2023 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence-Winning Educators Announced

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its 2023 Oklahoma Medal for Excellence Awards honoring five outstanding educators in Oklahoma’s public schools.

This year’s Medal for Excellence Award recipients and their award categories are: Barbie Jackson, STEM teacher, Limestone Technology Academy, SAND SPRINGS, elementary teaching; Jason Paris, fine arts teacher, CHEROKEE Junior High and High School, secondary teaching; Kyle Reynolds, superintendent, WOODWARD Public Schools, Elementary/Secondary Administration; Dr. Alissa Proctor, professor of optometry, Northeastern State University, TAHLEQUAH, Regional University/Community College Teaching, and Dr. F. Bailey Norwood, professor of agribusiness, Oklahoma State University, STILLWATER, Research University Teaching

“The Oklahoma Medal for Excellence is one of our state’s most prestigious educator awards and recognizes public school educators for their passion and innovation, their commitment to professional development, and their extraordinary impact on student learning,” said Elizabeth Inbody, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. “By honoring these exceptional educators, we are sending a message that we value excellence in public schools and the professionals who have given so much of themselves to enrich the lives of our children.”

The awards will be presented at the foundation’s 37th Academic Awards Celebration on May 20, 2023, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa. Each of the five honorees will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a glass “Roots and Wings” sculpture, designed by the late Oklahoma artist Ron Roberts and produced by Artistic Glass Studio of Edmond.

Barbie Jackson, recipient of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Elementary Teaching, teaches STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math – for kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Limestone Technology Academy in Sand Springs. Jackson is passionate about providing students with creative, hands-on learning experiences that go beyond curriculum standards and engage them in solving real-world problems.

“I focus not only on academics, but also on those soft skills needed to be successful in life,” Jackson said. “Students practice those skills when they are able to communicate, present, create, make mistakes, recover from those mistakes, try something different, and think critically about what they need to do next.”

In Jackson’s STEAM Lab, students use the engineering design process in the Maker Space – an area filled with household items, from paper towel tubes and crafting sticks to string and tape – to create prototypes to solve problems. Jackson has also set up a “Breaker Space” with a work bench and hand tools, where students learn to take apart and repair equipment. In addition, Jackson teaches a schoolwide Science of Flight curriculum, engaging students in creative projects involving flying insects, hot air balloons, kites, airplanes, parachutes and 3-D printed rockets.

Among Jackson’s students’ favorite projects is the Monarch Butterfly WayStation, where students help maintain a butterfly garden and then move caterpillars into the STEAM Lab, where they can observe their metamorphosis. In 2022, students tagged and released 52 monarch butterflies and were able to track their migration.

The learning continues after school with three STEM clubs sponsored by Jackson. Drone Club members code and pilot drones through student-designed obstacle courses, while the Brick Buddies collaborate on building a LEGO City. In her Girls Who Code Club, Jackson seeks to close the race and gender gap in STEM fields by providing hands-on computer science projects for girls.

“Mrs. Jackson challenged my daughter to use critical thinking skills and helped her develop perseverance when things didn’t work perfectly the first time.,” said Mandi Cloud, a parent and colleague. “My daughter has carried these skills with her to middle school, where science and math are her favorite subjects.”

Jackson said the future of STEM occupations ranges from what exists now to jobs yet to be discovered. “I want my students to be ready in either case. Early STEM exposure is the key.”

Jason Paris, recipient of the Medal for Excellence in Secondary Teaching, teaches fine arts at Cherokee Middle and High School, a rural northern Oklahoma school serving just over 200 students. A successful playwright with a graduate degree from New York University’s Directing Educational Theater program, the Oklahoma native has found his true calling as an arts teacher and mentor to students in Cherokee. 

“I discovered an incredible sense of purpose in building a speech, debate and theater program where one no longer existed,” he said, noting that the program grew from an enrollment of three students when he started to 53 today. Paris also expanded his instruction to include film and media production, studio art and vocal music. In any given hour, one can find his students editing a film for a local business, learning music for a community service project, creating visual arts from Paris’s online art lessons, or reading speech and debate materials.

“Students learn so much more than just techniques from him,” said colleague Michelle Baldwin. “He helps students see how important art is and what place it has in their lives. More importantly, students learn how to see themselves in the world through the art they experience and create.”

Paris has an innate ability to see talent and potential in students and draw it out of them, Baldwin added. He has led students to numerous state championships during his tenure and provided unique opportunities for them to showcase their talents in the community and beyond. Last year, Paris raised funds to take current and former students to Red River, N.M., to perform their show “The One-Act Play that Goes Wrong.”

In a time when young people face increasing rates of depression and apathy, Paris has found that his most critical role right now is to be a caring adult in his students’ lives. “They need guides who show them that, for all the challenges, all the hardships, all the really bad days, life remains full of joy, beauty, wonder and magic.

“Being an effective educator means that everything I do should provide young people with appreciation for all that is good in the world and as many tools as I can provide them to save it,” Paris said. “The best way I know how to achieve that, frankly, is to turn them into artists.”

The recipient of the Medal for Excellence in Elementary/Secondary Administration is Kyle Reynolds, superintendent of Woodward Public Schools.  The Woodward native was named superintendent of his alma mater in 2014 and has focused his tenure on helping build bridges out of adversity and creating solutions for all students to excel in academics and in life.

“My job is to serve all kids, and one of my most frequently repeated mantras is ‘All means all,’” Reynolds said. “Our team works every day to build bridges that will connect to our most needy students. … We must build bridges to those who are hungry, those whose home lives lack stability and support, and those who have suffered adversities most of us cannot fathom.”

Recognizing the number of students who faced food insecurity and lacked after-school care, Reynolds partnered with district supporter Bruce Benbrook to fund Boomer ExSTREAM, an after-school program centered on hands-on activities in science, technology, reading, engineering, arts and math (STREAM). Due to its success, the district received two $1.3 million federal grants to sustain the program.

Seeking solutions to address dropout rates and a skills gap in the region’s career market, Reynolds partnered with High Plains Technology Center to create the Technical Applications Program (TAP), which provides electives to introduce middle schoolers to technical skills and trades. The program seeks to spark students’ interests in careers and establish a foundation for post-secondary opportunities.

Recognizing the high percentage of rural students dealing with mental health issues and traumatic experiences, Reynolds and his team partnered with the State Department of Education to receive a multimillion-dollar Project AWARE grant. The grant provided for additional school counselors and trained every teacher in mental health first-aid.

Reynolds also worked with the Office of Juvenile Affairs and Western Plains Youth and Family Services to create COPE: Community Outreach Prevention and Education. Juvenile offenders who would have previously been suspended from school are now able to continue their education while receiving counseling and other services to address their issues.

“Kyle Reynolds is an innovator, problem solver, visionary and a man who always leads with the courage of his convictions,” said Kevin Evans, executive director of the Western Plains Youth and Family Services. “As superintendent, his leadership has impacted not only the quality of education for our students, but also the quality of their health and well-being.”

Dr. Alissa Proctor, the recipient of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University/Community College, is a professor of optometry at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She has frequently been honored as Outstanding Teacher of the Year by NSU optometry students because of her passion for her subject matter and her unique teaching style that combines learner-centered techniques and service learning opportunities. In her 17 years as a professor, Proctor’s teaching philosophy has evolved from a lecture-style presentation to creating a learner-centered environment.

“A learner-centered classroom engages students in the learning process while empowering them to take ownership of their learning,” she said. “I avoid relaying information students can read elsewhere by encouraging thinking, application, clinical connections and information retrieval.”

Proctor connects content to real-world applications through case studies and hands-on learning opportunities to apply knowledge to patient care. In her pediatrics course, for example, Proctor invites alumni to bring their children in for students to conduct exams. She also recruits faculty and staff to volunteer as patients while her students work in small groups to examine them and prescribe lenses.

As an advocate for children’s vision programs, Proctor engages her students in service learning by inviting them to participate in vision screenings at local elementary schools. Her students learn how to interact with children, use language children understand and collect data in a fun and engaging way.

“During the past 16 years, I have supervised the screening of almost 21,000 children,” Proctor said. “I am proud of the work optometry students do to take care of the children of Cherokee County.”

As the advisor for SVOSH, Students Volunteering Optometric Services for Humanity, Proctor has organized 12 student service-learning trips to Roatan, Honduras. Joined by professional optometrists, the students have examined thousands of patients who would otherwise not receive eye care, providing glasses, eye drops and referring many for additional care, such as cataract surgery.

“Dr. Proctor uses her profession to advocate for those in need and fosters the same mindset of giving back to the community in her students,” said former student Kayla Cook. “In addition to her work in Honduras, Dr. Proctor is a huge proponent of InfantSee, a program that provides no-cost, comprehensive eye exams to infants before their first birthday. … Her advocacy of SVOSH and InfantSee are awe-inspiring and a testament to her service-oriented mindset.”

The winner of the Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University is F. Bailey Norwood, a professor of agribusiness at Oklahoma State University. Norwood’s passion for economics and teaching were inspired by a college professor, his “Socrates,” who gave him a thirst for learning. “I am living testimony to the importance of a remarkable instructor,” he said. Now, Norwood himself is inspiring future generations as an engaging professor, mentor and community volunteer.

“Dr. Norwood brings challenging topics to life in a way that resonates with students, enhancing their capability for life-long learning,” said colleague Kellie Curry Raper. “He gives students that one class that provides them with the fondest of memories, where the instructor did things no other instructor dared, and where the instructor stepped up to meet the challenge of short attention spans. He makes students take agricultural economics seriously by inspiring them to see all that it has to offer the world.”

Norwood goes to great lengths to learn all his students’ names early in the semester and holds a “Meet Your Classmates” activity to build relationships. He infuses his courses with humor and provides opportunities for students to “get their hands dirty” and learn things they know they will be need in their careers.

In his popular Farm to Fork course, Norwood presents the science and economics behind agricultural production and marketing decisions, as well as touching on controversial issues like food insecurity. As part of the course, students help manage a garden at a local food pantry to provide produce for neighbors in need. In Norwood’s Quantitative Methods course, students gather at the baseball field to hit three balls as far as they can and then collect data to determine why someone would hit further than others. The exercise helps students understand statistical concepts used to forecast crop yields and other agricultural applications. In his courses, Norwood has even dressed in character as historical figures to help bring complex economics concepts to life.

“Dr. Norwood is the teacher you never forget,” said student Jaci Deitrick. “He made each of his students excited to come to class and tackle difficult subjects like economics and supply chain management. While the material was not easy, Dr. Norwood made it easy to understand and taught us how to apply textbook formulas and definitions to real world applications.”

In addition to presenting the Medal for Excellence awards, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence will honor 100 of Oklahoma’s top public high school seniors as Academic All-Staters at its banquet on May 20, 2023. The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $65. Registration will open online April 3 at ofe.org.

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Announces 2023 Academic All-State Scholars

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its prestigious 2023 Academic All-State Awards. These 100 top public high school seniors, selected from hundreds of applications statewide, hail from 75 schools in 68 Oklahoma school districts.

The 2023 Academic All-State class is the 37th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.  Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,700 high school seniors from 335 school districts have been named Academic All-State scholars. Two high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Pittsburg and Texhoma high schools.

Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,500 merit-based cash award and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 37th annual Academic Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 20, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.

Andrew J. Morris, president of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic awards selection process.” To be eligible for Academic All-State, students must meet one of the following criteria: an American College Test (ACT) composite score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading & writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a semi-finalist for a National Merit Scholarship.

This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33 on the ACT, with six recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.25. In addition, 29 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists.

Academic All-Staters are selected based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and community involvement, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay submitted by each applicant. The selection committee, which is chaired by retired educator Jan McClaren, works independently of all other foundation activities. The committee members are a diverse group of business, education, and civic leaders, as well as past Academic Awards Program honorees.

“The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Program is Oklahoma’s premiere awards program honoring academic achievement, innovation and leadership among students and educators in our public schools,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Inbody. “By working together to give outstanding students and educators the recognition they deserve, we send a strong message to our state and to the nation that Oklahomans value academic excellence.”

The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $65. Registration will open online April 3 at ofe.org. The awards ceremony will also be available for viewing on the foundation’s website following the event. For more information, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006.

Founded in 1985, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide, nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has provided more than $5.4 million in awards to recognize outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence honorees.

*Indicates the All-State Scholar is the family member of a past honoree.

Name

School District

School

Hometown

Morgan Beason

Altus

Altus High School

Altus

Wyatt Jensen

Altus

Altus High School

Altus

Laura Anton

Alva

Alva High School

Alva

Ejeehi Umobuarie

Arapaho-Butler

Arapaho-Butler High School

Clinton

Joyce Yang*

Bartlesville

Bartlesville High School

Bartlesville

Bryce Looper

Bethany

Bethany High School

Bethany

Tressa Briggs

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Sophia Rehman

Bixby

Bixby High School

Bixby

Sydney Bennett

Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow High School

Broken Arrow

Tony Le

Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow High School

Tulsa

Eli Alley

Buffalo

Buffalo High School

Buffalo

Ethan Stone

Chandler

Chandler High School

Chandler

Rylee Sisson

Checotah

Checotah High School

Checotah

Riley Anderson

Choctaw-Nicoma Park

Choctaw High School

Choctaw

Raegen Hofstetter

Claremore

Claremore High School

Claremore

Finn Murray

Clinton

Clinton High School

Weatherford

Taylor Rhoton

Collinsville

Collinsville High School

Collinsville

Eli Swartwood

Coweta

Coweta High School

Coweta

Lindsey Fagan*

Deer Creek

Deer Creek High School

Edmond

Dylan Hardy

Durant

Durant High School

Durant

Carter Haney

Edmond

Edmond Memorial High School

Edmond

Molly Starrett

Edmond

Edmond North High School

Edmond

Mikayla Stewart

Edmond

Edmond North High School

Edmond

Aarav Jilka

Edmond

Edmond Santa Fe High School

Edmond

Sophia Montoya

Elgin

Elgin High School

Apache

Benjamin Roberts

Elgin

Elgin High School

Lawton

Mason Friesen

Elk City

Elk City High School

Elk City

Tyler Cholerton

Enid

Enid High School

Enid

Elsa Stewart

Enid

Enid High School

Enid

Sophie Ellis

Fort Gibson

Fort Gibson High School

Fort Gibson

Jake Schreiner

Frederick

Frederick High School

Frederick

Aeryn Shields

Guthrie

Guthrie High School

Guthrie

Macie Middendorf

Harrah

Harrah High School

Newalla

Raymond Jiang

Jenks

Jenks High School

Tulsa

Reed Trimble

Keys

Keys High School

Muskogee

Brycen Ward

Kingston

Kingston High School

Durant

Landon Schultz

Kremlin-Hillsdale

Kremlin-Hillsdale High School

Kremlin

Kyndal Schlup

Latta

Latta High School

Wanette

Leonardo Hermosillo

Lawton

Lawton High School

Lawton

Emily Spotts

Lawton

Lawton High School

Lawton

Madisyn Myers*

Lomega

Lomega High School

Omega

Maya Joseph

Midwest City-Del City

Carl Albert High School

Midwest City

Katie Ellis

Moore

Southmoore High School

Oklahoma City

Devin Snyder

Moore

Southmoore High School

Moore

Cadence Walton

Moore

Southmoore High School

Oklahoma City

Jacklyn Crabbe

Moore

Westmoore High School

Oklahoma City

Jaci Walker

Muldrow

Muldrow High School

Muldrow

Alexander Vo

Mustang

Mustang High School

Yukon

Madeline Reinke

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Olivia Tedesco

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Justin Yang

Norman

Norman High School

Norman

Tuqa Alibadi

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Evelyn Combs

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Dylan Wall

Norman

Norman North High School

Norman

Robert Reiden Walker

Okemah

Okemah High School

Okemah

Danny Ly

Oklahoma City

Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast

Oklahoma City

Semony Shah

Oklahoma City

Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast

Edmond

Sean Wu

Oklahoma City

Classen School of Advanced Studies at Northeast

Oklahoma City

Nicolas Jackson

Oklahoma Union

Oklahoma Union High School

Nowata

Brett Wigginton

Oologah-Talala

Oologah High School

Oologah

Jinghao Dai

OSSM

Oklahoma School of Science & Math

Ardmore

Charles Liu

OSSM

Oklahoma School of Science & Math

Stillwater

Sarvesh Ramakrishnan

OSSM

Oklahoma School of Science & Math

Edmond

Carina Galutia

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Aminata Kamara

Owasso

Owasso High School

Owasso

Chloee Nunez

Pauls Valley

Pauls Valley High School

Pauls Valley

Mason Stone

Perkins-Tryon

Perkins-Tryon High School

Perkins

Titus Johnson

Piedmont

Piedmont High School

Yukon

Joshua Nix

Pittsburg

Pittsburg High School

McAlester

Zachary Zimmerman*

Plainview

Plainview High School

Ardmore

Emma Gertken

Ponca City

Ponca City High School

Ponca City

Savannah Valgora

Ponca City

Ponca City High School

Ponca City

Benton Raymer

Pryor

Pryor High School

Pryor

Aubrey Atkins

Putnam City

Putnam City High School

Warr Acres

Cora McKinney

Putnam City

Putnam City North High School

Oklahoma City

Luis Rivera-González

Putnam City

Putnam City West High School

Bethany

Alec Anderson

Ringwood

Ringwood High School

Ringwood

Rani Gandhi

Sallisaw

Sallisaw High School

Sallisaw

Kaden Nathaniel Bolte

Sand Springs

Charles Page High School

Sand Springs

Jaidyn Adams

Sapulpa

Sapulpa High School

Sapulpa

Audrey Gordon

Silo

Silo High School

Durant

Marek Oomens

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Sydnee Sisneros

Stillwater

Stillwater High School

Stillwater

Robert Batson IV

Tahlequah

Tahlequah High School

Tahlequah

Krisalyn Maples

Texhoma

Texhoma High School

Texhoma

Jin Bohling

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Lance Brightmire

Tulsa

Booker T. Washington High School

Tulsa

Lukacs Acker-Breslin

Tulsa

Thomas A. Edison Preparatory High School

Tulsa

Reagan Romero

Turpin

Turpin High School

Forgan

Kayden Kehe

Union

Union High School

Broken Arrow

Celestine Kim

Union

Union High School

Broken arrow

Yale Gray

Verdigris

Verdigris High School

Claremore

Christopher LaPrairie

Vinita

Vinita High School

Vinita

James Richard Hardin

Wagoner

Wagoner High School

Wagoner

Ethan Muehlenweg

Wagoner

Wagoner High School

Wagoner

Denna Bussinger

Walters

Walters High School

Walters

Kendall Meason

Walters

Walters High School

Walters

Kate Boothe

Washington

Washington High School

Purcell

Jennie Higdon

Washington

Washington High School

Washington

Bryce Callen

Weatherford

Weatherford High School

Weatherford

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Announces New School Foundations Network Director, Program Specialist

Lauren Dow, a leader in nonprofit operations and development, has been named director of the Oklahoma School Foundations Network and program specialist for the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.

In her new role, Dow will provide training and networking opportunities to Oklahoma school foundation leaders and groups seeking to establish foundations in their communities. Through its outreach program, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has helped build one of the nation’s largest networks of public school foundations, with more than 200 established to date. These citizen-led nonprofits raise millions of dollars each year to promote academic excellence in their districts and encourage community involvement in their local schools.

In addition, as program specialist, Dow will oversee the foundation’s Boren Mentoring Initiative, which supports the growth and development of quality K-12 mentoring programs. She will also be involved in the support and growth of the foundation’s other programs serving teachers and students, including its Teacher Professional Development and Early American History Education programs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lauren Dow to our staff,” said Elizabeth Inbody, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “Lauren’s passion lies in developing internal operations which will support meaningful relationships with school foundations, students, teachers and our supporters. She is an expert in developing win-win partnerships. Lauren will be an impactful asset to our team and those we serve.”

Dow previously served as development coordinator for Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, where she managed grants and development operations for the organization’s $30 million capital campaign. She has also worked in the social services sector, supporting development operations for SISU Youth Services and the Homeless Alliance. A Perry native, Dow earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Central Oklahoma.

“I’m so honored and excited to support the incredible work of educators and school foundations across the state,” Dow said. “As a graduate of a rural Oklahoma school, I know firsthand the impact and importance of equitable, quality education. The work of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence champions the needs of Oklahoma public schools and students, and I’m proud to help advance that mission in my new role.”

Norman Public School’s Fifth-Grader Wins Colonial Day Literature Contest

Natalia Alca, a fifth-grader at Truman Elementary School in Norman, has been named winner of the 2023 Colonial Day at the Capitol Literature Contest sponsored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Natalia, 11, was recognized and read her award-winning essay, “What It Means To Be An American,” during Colonial Day at the Capitol on Jan. 27 in the House of Representatives Chamber at the Oklahoma State Capitol. Nearly 500 students participated in the contest.

Ben Franklin, portrayed by historical interpreter Stephen Smith, presented Natalia with a plaque and a $100 prize during Colonial Day opening ceremonies. She also received a citation from her state representative, Jacob Rosecrants, during the ceremony. Natalia wrote about the rights and responsibilities that Americans share as citizens and about her dream of one day becoming president of the United States.

“I am beyond impressed with Natalia’s essay submission,” said her teacher Janet Villani. “It truly reflects the endless possibilities our country offers. I have no doubt Natalia will carry out the hopes and dreams she put in writing. I am so blessed to have her in my class this year!”

Natalia is a member of Truman Elementary School’s GLAMS Club: Girls Learning Agriculture, Math and Science. She is active on the swim team and participates in dance and piano lessons. She is proud to be a Peruvian American who speaks both Spanish and English. Natalia is the daughter of Rebecca Borden Alca and Carlos Alca.

Also recognized at the Colonial Day opening ceremony were three literature contest finalists, who received certificates of merit. They were Mya Blanchard of Eisenhower Elementary in NORMAN; Maximilliano Arellano of Tulakes Elementary, Putnam City Schools, OKLAHOMA CITY; and Michael Glanzer of Cache Elementary School in CACHE.

During Colonial Day, nearly 500 Oklahoma fifth graders traveled back in time to meet historical figures, learn about the daily lives of early Americans, and debate whether the colonies should remain loyal or seek independence from the British crown. Colonial Day is presented by Colonial Williamsburg and George Washington Teacher Institute Alumni in partnership with the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, a statewide nonprofit that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in public schools. The program director is Teresa Potter, an instructional coach at Kenneth Cooper Middle School in Putnam City Schools.

The event is also made possible with support from Jami Rhoades Antonisse, Loyd Benson, Diana Brown, Bob Burke, City Bites, Cory’s Audio Visual, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Daughters of the American Revolution: Samuel King Chapter, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, Lou C. Kerr – The Kerr Foundation Inc., National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Oklahoma, Polly Nichols, the Oklahoma History Center, Oklahoma Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Charles L. Oppenheim, Mattocks Printing, Tara C’s Sweet Treats, Catherine Wootten, and the Wyndham Grand – Oklahoma City Downtown. 

Natalia Alca’s essay, “What It Means To Be An American”

What does it mean to be an American? You might have asked yourself that before. If not, I’m here to tell you what I think being an American means. First, being an American means to have the freedom to live the life you want to live. It also means to not have anyone (except your parents if you’re under 18) control it. Finally, being an American means supporting each other no matter what.

For instance, living the life you want means having opportunities. One of the opportunities Americans have would be that girls are able to go to school and are able to pursue any dreams they have. For example, when I grow up, I want to be the president of the United States of America, and because I am able to go to school and get a good education, hopefully I can make this dream become a reality.

As an American, part of living the life you want for yourself means having control of it. That’s why having rights is important. Specifically, I believe that having freedom, the right to free speech, and the ability to make decisions about my health and well-being is essential. These rights are just a few of the examples of living the life you want as an American.

Lastly, being an American means that we support each other no matter what. We do this by being kind; voting for laws and practices that are good for all people; and remembering, respecting and honoring not only the people who lived here before us but the people who are here now. Given that we live in a multicultural and multilingual society, supporting each other is crucial.

In conclusion, being an American is an honor. The opportunities, rights and support we give each other allow us to live the lives we want to live and be a community