2019 Academic All-State Scholars Announced

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has announced the recipients of its prestigious 2019 Academic All-State Awards. These 100 top public high school seniors, selected from 535 nominations statewide, hail from 83 schools in 75 Oklahoma school districts.

David L. Boren, chairman and founder of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, describes the selection of the scholars as, “Oklahoma’s most rigorous academic competition.”

The 2019 Academic All-State Class is the 33rd to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,300 high school seniors from 325 school districts have been named All-State scholars. Three high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Blair, Kansas, and Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee.

This year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship, a medallion and will be recognized at the Foundation’s 33rd annual Academic Awards Banquet on Saturday, May 18, at the Renaissance Tulsa Convention Center.

To be nominated 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, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship.

This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33.6 on the ACT, with six recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.28. In addition, 33 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, and two are National Hispanic Scholars.

Academic All-Staters are selected on the basis of academic achievement, extracurricular activities and community involvement, as well as an essay submitted by each nominee. The selection committee, which is chaired by retired Tulsa attorney Teresa B. Adwan, 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 Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public and will be televised statewide by OETA, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority. For more information, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006 or visit its website at www.ofe.org

Scholars are listed below alphabetically by their school’s city. An asterisk (*) besides a name Indicates a sibling of the scholar was a previous All-Stater.

Name School

Jonathan Wright Altus HS

Gracie Scarbrough Alva HS

Katelyn Lofton Antlers HS

Kaitlyn Long Ardmore HS

Anna Lassahn Plainview HS, Ardmore

Margaret Drummond* Bartlesville HS

Liza Williams Bartlesville HS

Madison Rice Bixby HS

Hayden Spillars Bixby HS

Payson Ramirez Blair HS

Colten Brown Boise City HS

Bailey Vought Broken Arrow HS

Laiba Akhtar Union HS, Broken Arrow

Brooklyn Grugan Broken Bow HS

Alexa Benedict Burns Flat-Dill City HS

Thaddaeus McClain Byng HS

Chloe Hart* Chandler HS

Toby Highfill Cherokee HS

Matthew Thomas Chickasha HS

Bree Kisling Chisholm HS, Enid

Grace Brasfield Claremore HS

Aaron Reid Verdigris HS, Claremore

Bailey Winkle Coweta HS

Michael Dixon Durant HS

Macy Cates Deer Creek HS, Edmond

Sofia Ferguson Deer Creek HS, Edmond

Amanda Baskett Edmond Memorial HS

William Shorow Edmond North HS

Ishan Bhanot Edmond Santa Fe HS

Michael Yu Edmond Santa Fe HS

Allison McClung Elgin HS

Reagan Benton Elk City HS

Kwanyoung Kim Enid HS

Jase Pippenger Eufaula HS

Teresa Haddock Glencoe HS

Taos McIntyre Guymon HS

Alexander Christian Eden Harrah HS

Audra Crisp Hydro-Eakly HS

Rajveer Korpe Jenks HS

Sanjeev Musuvathy Jenks HS

Ty Aldridge Jones HS

Kallie Asher Kansas HS

Bree Taylor Kingfisher HS

Gabhriel Barber Eisenhower HS, Lawton

Alistair Swierkosz MacArthur HS, Lawton

Quincy Collins Leedey HS

Rio Bonham Madill HS

Carly Mills McAlester HS

Ashlin Ferris Miami HS

Taryn McLaughlin Carl Albert HS, Midwest City

Adam Sorrell Midwest City HS

Haven Powell Muldrow HS

Heidi Askeland Mustang HS

Jay Shoumaker Newcastle HS

Kyler Inman Newkirk HS

Cassidy Holman Noble HS

Jamie Bowen Norman HS

Evan Eshelman Norman North HS

Karina Feng Norman North HS

Colleen Ozment Norman North HS

Mohan Richter-Addo Norman HS

Joshua Robinson Norman North HS

Katie Bomhoff Okarche HS

Dylan DelCol Harding Charter Preparatory HS, OKC

Emily Miller Classen School of Advanced Studies, OKC

Dylan Nguyen Southmoore HS, OKC

Vanessa Heath Westmoore HS, OKC

Daniel Ngo Westmoore HS, OKC

Andrew Trieu Westmoore HS, OKC

Jeanette Hoang OK School of Science & Mathematics, OKC

Kevin Wiafe OK School of Science & Mathematics, OKC

Tao Zhu OK School of Science & Mathematics, OKC

Richelle Zampella Okla. School for the Blind, Muskogee

Madison Watson Oologah HS

Jillian Cordray Owasso HS

Seth Robbins Pauls Valley HS

Blake Cope Piedmont HS

Brian Montgomery Piedmont HS

Emma Rich Prague HS

Jaiden Callies Putnam City HS

Bethany Bengs Quinton HS

Elizabeth Schneider Seiling HS

Zachary Perry Seminole HS

Alexander Lunsford Shawnee HS

Gracie O'Rorke Bethel HS, Shawnee

Kacie Anderson Skiatook HS

Emma Bollinger Stillwater HS

Samuel Shideler Stillwater HS

Erika Vanderheiden Stilwell HS

Tori Wood Sequoyah HS, Tahlequah

Blake Rowland Tishomingo HS

August Nielsen Charles Page HS, Tulsa

Harper McIntyre Thomas A. Edison Preparatory HS, Tulsa

Richard Hasegawa Booker T. Washington HS, Tulsa

Nikith Kurella Booker T. Washington HS, Tulsa

Olivia Porter Booker T. Washington HS, Tulsa

Ruby Edsall Watonga HS

Caitlin Mantooth Wayne HS

Addison Duerksen Weatherford HS

Dawson Simeroth Yukon HS

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 $4.7 million in merit-based scholarships and awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners. Other foundation programs include the Oklahoma School Foundations Network, Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute Fellowships, Teacher Grants for Professional Development, and the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative.