Top students, educators honored

Cathy Spaulding, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
·5 min read

May 11—Creek Elementary kindergarten teacher Jennifer Schuler is a good stress-reliever, Schuler's principal said.

"When I have a stressful day, I can always count on going to her room when she's reading stories to her kids," said Creek Principal Andrea Sagely. "It's just so calming, and I've never seen a teacher just be so natural and at ease with children. She's just great."

Schuler was chosen Muskogee Public Schools Teacher of the Year during the annual MPS Academic Honors Banquet, held Tuesday night. She stood on stage with other site teachers of the year and gasped upon hearing her name.

"I'm completely speechless," Schuler said after accepting the honor. "Educators sometimes have a very hard job and we put a lot of time into it."

Schuler later said she was excited and humbled by the honor.

"There are a lot of amazing educators on that stage," she said.

Students from fourth through 12th grade who earned straight-As and were the top students in their classes also were honored.

"I'm proud to be here and recognize those top 1 percent, those top students that are in our schools," Superintendent Jarod Mendenhall said.

Sadler Arts Academy sixth-grader Rebekah Orcutt said this was her third year to earn the honor.

"I try to focus a lot in school," she said. "I do extracurricular activities, but I try to get all my work done instead of putting it off."

Her mother, Sarah Orcutt, said she's proud of her daughter.

"She works very, very hard and deserves every bit of it," Orcutt said. "She pushes herself mostly. Sometimes I have to make sure she's not pushing herself too hard."

MHS senior Kathryn Hewitt said reaching top academic honors for four years in a row doesn't get any easier with each year.

"Still got to work diligently every year," she said. "You can't ever let off, you always have to be consistent in working and do everything you can to keep your grades up and be mindful about it."

Junior My'Keal Walden attended Rougher Innovations Academy, a Muskogee school that allows students to do distance or online learning through the year.

Walden, who works at Buffalo Wild Wings, said the format allowed him to to focus on his work.

"That gave me more time to learn it and understand it more," he said. "It was better accustomed to my life, because I do work."

Walden's mother, Tanalya Wilson, said she didn't have to push him during distance learning.

"He got up and did his school work," she said. "If he had an issue, he'd talk to me about it and we'd go over it and he did it. It was a lot easier for him."

MHS senior Mikaela Louis said she did her best to turn her assignments in on time.

"I also had good attendance," she said. "That's all there is to it."

Student Honorees

6th & 7th Grade Academy

—Sixth Grade: Nate Adair, Alivia Arnold, Carter Collins, Karter Fields, Aidan Moore, Benjamin Pool, Blake Williams.

—Seventh Grade: London Cherry, Brighton Davis, Keaton Davis, Marli Essex, Kelsey Ford, Naptali Hernandez, Maddyson Johnson, Trenton McGriff, David Smith, Avery Tyson, Cori Webb.

8th & 9th Grade Academy

—Eighth Grade: Doc Estes, John Gilliam, Gabriela Jacobo.

—Ninth Grade: Rayce Duncan, Goldyn Johnson, Addison Moffett, Ivy Nguyen, Moriah Nicholson, Jack Pool, Charlie Rosson, Skye Sargent, Wyatt Stephens, Krew Thompson, Pearl Winter.

Cherokee Elementary

—Fourth Grade: Cameron Cherry, Adalynn Dawson, Leland Hughes, Meelah Morrison, Elvis Perez.

—Fifth Grade: Lexi Armstrong, Tylor Brown, Aceyn Cherry, Tyler Epperson, Angela Moreno-Camacho

Creek Elementary

—Fourth Grade : Ivett Figuero-Castro, Anadalay Garcia, Aayden Hamilton.

—Fifth Grade: Jaide Butler, Riley Davis, Tristan Davis, Emma Looney, Aron Mata-Macareno, Brygette Riley-Johns, Lynwood Wade.

Irving Elementary

—Fourth Grade: Lincoln Matute.

—Fifth Grade: Dayami Diaz Grade, Iris Lopez, Leslie Lopez.

Muskogee High School

—Sophomore: Hollie Courtney, Brylee Hanrahan, Jack Hewitt, Mikaela Louis, Bryce Thornton, Asritha Yarrozu.

—Junior: Landren Martin, Sabrina Meinershagen, Phat Nguyen, Riya Patel, Ryan Sherwood Grade.

—Senior: Klair Bradley, Annebelle Czaruk, Alexis Dansby, Lyndsey Eckerson, Kathryn Hewitt, Jax McCutcheon, Klaire Newell Grade, Jack Richardson.

Pershing Elementary

—Fourth Grade: Danelly Bermudez-Magana, Jazlynn Portis.

—Fifth Grade: Zachary Akers, Alexis Maxwell.

Sadler Arts Academy

—Fourth Grade: Anderson Calvert, Tatum Folsom, Killian Stratton, Olivia Van Voast.

—Fifth Grade: Abigail Bever-Froman, Daniella Bever-Froman, Malea Gaulden, Jacob Hitt, Abigail Jiang.

—Sixth Grade: Samuel Courtney, Jack King Grade, Aubri Ledbetter, Avary Milligan, Rebekah Orcutt, Eli Shelby.

—Seventh Grade: Kashae Brown, Coco Cox, Hadleigh Davis, Ayden DeMar, Aaron Meinershagen, Zuri Stewart, Elizabeth Van Voast, Rylan Williams.

—Eighth Grade: Jacie Cumbey, Michael Hale, Parks Johnsey, Kyler Lemon, Finley Stone, Ella Strickland Grade.

Tony Goetz Elementary

—Fourth Grade: Riley Dacy, Aston McKinney, Keegan Wilhite.

—Fifth Grade: Nyah Adair, Rylan Wilkerson.

Roughers Innovations Academy

—Fourth Grade: Seth Ford.

—Fifth Grade: Kira Jones, Jakob Piorkowski.

—Sixth Grade: Christina Castro.

—Seventh Grade: Alexis Sigle.

—Eighth Grade: Ares Hall.

—Ninth Grade: Braden Carter, Ruger Perryman.

—Sophomore: Makayla Vaughn.

—Junior: Gianna Armstrong, Ethan Doty, Gabriel Kindrick, Aaron Reed, Jamyah Scott-Hayward, Diana Tapia, My'Keal Walden.

—Senior: William Falleur.

Rougher Alternative Academy

—Senior: Olivia Hooper.

Muskogee Public Schools Teacher of the Year — Jennifer Schuler

Site Educators of the Year

—Muskogee High School — Major William Triplett

—Rougher Alternative Academy — Kyra Swift

—Roughers Innovations Academy — Rachel Bertholf

—8th & 9th Grade Academy — Rosa Denton

—6th & 7th Grade Academy — Melissa Million

—Sadler Arts Academy — Gaila Martin

—Cherokee — Kim Davison

—Creek — Jennifer Schuler

—Irving — Greg Breeding

—Pershing — Andrea Garrett

—Tony Goetz — Gina Beach

—Early Childhood Center — Haleigh Carrier