very different ways. Now, they have one more thing in common: all three have been inducted into the Buchanan Community Schools Hall of Fame.

Timothy Pollard, Class of 1977, was honored for Contributions to Society. Karen McGuirt, Class of 1973 and a longtime Buchanan educator, was recognized for Contributions to Buchanan Community Schools. Moses Kyles, Class of 1978, was inducted for Performance in School-Related Activities -Athletics. While their careers and accomplishments have taken different paths, their reactions to the honor shared a common theme: Buchanan never really left them.

This year’s honorees represent exceptional achievements in education, athletics, and societal contributions:

Contributions to Buchanan Community Schools: Karen McGuirt

The Contributions to Buchanan Community Schools award honors a current or former teacher, administrator, coach, school board member, school volunteer, or community member who has dedicated themselves to enhancing Buchanan Community Schools.

Karen McGuirt, a proud lifelong resident and 1973 graduate of Buchanan High School, has dedicated more than four decades to local children. Throughout her distinguished career, she served as a 3rd and 5th-grade classroom teacher, a basketball coach, and a reading and math interventionist. Following her formal retirement, McGuirt returned to the classroom as an interventionist to continue supporting local students. Her legacy of mentorship and service spans generations of Buchanan families.

Her path toward teaching was encouraged by a friend, Phyllis Amiel, who recognized McGuirt's talent and encouraged her to pursue education as a career. When McGuirt learned she was being inducted, she said she was shocked. But she also saw the honor as recognition that her work had made a difference. “It means that people have appreciated some of the things that I've done in my teaching career,” McGuirt said. “And I hopefully have impressed and instilled that education is important.”

For McGuirt, however, the story goes beyond a career. It is about home. “It's the family, it's the homeness,” she said. “I feel at home when I'm here in Buchanan.” Her philosophy about her connection to the community can be summed up in one phrase: “Once a Buck, always a Buck.”

Performance in School-Related Activities: Moses Kyles

The Performance in School-Related Activities award recognizes Buchanan High School alumni with outstanding academic or athletic achievements.

Moses Kyles stood out as an exceptional two-way athlete for the Buchanan Bucks. As a basketball player, he earned First-Team All-Conference honors and helped lead the team to the 1978 Basketball State Championship. On the baseball field, Kyles played elite shortstop, securing back-to-back 2 All-Conference and All-State honors in 1977 and 1978. Following his competitive playing days, he continued to give back to the program as an assistant basketball coach and youth role model.

A member of the Class of 1978, Kyles was part of several successful Buchanan teams. He remembers those teams not simply as groups of athletes, but as a family. “We were a team, but we're more than a team,” Kyles said. “We're brothers.” The practices, the games and the time spent together all remain vivid memories. “There’s no one moment because every moment—for every practice, every game—it was just awesome,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

Kyles also made a point of remembering teammates Greg Frazier and Gerald Busby, whom he described as two of the most important members of the team. Both have since passed away.

For Kyles, the Hall of Fame honor was never something he expected. “I didn't look at myself in that,” he said. “I shot for playing with my teammates and the city.” That city has remained a big part of his life. Kyles was born and raised in Buchanan and continues to give back to the community. He coaches basketball, remains active in his church and looks for ways to help wherever he can.

“I love this town,” Kyles said. “This city's been great to me. They've had their arms around me and they never let go.” That relationship is why the Hall of Fame honor means so much. “I'm honored, truly honored,” Kyles said.

Contributions to Society: Timothy Pollard

The Contributions to Society award honors Buchanan High School alumni whose professional accomplishments or long-term volunteer efforts have made a significant impact at the local, state, or national levels.

Timothy David Pollard, a graduate of Buchanan High School’s centennial Class of 1977, built a distinguished career in broadcast journalism and higher education. After earning degrees from Central Michigan University, Pollard joined CNN as a Video Journalist and eventually became Operations Manager of the Washington, D.C. Bureau. During his 15-year tenure with CNN, he helped establish international bureaus in Frankfurt, Paris, Nairobi, and Beijing, while covering major historical events such as the Gulf War, presidential summits, and inaugurations.

In 1998, Pollard transitioned to higher education at Ball State University, where he served as an Associate Professor, Department Chair, and Associate Dean. His work in broadcasting and education earned him three regional Emmy Awards®, five CINDY Awards®, and four Accolade Awards®.

Pollard said his goal throughout his 39-year career was to help people better understand the world while preparing the next generation of storytellers to be accurate, fair and thorough. But when asked what helped shape the person he became, Pollard pointed back to Buchanan. Growing up in the 1960s and '70s, he remembers a community where kids could ride their bikes around town, neighbors knew one another and everyone seemed to be looking out for everyone else. “It was just a very close-knit community,” Pollard said. “We knew each other, we cared about each other. We wanted to succeed.”

Those lessons, he said, stayed with him throughout his career. Returning to Buchanan for the Hall of Fame induction was especially meaningful for Pollard, who said he had not been back since 1999. He returned with his wife, daughter and grandson and revisited some of the places from his childhood. Pollard said he was “incredibly grateful” to those who nominated him and to those who selected him for the Hall of Fame. Pollard is the third individual member of Buchanan's Class of 1977 to be inducted. “To be in the same wall as Becky Gray and Shelly Hamilton and to be the third member of the class of '77, that's pretty darn special,” he said.

Once a Buck, always a Buck

Three graduates. Three very different journeys. One hometown.

For all three, the Hall of Fame recognition is about more than an achievement listed on a plaque. It’s about the people, experiences and community that helped shape them. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s about still being a Buck.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the evening such a wonderful success! We extend a special thank you to CTE Culinary Instructor Tim Carrigan and our talented culinary students for preparing delicious reception appetizers for the event. Inductees pictured with Superintendent Patricia Robinson.