WHS Alumni Spotlight: Baylah (Arehart) Penquite, Class of 2014

Our WHS Alumni Spotlight is on Baylah (Arehart) Penquite, Class of 2014. While at WHS, Baylah was Class Vice President, Student Council Member (4 yrs), a 4 yr Varsity letter soccer player, a Project TRUST counselor, and Homecoming Queen. She was active in Interact Club, FFA, National Honor Society, Phi Delta Sigma, Yearbook, and took 4 years of Art.

Baylah’s favorite part of High School was being involved with so many different organizations. She shared with us that she joined many different clubs and teams and made memories with just about everyone that she could! She particularly loved being coached and mentored by Librarian Steve Reed. Baylah said that, “He probably wanted to roll his eyes sometimes when I walked into the library towards his ‘glass box’ but he always had an open mind and heart when it came to questions I had on the field, in the classroom, for my future, or for life in general.” While Steve was the teacher that stuck out in particular, Baylah shared that there were many other Wilmington High School staff members that treated all of their students with kindness.

After graduating from WHS, Baylah attended Wilmington College. She graduated in 2018 with a Bachelors of Science in Agriculture Business. While at WC, Baylah served as Student Body Vice President, was involved in Kappa Delta sorority, was President of Delta Tau Alpha (Agriculture honor society), and was an ambassador. Baylah has spent the last 3 1/2 years with Ohio Farm Bureau serving Clinton, Fayette, Greene, and Warren counties as their County Administrator - and more recently as their media and marketing manager. Baylah reminds us that less than 1% of Americans feed the rest of us! 

In September of 2021, she and one of her close friends, Kaitlyn Lewis, chased a dream and started their own company- Cross Roots Inc. Cross Roots is a marketing company specializing in social media and design, and it has quickly grown from 1 account to 15 in a matter of months. Baylah says, “I guess you can call me a Mompreneur!”.

Baylah has the following advice for current and future WHS students: “My advice is to break out of social groups and befriend all that you can. Be kind to everyone and smile when you have the chance. You never know how the simplest of acts can impact an individual. Diversity in social groups is rewarding, and the networking that it creates in the long run is profound. Make it a goal to know everyone by name and to appreciate the role that they currently have in your life. The tough thing is that 4 years goes by quickly and life takes you to so many other places than the brick and mortar of WHS!”

Baylah married her high school sweetheart, Kelly Penquite, in 2019. They recently welcomed their first child - a baby girl named Acie Ann in the summer of 2021. Their family lives on a farm in Blanchester and are committed to keeping agriculture at the forefront of their lives. We should point out that Baylah won the senior superlative of most likely to stay in Clinton County!

We wish you all the best as you chase your dreams, Baylah. We are #HurricaneProud of you!