Tia K. O'Neal

Tia K. O’Neal, Practical Nursing Program at Western Technology Center at Hobart. O’Neal will be attending Redlands Community College at El Reno. O’Neal wants to impact students’ lives by helping them become the best nurses possible.

“Many times nurses are the main care providers for patients. I feel as a teacher I will be able to help students learn the correct way to provide competent and compassionate care for their patients,” O’Neal said. “I want to have an impact on my students’ lives in a positive way, just like my instructors have done for me.”

Julie Garrett

Julie Garrett, Dental Assisting Program at Tulsa Technology Center, will be attending Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.  Garrett wants to pass her knowledge and enthusiasm for dentistry to future students – just like her instructor has done for her.

“Going to school and learning should be enjoyable and rewarding,” Garrett said. “It was exciting to go to school and see my teacher excited about teaching. She loves dentistry like I do,” Garrett said. “It is my dream to give students the same opportunity to see that learning is fun to see a teacher who loves her job.”

Tawanna Lawrence

Tawanna Lawrence, Practical Nursing Program, Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City. Lawrence will be attending Redlands Community College. Lawrence believes teachers make a difference in students’ lives. She wants to be that difference in a student’s life, too.

“My nursing instructor is the main reason why I’m choosing a career in education,” Lawrence said. “I want to be one of those teachers, too, impacting a student’s life by letting them know I will be there to give them a hand up – just like the special teacher that I have had. I want to give to my students something that they can use throughout their lifetime, confidence.”

Kyle Adam Willige

Kyle Adam Willige, Agricultural Education at Keys High School in Park Hill. Willige plans on going to Connors State College, then to Oklahoma State University for a degree in Agricultural Education. Willige would like to have his own classroom to teach all areas of agriculture.

“Being involved in agricultural education was a big part of my high school career,” Willige said. “I believe that nutrition and animal care are two important areas that students should be taught well. There is so much to learn in the area of nutrition, that I learn something new every time I open the textbook or read a pamphlet on a new feed.”

Larry Wilson

Larry Wilson, Business and Information Technology Education student at Meridian Technology Center and recent graduate from Stillwater High School will begin classes at Northern Oklahoma College in the fall. Wilson hopes to return the positive experiences he had in class from his teachers by becoming a network-engineering instructor.

“Computers can be challenging and frustrating, but at the same time they give me a sense of satisfaction when everything works perfectly. I want to extend this thrill to my students,” Wilson said. “I feel fortunate to have had caring and encouraging teachers and my hope is to be able to return some of the knowledge and wisdom to my future students. Just like the movie, I want to ‘pay it forward.’”