MetroTech Foundation Sowing Seeds of Hope 2018

The Sowing Seeds of Success Banquet helps fund Metro Tech Foundation's model for helping its students finish their training and move into the workforce and/or more education. The outstanding students honored for their accomplishments are the stars.

This year's event was even more exciting since the foundation has a new executive director, Ashleigh Gibson. Ashleigh, who actually began the Goodwill GoodGuides Mentoring Program for Goodwill of Central Oklahoma, was subsequently a Mentor of the Year in 2016. She is an enthusiastic, accomplished, smart addition to advocate for and direct the foundation. 

Photos of award recipients are below.

Sponsors and Scholarship Recipients

Carlos Castaneda, Dr. James Branscum Excellence in Character Scholarship

Third from right, Carlos Castaneda, honoree, and Derek Lollis

The award looks primarily at the character of the individual applicant. Open to adult or high school students for outstanding character in the classroom, workplace, and community and is the highest award bestowed by the Metro Tech Foundation. Dr. James Branscum 

served as Metro Tech’s Superintendent for 13 years.

Isabella Gonzales, Dr. Donna Neal Thomas Scholarship

Isabella Gonzales

Available to adult students or high school seniors at Metro Technology Centers enrolled in health occupations or health science education

Ebony Pettigrew, Meredyth Campbell Memorial Scholarship

Ebony Pettigrew

Available to Metro Technology Center adult or high school students who are completing their program in May of the current year from Graphic Design majors or Video & Web Design majors.

Samantha Bradford, Miranda Shifflett and Andrea Terrill, 

Meredyth Campbell Practical Nursing Awards

Cesar Escobar, Ron Huff Master Welder Scholarship

This scholarship is presented to adult or high school students in the Metro Technology Centers welding career major.

Jose Hernandez and Huong Le, Grainger Tool Scholarship

Jose Hernandez and Huong Le

Available for adult and high school students enrolled in the Metro Technology Centers welding, aviation, and construction programs

Miguel Payan, Dr. Dennis L. Portis, III Memorial Scholarship

Miguel Payan and Luz Payan

Available to high school seniors at Metro Technology Centers enrolled in the Pre-Engineering or Biomedical paths of the Metro STEM Academy

Noel Mason, Huong Le and Conner Hilbern

LaNeeta Bradley, Shovandah Toliver and
Raeven Franklin

Left, Alyssa Mendenhall

Stephen Freeman

Site Director Student of the Year Award Winners (High
School): Miguel Payan, Conner Hilbern, Jherra Martin,
Raeven Franklin, Alora Golden and Lizet Vasquez

Sharing Stories

Rocio Alvarado, OSU-OKC, wants to be an interpreter in the healthcare and is pursuing the MRI/modality radiology program. Her education was catastrophically interrupted when her father was diagnosed with cancer and her mother suffered a second stroke. With her parents' not being able to work, finishing school seemed impossible. Her classmates pitched in money and gift cards to assist. Rocio finished school, merited a job and paid insurance.

In 2015, Kedriuna Townsend was severely injured in a car accident when she was pursuing biological sciences at UCO. Almost every bone in her body was broken, and she lost movement in her right arm. MetroTech Foundation gave her a laptop and internet access to help her achieve her goals. [As a beauty pageant competitor, her platform is mentoring through M.O.N.A. L.I.S.A, which encourages young people to be comfortable in their own skin and never pass nor fear judgment given by today's society. Not letting anything stand in her way, Kedriuna was crowned Miss Black UCO for 2018-19.] 

Tonisha Lamkin, a senior at ASTEC Charter School, is a third-year MetroTech biomedical student. Tonisha, a MetroTech Student Ambassador because of her speaking skills, also participated in parliamentary team competition because of her leadership skills. Her determinatin of becoming a dermatologist was rocked when her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer late in the disease's progression. MetroTech Foundation has given her a light at the end of the tunnel and the support to push through.

Ashley Gibson, Executive 
Director, Metro Tech Foundation

Ashley Curtis Gibson has her own story about how a little help produces rippling life changes. In 1995, John, her father, had retired from the army after 22 years. Although a decorated veteran, he found getting a job hard. A law enforcement department offered him a job, but he had to be CLEET certified. John Curtis drove from Drummond to Oklahoma City four days a week for the training. An anonymous donor donated money to make this training possible. In 1996, John completed the training and walked across the stage in the Metro Tech auditorium. As a police officer, he felt he had helped others. He had became a sheriff's deputy and a licensed minister. 

Ashleigh later became the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her young life already has a history of accomplishment and helping others, and she is perfectly suited to lead MetroTech Foundation and affect the lives of MetroTech students.

MetroTech 

Cindy Friedemann, executive 
officer, district strategy and 
economic development

Cathy Story, program coordinator, 
district strategy and development,
Metro Technology Centers

Banquet Tablemates

Derek Lollis, director, Metro
Technology Centers South 
Bryant Campus

Debi Moore, director of administration, 
Gaylord Family Foundation, and Achee
Park, commercial sales manager,
Cox Communications

Results of the 2018 Banquet

Remember the impact of donations to MetroTech Foundation.

                     

Cow Patty Bingo II

After the inaugural of Cow Patty Bingo at the Canadian County Fair in 2014, the board and mentors of El Reno Public Schools Foundation refined their project into a tour de force.

As a fundraiser, this is clever and well executed, but it can also be a fun activity at a festival or celebration. 

In Oklahoma, county fairs are large social events, really community celebrations, as well as competitions in agriculture, livestock, handwork, wood crafts, canning, cooking, and a plethora of other categories. Youths and adults proudly display their best work. A midway of some size offers rides and games. Vendors offer food specialties, such as funnel cakes, large turkey legs, deep-fired everything, and candied apples. Musicians entertain on stage. Businesses showcase their newest equipment and other products. Hawkers perfect the art of selling. With all five senses on overload, wonder and excitement permeate every county fair.

For this Cow Patty Bingo:

• Space reserved at fair
• Local pre-event publicity online
• Ticket tables located at entrance(s)
• Tickets sold at booth
• Bingo tarpaulin and pen
• Goats, their equipment and handlers
• Schedule of bingo, i.e., when goats will be let out on tarp
• Plinko Game with free prizes, including books, for kids
• Homemade cobbler cooked over a chuck wagon fire
• Ice cream (store bought) for cobbler ala mode
• A heap of socializing

Debra Kauffman sells bingo tickets at the entrance to the fair.

Tickets

Dana Gibson, chairwoman of the board for the Students Striving for Success Mentoring Program, admires the humor and artwork in the sign.

"Where there's muck, there's money"

Witty Dana may have created that slogan.

Peering out of their trailer, the darling stars, or poopers, of the show wonder 

what all the fuss is. (Goats poop more often than cattle.)

Precious, isn't she? This dainty doe always poses for hay.

Ah, what a handsome buck or billy (goat), especially in his stylish white chain collar! 

The pen, tarpaulin, and stars' trailer

Free Plinko, An Activity for Children

Plinko winners receive a new or lightly used book and/or trinkets 

purchased in large quantities. 

Students Striving for Success mentors spend a little time reading during each mentoring session since relationship-building and literacy are important. "SSS" mentees' state reading test score rose significantly after this mentoring program began.

Are those Chinese woven finger pulls? Adults like them, too. 

The plastic spider rings in Oklahoma State University colors are a hit also.

Cowboy Cobbler

This year Bill Nuzum's cobbler with an ala mode option was sold at the location.

Toni Grantham serves a generous portion of cobbler for a hungry fairgoer.

Wit the backdrop of a real cowboy chuck wagon, helping serve are Robert Grantham, 

Toni with ice cream on her fingers, and Brooke Robertson.

Was that "finger-licking good" ice cream? 

Mentors and board members Curtis Blanc and Ronnie Fields approve Bill's cobbler.

A closeup of Bill Nuzum's Dutch oven-cooked, cowboy cobbler.

Famous cowboy chuck wagon builder and cook Bill Nazzum instructs 

Chad Neathery in the art of cooking with hot coals.

Closeup of the cookers: Should you try this at home

A television looped the video show of Bill Nuzum on the Cooking Channel's My Grandmother's Ravioli. 

Nuzum has made many public appearances with his chuck wagon, cowboy food, stories, and activities related to western heritage. 

Read more in the link below.

http://www.elrenotribune.com/news/article_3b798daa-4384-11e5-b4a2-1b58be76ada3.html

Back to cow patty bingo

A closeup of the bingo tarpaulin

Waiting to see where the poop lands so someone can shout, "BINGO!"

Watching the hand-raised competition goats meander around the pen

Lucky number 48 has more poop pellets than other spaces at this moment. 

Ties secure the tarpaulin to the pen rails.

Dana Gibson is and has been a strong leader for Students Striving for Success. 

El Reno's Suzanne Thompson initiated the mentoring program concept and Dana took the lead. Leading citizens of El Reno are passionate board members and mentors. We salute Gibson, Thompson, and all the other creative, persistent people who make this mentoring program succeed brilliantly.

Canadian County Fair, the view from the Cow Patty Bingo location

From the El Reno Tribune

Photo by Ray Dyer

Caption: Linda Hulbatta, Dana Gibson, Richard Steanson and Bill Nuzum pose with the chuck wagon Nuzum will use to cook cobbler at the Cow Patty Bingo event, while Gibson's youngest grandson, Jimmy Gibson, inspects the wagon.