Meet MaKenna Bormann

For MaKenna Bormann, working at Freedom City is about more than helping students through their afternoon. It’s about the relationships she has built along the way.

MaKenna is in her second year at Freedom City as an After-School Program teacher. She is also a student at the University of Central Oklahoma, where she is involved in a sorority. When she isn’t working or studying, MaKenna enjoys spending time with her friends and family, reading her Bible, and going on walks with her sisters.

She also has a few fun facts that students and coworkers might not know. She collects enamel pins, spent her entire summer as a camp counselor at Falls Creek, and, perhaps most surprisingly, loves matcha.

But getting to know MaKenna is about more than her favorite things. Ask her what she enjoys most about Freedom City, and she quickly points to the people who have made her time here so meaningful.

“I have enjoyed the connections that I have made with the students and my coworkers. They have been such a joy in my life!”

One of her favorite memories captures exactly what she means.

One day, the students were playing in the gym when a few of the girls asked if they could play with MaKenna’s hair. She said yes, and the girls were thrilled.

It was a small moment, but it stayed with her.

“They were so excited just to be able to play with my hair, and that is why it is my favorite moment.”

For MaKenna, moments like this are part of what makes working with students so special. Sometimes connection doesn't come from a big activity or a major accomplishment. Sometimes it looks like laughing together in the gym, letting students be themselves, and simply being present.

A Heart for Servanthood

When asked who she would choose to have dinner with, past or present, MaKenna chose Jesus.

She says she would want to talk with Him about His servanthood, humility, and wisdom—and that even being in His presence would be wonderful.

That heart for serving others shows in how MaKenna approaches her work with students.

After two years at Freedom City, she continues to show up, build relationships, and make space for students to feel comfortable being themselves.

We're grateful to have MaKenna as part of the Freedom City team, and for the joy, kindness, and connection she brings to our After-School Program.