OCU Endeavor - Spring 2023

© Andy Rine

Thanks for taking a few minutes to share with us this year in review for the OCU Honors Program. From orientation for our new cohort in August to our graduation celebration for our 31 cum honore graduates in April, 2022-23 has been a year full of academic achievements and co-curricular activities. The program continues to draw students from across all majors into an interdisciplinary learning community that celebrates collaboration, inquiry, creativity, and scholarship. In this issue you’ll read about student participation in the National Collegiate Honors Council’s annual conference in Dallas, Texas, see the research and creative projects that were on display during Undergraduate Research Day, and get a glimpse at the future plans of our new graduates. Honors Student Council had an especially full year of community-building activities, study nights, and service projects, building a strong foundation for our new HSC officers as they take the reins for next year.

As always, we thank all of you—students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the program—for your continued support and engagement.

Karen Youmans, Ph.D. Honors Program Director

WELCOME TO THE HONORS CLASS OF 2026!

HONORS STUDENT COUNCIL 22/23

PRESIDENT GABRIELLE YOUNG

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION

LAUREN HAIZLIP

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING

KATY MANDERFELD

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING

SADIE KOOPMAN

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

JAMIE WELSH

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING FRANCESCA SAVONE

SECRETARY HANNAH JACOBS

HONORS STUDENT PROFESSIONAL CARLY PONTIUS

AN HONORS SUMMER

Francesca Savone

I danced in “TEXAS Outdoor Musical” this summer, where I performed five shows every week at the Pioneer Amphitheater in the Palo Duro Canyon. There, I also performed in the Shakespeare production “The Tempest,” and I performed in and co-choreographed the opera production “The Gondoliers.” Our Honors StuPro Carly was also a dancer at “TEXAS” with me!

Preston Hunt

This summer, I worked as an electrician at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. Creede is a small mountain town in south-central Colorado nestled in between the San Juan Mountains at an elevation of almost 9,000 feet. I helped produce five shows this summer which rotated in and out of two theaters in the repertory style.

Jimena Martinez

This summer, I interned at an international professional services company called PricewaterhouseCoopers, or PwC for short. My internship was a data analytics internship, and I was tasked with leading a team of fellow interns while working on a pro-bono client project. For our project, we were asked to break down/analyze our client’s donor data, pick out pain points, and offer solutions on how our client could increase donor retention and acquisition. I had so much fun working on the project and learning how to use various programs, as well as learning how to build bots! I was also able to spend some time in Orlando for the national training session that PwC held for their interns, and as a surprise, they took us to Disney World!! I met some incredible people at PwC this summer and I can’t wait for my auditing internship with them next summer.

Maile Oravitz

This summer, I was very fortunate to obtain my Equity card and perform in Pittsburgh CLO’s production of “A Chorus Line,” directed/choreographed by Baayork Lee with associate Choreo Matthew Couvillon and asstistant Choreo Andrew Winans. I was a part of the ensemble as Lois while understudying the principal roles of Maggie/Connie/Diana. The passion and hard work of our cast and crew opened my eyes to the beauty of the industry; I learned so much in just two weeks!

Madison Pivonka

This summer I had the opportunity to be the communications and community building resident with Creative Generation. Creative Generation is an arts organization established by Jeff Poulin, an OCU Entertainment Business alumnus, that works with young creatives to take local actions toward a more just world. Through my position, I was able to work on the backside of our website, blog, and other social media platforms to help share opportunities and news with our community. Along with that, I was able to lead a team learning on hustle culture and create a capstone presentation based around arts therapies. I am very thankful for my time as a resident and am thrilled to be staying on as an associate this semester. Because my residency was remote, I was also able to travel to multiple states including New York, California, Maryland, and Colorado! Most of my trips were for dance training, preparing me for all my upcoming auditions. I am excited to be back on campus and reconnect with the Honors Program.

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE HONORS CONFERENCE

This year’s annual National Collegiate Honors Conference was held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Honors Director Dr. Karen Youmans and Assistant Honors Director Dr. Erik Heine were accompanied by Honors students Gabrielle Young, Carly Pontius, Rafe McConnel, Katy Manderfeld, and Jamie Welch.

The conference offered many sessions and speakers, including an opening keynote by Cece Cox, CEO of Resource Center, which operates one of the largest LGBTQIA+ community centers in the United States and provides health services and programs to individuals affected by HIV/AIDS.

Students participated in “City as Text,” a collection of loosely guided adventures around the city with small groups of students from other honors programs around the country. The objective of the journeys was to “get lost” and allow for observation, exploration, and curiosity. OCU honors students explored sights in downtown Dallas while making new friends.

Dr. Heine, assisted by Katy Manderfeld and Rafe McConnel, presented “Scoring and Rescoring: Film Music and Honors Contracts” to share the unique Oklahoma City University challenge of adhering to honors requirements while many students are perusing degrees in the fine arts. This presentation outlined the project he developed to allow music students to complete their honors requirements while working within their discipline. Katy and Rafe shared their projects within the presentation to serve as examples.

NCHC continuously is proof of the greater honors community.

HONORS STUDENT COUNCIL EVENTS

Honors Student Council plans and hosts several events for the Honors students throughout the year including game nights, the semesterly

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY

Congrats and thank you to all students who submitted posters, presentations, and performances!

This year’s grand prize was awarded to Bao Cao, Ashley Nguyen, Kayla Nguyen, Morgan Wells, and Austin Worley for “Investigating Antimicrobial Effects of Aqueous Dandelion Extract.”

2023 Undergraduate Research Day Winners Posters

Posters

Bao Cao, Ashley

Nguyen, Kayla

Nguyen, Morgan Wells, and Austin Worley

Investigating Antimicrobial Effects of Aqueous Dandelion Extract

Dr. Christina Hendrickson

Category Student(s)

Title Supervising Faculty

Presentations

Category Student(s)

Title Supervising Faculty

History: Oklahoma and Beyond Emily Trnka A Woman’s War: American Women During the Second World War

Physical and Social Sciences

Arnav Gautam and Jack Fruehwirth

Theater Studies Tie: Preston Hunt & Sydney Turbeville

The Effect of COVID-19 on High School Students

Preston - Spectator: A Bad Word: An Analysis of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed and its Effects on Latin American Theatre for Social Change

Sydney – Let’s Get Intimate: A Look into the World of Theatrical Intimacy

Dance History, Pedagogy, and Choreography

Margaret Kubista, Stephanie McQuain, and Maile Oravitz

Music and the Macabre Tie: Courtney Conatser & Landon Priess

Stifled Movement: Modern Dance and World War II

Dr. Natalia Starostina

Courtney - Horror Movies, A Man’s RomCom: A Critical Look at Gender in Horror Films

Landon - The Harmonic Dissonance of Wartime: Music in the First World War

Dr. Yi Shao

Preston – Dr. Amy Osatinski

Sydney – Dr. Amy Osatinski

Prof. Kelli Stevens

Courtney – N/A

Landon –Dr. Natalia Starostina

OCU Honors Program Graduates 2023

HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES

KATIE BATES , from Greensboro, North Carolina, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance management. Katie has been a member of the American Spirit Dance Company and the Star Dance Company during her time at OCU, and served as the assistant to Director Jo Rowan. Her favorite honors memory is surviving the escape room with her small group during orientation. Katie is looking forward to a career in performance and arts management.

BENJAMIN BOWEN, from Edmond, Oklahoma, completed his Bachelor of Science degree in computer science in fall of 2022.

KRISTEN THERESE CHUA , from Peoria, Arizona, is completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting with minors in psychology and English. Kristen has had the honor of performing in several OCU productions, including the character Amy in “Six Years Old,” Farrah in “She Kills Monsters” and Meg in “A Lie of the Mind.” Her favorite memory is meeting one of her now-best friends, Karis, during the first Honors Program get-together. Kristen plans to eventually move to Los Angeles or another major market city to pursue her acting career.

PENINA EISENBERG , from Longmont, Colorado, is completing a Bachelor of Music in musical theatre. She served as president of the Jewish Stars organization and song chair for Alpha Chi Omega. Penina also had the honor of performing as Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel.” Her favorite honors memory is taking Classics of Western Culture where she had the opportunity to read phenomenal texts and discuss them with her peers. This fall Penina will be moving to New York City to start her career as a performing artist.

COLLIN ELLSBURY, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in music theater and vocal performance and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science, with a minor in French. He has completed two undergraduate theses for philosophy and political science and performed in five shows with the OCU Opera & Music Theater Company. Collin’s favorite memory is of his Public Administration class, which he contracted for Honors credit. He had the chance to research factory farming and its effects on his home state of Iowa, which led him to interview two politicians from his state. This fall, he will be attending graduate school for performance at New York University.

TRISTAN GREEN, from Oklahoma City, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. He was one of the founding students of the OCU Esports department and served as cocaptain of its League of Legends Varsity Team. Tristan will also be one of the co-creators of an app designed to help OCU students, faculty, and visitors navigate campus while also functioning as a virtual help desk for sites like D2L and Bluelink. His favorite memory is of the Honors back-to-school event that took place in the fall of 2021, where he bonded with other students while playing board games and sharing stories about each other. Tristan plans to begin employment with Honeywell at their National Security campus in Kansas City, Missouri. He will be the second person in his extended family to finish a four-year university degree.

KAITLYN HEFFERNAN, from Bentonville, Arkansas, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. She attended Cross Country Nationals all four years of her collegiate running

HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.)

career and was a member of the OCU Graduate String Quartet. She also had the honor of serving as concertmaster of the OCU Symphony Orchestra during her senior year. Kaitlyn’s favorite honors memory is contracting her TV and Film Music Theory class with Lauren Rogers. For this class, she did a group project where they composed music for commercials, making them more effective based on the specific characteristics of harmonic intervals. Kaitlyn plans to begin graduate study in violin performance.

ELLIE HOWELL , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science in psychology and biology, with minors in environmental science and chemistry. She completed a comprehensive sustainability assessment of OCU over the summer of 2022 and received the Outstanding Undergraduate Paper in Environmental Sciences award at the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences Technical Meeting. Ellie also served as president of Blue Goes Green Environmental Club, organizing and coordinating the 2022 Earth Week festivities. Her favorite memory is of Dr. John Starkey’s class. He pushed her to engage deeply with the material, and was one of the first professors at the university to tell her how much he believed in her writing abilities. Ellie plans to apply for environmental non-profits, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and the National Parks Department.

HANNAH JACOBS , from Oklahoma City, is completing a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in philosophy. She served as the Young Democrats re-founder and president and was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi. Her favorite memory is of Honors Orientation, specifically the escape room experience, where she made her first college friends and experienced a real sense of belonging. Hannah plans to take a gap year before pursuing a graduate degree in public administration or attending law school.

TAYLOR JORDAN, from Walled Lake, Michigan, is completing a Bachelor of Science in dance management. She has served in many leadership positions within the Ann Lacy School, including assistant to Director Jo Rowan, assistant company manager, assistant stage manager, and emcee. Taylor also worked as the office manager of the Community Dance Academy and a dean’s receptionist/lead student mentor at the Ann Lacy School. She created over six elaborate visual projects related to dance arts management. Her favorite honors memory is the Liberal Arts Seminar, where she bonded with many students. Taylor plans for a long career in the arts, utilizing both dance performance and arts management. She wants to start as a performer, working in entertainment with touring companies. She then wants to transition into arts management after building a reputation in the industry.

MARLEY KINSEY, from Middletown, Pennsylvania, is completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts in dance performance. She was a member of both Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and Phi Mu, serving as bid day philanthropy and recruitment chair. Marley has performed with the American Spirit, Star, and Rep dance companies, participating in several shows, often serving as line captain. Her favorite memory is of living in the Banning dorm, where she grew close to fellow honors students, especially her suitemate Carly Pontius. After graduation, Marley plans to teach at a local dance studio back home in Pennsylvania, where she’ll further her training and audition for various jobs related to her performance career. She hopes to eventually move to New York, where she could further her career.

SADIE KOOPMAN, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance and music theater. She served as the OCU CARE president and performed as Janet in “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. Sadie also competed as a semifinalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing musical theatre competition in New York City. Her favorite honors memories are of living in Banning, where she made several close friends. Sadie plans to move to Washington, D.C., where she will begin her MFA in classical acting at George Washington University. She hopes to find internships at theatre or opera companies, so she can work while continuing to audition and take classes.

MADISON LESLIE , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing. Madison served as Gamma Phi Beta’s vice president of public relations, having planned and led an Oklahoma Eating Disorders philanthropy week. They also had the honor of receiving the Tom J. McDaniel Business Endowed Scholarship for helping a struggling peer. Madison’s favorite memory is of their first Liberal Arts Seminar class, where they felt surrounded by like-minded people devoted to learning. Madison plans on working for a university in the Housing department while working toward a master’s degree in music. Madison then hopes to work as a marketing director for a fine arts organization and become a music educator.

LAUREL MARSH, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in cell and molecular biology with minors in chemistry and environmental science. Laurel served as president of Tri Beta during its 100th anniversary and presented her research at the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences Technical Meeting. She is also a member of the 2021 OCU Cheer National Champions. Her favorite honors memories are of the many activities during orientation and Stars Week. Laurel will soon begin classes to become an EMT while continuing to volunteer at Hospice House and work as a medical scribe with OU’s Medical Center ER. She plans to begin medical school in the near future.

RAFE MCCONNELL , from Sherman, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance. He has performed in six operas at OCU and presented his honors film/TV analysis project at the conference for the National Collegiate Honors Council. Rafe also served as artistic director of OCU OPERAtions. His favorite honors memory is attending the conference for the National Collegiate Honors Council with Dr. Heine, Dr. Youmans, and his honors friends in Dallas. This summer Rafe will perform with the Painted Sky Opera in their productions of “La Boheme” and “Don Giovanni!” Afterwards, he will begin the application and audition process for a master’s degree in opera performance.

MALLORY MCCOY, from Mustang, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She is a 2022 NAIA National Champion in softball and a three-time Gold Glove Award recipient. Her favorite honors memory is going to the escape room during orientation. Mallory will continue her work volunteering and shadowing in a dental clinic as she prepares to apply to dental school in 2024.

PAUL NGUYEN, from Mustang, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Music Education degree in instrumental music education. He served as president of OCU’s collegiate chapter of the National

HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.)

Association for Musical Education. Paul also had the honor of receiving the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award and was named a Junior Marshal for the Wanda L. Bass School of Music. His favorite honors memory is of serving as a co-head peer mentor for the Honors Program, where he led other peer mentors and witnessed them sharing their passions with the incoming cohort. Paul plans to stay in Oklahoma and find a job as a band director. He hopes to eventually go to graduate school for secondary leadership or fine arts administration.

MADDIE PIVONKA , from Gilbert, Arizona, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance management. Maddie established OCU’s chapter of the nonprofit We Are Queens, choreographed a piece in the 2022 Student Choreography Show, and has signed a contract for her first post-graduation professional dance job on a Norwegian cruise line, the Norwegian Star. Her favorite memory is of the Honors Orientation, when she met all the other honors students and participated in the escape room. Since then, Maddie has always felt at home in Gold Star. In October, she will begin her contract with the Norwegian Star, traveling to the United Kingdom and South America. Once finished with this contract, she plans to move to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming a Radio City Rockette.

CARLY PONTIUS , from Colorado Springs, Colorado, is completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in dance performance. Carly has served as the Student Professional of the Honors Program, for which she attended the National Collegiate Honors Conference in Dallas. She has been a dancer, swing, line captain, deck crew, and wardrobe crew member for the American Spirit Dance Company, and she choreographed twice for the dance and music collaborative concert of Project 21. Carly’s favorite memory is of the 2022 National Collegiate Honors Conference, where she spent time with several friends and heard some fantastic speakers. After graduation, she plans to pursue work in dance performance and choreography.

KYLA POWERS , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Business degree in business administration. They have participated as one of the members of the Wesley Center contemporary band since their freshman year, also running various small groups. Kyla also spoke at the Oklahoma United Methodist Annual Conference, addressing the lack of youth and young people in the church. In addition, they led and organized the Oklahoma Conference Council on Youth Ministries. Their favorite memory is of the passion with which Dr. Starkey taught his Honors LAS. Kyla is moving to Colorado to work for a year, then plans to enroll in Colorado State University to pursue a mental health therapy degree.

LANDON PRIESS , from Stonewall, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in musical theater with a minor in history. He served as secretary of OCU CARE, and performed the role of Billy Crane in “Bright Star.” Landon also originated the role of Mephistopheles in JT Cambria’s work, “Fallen Star.” His favorite memories are of the Honors Christmas and Valentine’s parties, where he interacted with Honors students outside his major. Landon is moving to New York at the end of the summer and plans to start living as a professional actor in New York City.

TREVOR RAU, from Spokane, Washington, is completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting with a minor in directing. He has performed as Dill in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Max in “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Trevor was also selected to participate in the OCU New York Showcase where he will

perform for casting directors, agents, and managers that occupy the New York theatre and TV/film spaces. His favorite memory is of Honors Orientation, specifically the walk over to the escape room where everyone got to know each other. Trevor will either move to New York City to work toward his career in acting or attend the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts to pursue his MFA in professional acting.

CARA REDDING , from Phoenix, Arizona, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in musical theatre with a minor in history. Cara played Wendla in the Spring 2021 OCU production of “Spring Awakening,” was the mental health and wellness branch director for OCU CARE, and has been on the President’s Honor Roll every semester. Her favorite memory is making Valentine’s Day cards for the children’s hospital at the Honors Valentine’s Day party this past year. This summer, she will intern with Josiah Venture in Latvia to manage music camps for middle and high school students. She will then pursue her career in performance, specifically in musical theatre, film, and television.

LAUREN ROGERS , from Arlington, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Music Education degree in instrumental music education and a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance. She participated in masterclasses with Shannon Thomas and Paul Kantor and performed her junior and senior recitals. Lauren’s favorite memory is of completing her honors project for Film and TV Music Analysis. She and her partner, Kaitlyn, wrote music for commercials to better fit or change the genre. Lauren will finish her music education degree in the fall with one semester of student teaching. She also plans to apply for graduate school for violin performance next fall.

STEPHANIE ROJAS , from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science with a minor in Spanish. She was on the Dean’s Honor Roll throughout her time at OCU and participated in undergraduate research activities. Her project “Antimicrobial Effects of Dandelions on Human Microbiota” provides preliminary research for the use of dandelions as a potential cancer treatment. Stephanie also serves as co-director and pianist of the Evening Spanish Choir at St. Eugene Catholic Church. Her favorite honors experiences were her two contracts which allowed her to begin work with Apricot Lane Farm and their production of organic produce through self-regulating ecosystems, and to guide her zoology class on a trip through the Wichita Mountains. Stephanie will be applying to physician assistant programs in the near future.

ADDISON SCHUH, from Janesville, Wisconsin, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in music theater. Addison has had the honor of performing for a Kristin Chenowith masterclass in the fall of 2022 and performing with Kelli O’Hara in an OKC Philharmonic concert this spring. She was also selected to perform in the OCU NYC Senior Showcase in May. Her favorite memory is walking into the Honors Hall for the first time as a nervous freshman and immediately feeling at home. Addison will be moving to New York City after graduation to pursue a career in musical theater.

ESTELLA SEAGRAVES , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in cell and molecular biology with a minor in English. Estella has had the honor of being chosen as an OMRF Fleming Scholar and winning both Freshman and Sophomore of the Year at the Student Leadership Awards. She also had the great opportunity to serve as the executive director of Miracle Marathon. Estella’s favorite memory is when she took the Honors Mythic Journeys class, which

HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.)

inspired her to pursue an English minor. This fall, she will attend the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in OKC. Estella hopes to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology to improve women’s health.

ELLIE SHUMATE , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical sciences with a minor in chemistry. She served as president of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta and had the honor of receiving the Randall Great Plan Scholarship. Ellie’s favorite memory is of the Honors Junior/Senior Seminar with Dr. Floreani, specifically when Dr. Kaufmann visited the class to discuss genetics and race. Ellie was recently accepted into OCU’s Physician Assistant Program and began her studies in January. She continues to work through the didactic curriculum and is extremely excited to continue this journey for the next two and a half years.

KIT THOMAS , from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree in clarinet performance with a minor in psychology. They participated in over 10 world premieres, as well as junior and senior recitals. Their favorite honors memory is of Dr. Starkey’s Honors Liberal Arts Seminar class. Kit plans to move to Fort Collins and start a master’s program in music therapy in the fall of 2024.

SYDNEY WHITE , from San Antonio, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Music degree with a double major in musical theater and vocal performance. She has participated in several Wanda Bass School of Music shows including playing the role of Eurydice in this spring’s spotlight musical, “Orpheus in the Underworld.” Her favorite Honors memory was the escape room during orientation when she first met many of her Honors peers. Through recent opportunities to volunteer with children in her home state of Texas, Sydney has come to realize how much she enjoys teaching young people. She will spend the first six months after graduation touring with a children’s theatre company before she continues her professional performance career.

GABRIELLE YOUNG , from Tulsa, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance management with a minor in business entrepreneurship. Gabrielle has served as Honors Student Council president, published her academic writing in the Stellar research journal, and received the Outstanding Commitment to Community Service Campus Leadership Award. Her favorite memory is of the fall 2022 National Collegiate Honors Council, where she represented OCU. She connected with more OCU honors students, explored Dallas, and met honors students from around the country. Gabrielle will begin graduate studies in arts management and creative producing this fall at the University College in Cork, Ireland.

STUDENT PROFESSIONAL TURNOVER

Honors Students and Alumni,

This year upon graduation I will also be leaving my position as the Honors student professional. As I said in my first semester of this position, “I attribute so many of my positive college experiences to Honors at OCU that the opportunity to work alongside Dr. Youmans in a student professional position seemed to be a perfect job for me. Upon choosing to be a dance performance major on the eve of my junior year, I was excited to hone my craft and sharpen my skills in dance, and was not at all concerned about losing my connection with academia because

1) The dance performance degree is based in depth of knowledge about dance and 2) I would be flexing my administrative muscles as a Student Professional.” That all still stands, and equally to the content of my degree, I attribute my experience in the honors program as the reason I enjoyed my undergraduate experience. I am excited to welcome Katelynn Murphy into the position as I become an alumna of the program and the university.

Carly Pontius

Honors Student Professional Katelynn Murphy

HONORS SENIOR DINNER

Annually, the Honors Seniors are celebrated at a group dinner at The Press OKC. Students receive a certificate of completion as well as their stole for graduation. This year, Yi Shao received the John Starkey Distinguished Honors Faculty Award, Cara Redding the Outstanding Senior Award, and Carly Pontius the Distinguished Service Award. This dinner is a fabulous way for students to have one last gathering with their cohort before each leaving on a unique path!