March 7, 2026 Issue, Page 10 of 14

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10• SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2026 The Elk City News Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Names 2026 Academic All-State Honorees OKLAHOMA CITY — The Name School District High School Hometown Josiah Edmond Mustang Mustang High School Mustang Oklahoma Foundation for Ex- Jozlin Campbell Alva Alva High School Aline Ruoni Tang Norman Norman High School Norman cellence will honor 100 Okla- Ehimen Umobuarie* Arapaho-Butler Arapaho-Butler High School Clinton Ryan Chen Norman Norman North High School Norman homa public school seniors as Jackson Boudreaux Bartlesville Bartlesville High School Bartlesville Lillian Dai Norman Norman North High School Norman members of its 2026 Academic Adit Paul Bartlesville Bartlesville High School Bartlesville Juliana Hong Norman Norman North High School Norman Griffin Salerno Bartlesville Bartlesville High School Bartlesville Miranda Huang Norman Norman North High School Norman All-State class. Colin Cooksey Blanchard Blanchard High School Blanchard Andrew Zhang Norman Norman North High School Norman The Academic All-State class Rafael Maldonado Broken Arrow Broken Arrow High School Broken Arrow Meghna Ponnavolu Oklahoma City Classen School of Advanced will be recognized at OFE’s Ac- Yireh Oh* Broken Arrow Broken Arrow High School Broken Arrow Studies at Northeast Edmond ademic Awards Celebration on Adalee Alley* Buffalo Buffalo High School Buffalo Amasha Samaraweera Oklahoma City Classen School of Advanced May 2 at the National Cowboy Evelyn Fisher Cache Cache High School Cache Studies at Northeast Edmond & Western Heritage Museum in Victoria Biederman Charter Epic Charter School Tulsa Melody Chen OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Norman Oklahoma City. Each honoree Larissa Burton Charter Epic Charter School Oklahoma City Christina Dang OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Yukon will receive a $1,500 award, an Julie Tran Charter Tulsa Honor Academy Tulsa Karen Forteh OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Stillwater honor cord and a medallion. Sydney Tran Charter Tulsa Honor Academy Tulsa Julianne Hoang* OSSM Oklahoma School of Science The celebration is open to the Austin Clift Chickasha Chickasha High School Anadarko & Mathematics Oklahoma City LUKE FRIESEN - ELK CITY Eve Mathews-Cox Claremore Claremore High School Pryor Eesha Katta OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Lawton public, and registration is open HIGH SCHOOL Melody Youtsey Claremore Claremore High School Claremore Eunice Kim OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Stillwater at OFE.org. J McCullough* Clinton Clinton High School Clinton Bishal Lamichhane OSSM Oklahoma School of Science & Mathematics Jenks Friesen is class valedictorian At the event, OFE recog- Xander Williams Cushing Cushing High School Cushing Edward Nguyen OSSM Oklahoma School of Science and serves as president of National nizes each All-State honoree Paul Potts Dale Dale High School Shawnee & Mathematics Oklahoma City Honor Society. A Boys State alongside an educator who has Crystal Le Deer Creek Deer Creek High School Edmond Lauryn Jackson* Oklahoma Union Oklahoma Union High School Nowata delegate, Friesen also serves as significantly impacted that stu- Aryahi Singh Deer Creek Deer Creek High School Edmond Avery Collier Oologah-Talala Oologah High School Oologah treasurer for Key Club and the Lexi Mann* Drummond Drummond High School Drummond Ty Elias Owasso Owasso High School Owasso dent’s academic success. senior class. A recipient of the Emma Green Durant Durant High School Durant Mallory Sepúlveda Owasso Owasso High School Owasso “This is our 40th Academic Peter R. Marsh Silent Servant Fathiyah Ayodele Edmond Edmond Memorial High School Oklahoma City Ethan Savage Plainview Plainview High School Ardmore All-State class, and every year Award, the DAR Good Citizen Tabina Chowdhury Edmond Edmond Memorial High School Edmond Madison McCall Ponca City Ponca City High School Ponca City we are amazed by our honor- Award and a multi-year Oklahoma Paisley Little Edmond Edmond North High School Edmond Sydney Meeker Ponca City Ponca City High School Ponca City ees’ academic accomplishments Music Educators Association vocal Sophia Long Edmond Edmond North High School Edmond Paisley Nichols Purcell Purcell High School Wayne and deep involvement in their Sawyer Saenz* Edmond Edmond North High School Edmond Nischal Joshi Putnam City Putnam City High School Oklahoma City music all-stater, Friesen founded school communities,” said OFE Jiho Yoon Edmond Edmond North High School Edmond Rishi Patel Putnam City Putnam City High School Oklahoma City a program for bringing live music Executive Director Elizabeth Brooks Davis Edmond Edmond Santa Fe High School Edmond Ava Tu Putnam City Putnam City North High School Oklahoma City to a local assisted living facility Inbody. “By celebrating them Ilakiya Raghavendiran Edmond Edmond Santa Fe High School Edmond Adelynn Orendorff Sallisaw Sallisaw High School Sallisaw and serves as the guitar player for alongside their teachers, we Emme Shum Edmond Edmond Santa Fe High School Edmond Sophia Hart Sand Springs Charles Page High School Sand Springs his church’s weekly services. He Luke Friesen* Elk City Elk City High School Elk City June Guzman Sequoyah Sequoyah High School Claremore send a powerful message about has been accepted to Georgetown Benjamin Kiley Sartin Shawnee Shawnee High School Shawnee the importance of public edu- University, Belmont University Parker-Christensen Fort Gibson Fort Gibson High School Fort Gibson Denver McBride Silo Silo High School Durant cation and great educators.” and the University of Oklahoma Hailey Helmke Fox Fox High School Ratliff City Kaydan Scheihing Skiatook Skiatook High School Skiatook Since the program launched and plans to study biomedical Landry Hunt Grandfield Grandfield High School Grandfield Kaydence West Soper Soper High School Boswell in 1987, OFE has honored 4,001 engineering or music. His brother Cassidy Timms Grandfield Grandfield High School Grandfield Aiden Yejoon Kim* Stillwater Stillwater High School Stillwater All-Staters from 345 school dis- Kennedy Matthews Grove Grove High School Grove William Lin Stillwater Stillwater High School Stillwater Mason earned Academic All-State tricts. Tej Beniwal Jenks Jenks High School Tulsa Kathy Liu* Stillwater Stillwater High School Stillwater honors in 2023. This year’s honorees are Krishna Bhadriraju Jenks Jenks High School Tulsa Brody Jennings Sulphur Sulphur High School Sulphur from 63 public schools in 58 Cody Brown Jenks Jenks High School Jenks Ryan Batterton Tecumseh Tecumseh High School Tecumseh districts. Three schools are cel- 1370; or having been selected Aiden Hoskin Jenks Jenks High School Tulsa Dhea Pushpraj Tulsa Booker T. Washington High School Owasso ebrating their first Academic as a semifinalist in the National Sahil Patel* Jenks Jenks High School Tulsa Scout Rorabaugh Turpin Turpin High School Turpin All-Stater: Fox, Grandfield and Merit Scholarship Program. Emma Zhang Jenks Jenks High School Jenks Kelly Tran Union Union High School Broken Arrow Tulsa Honor Academy. Grand- A selection committee evalu- Caleb Schultz* Kremlin-Hillsdale Kremlin-Hillsdale High School Kremlin Wyatt Morris Vanoss Vanoss High School Stratford field and Tulsa Honor Acade- ates applicants through a rigor- Briley Brundidge Latta Latta High School Ada Katie Kreizenbeck Weatherford Weatherford High School Weatherford Kaydon Payne Lone Grove Lone Grove High School Ardmore Noah Hendrix Wilburton Wilburton High School Wilburton my each have two All-Staters, ous process based on academic Lillian Bryant Midwest City-Del City Carl Albert High School Oklahoma City Ethan J. Thomas* Yukon Yukon High School Yukon marking the first time since achievement, leadership and Lillian Whitson Moore Moore High School Moore Abigail Zachariah Yukon Yukon High School Yukon 2008 that a school’s first two community service, as well as Lily Rowland Moore Westmoore High School Oklahoma City *Indicates the All-State scholar is the family member of a past honoree. All-Staters have occurred in the letters of recommendation and Gareth McJunkin Muskogee Muskogee High School Muskogee same class. an essay. A diverse group of Students can apply for Ac- business, education and civic ademic All-State only if they leaders that includes past hon- works independently of other 4.36, and 38 are semifinalists in that recognizes and encour- toring programs, support for meet one of three criteria: an orees makes up the committee. foundation activities. the National Merit Scholarship ages academic excellence in public school foundations and ACT composite score of at Dayna Rowe, a Yukon resident The 2026 All-State class aver- Program. Oklahoma’s public schools. partnerships that provide ex- least 30; a combined SAT ev- with decades of experience in aged a 33 on the ACT, with nine OFE, which is celebrating The foundation elevates public ceptional professional develop- idence-based reading & writ- the public education sector, honorees scoring a perfect 36. its 40th anniversary, is a state- education through esteemed ment to educators. ing and math score of at least serves as chair. The committee Their weighted average GPA is wide, nonpartisan nonprofit honors, grants to K-12 men- Senator Mullin, Congressman Johnson Introduce Legislation to Remove Barriers to Tribal Firearm Access Washington, D.C. – To- zens to exercise their Second ment under federal criminal day, U.S. Senator Markwayne Amendment rights shouldn’t law as identification docu- Mullin (R-OK), a member exclude someone for being a ments issued by the Federal of the Senate Indian Affairs tribal member. Foreign pass- Government or by a state or Committee, and U.S. Repre- ports are acceptable forms of local government for the pur- sentative Dusty Johnson (R- identification for firearm pur- pose of transferring a fire- SD) introduced two bills to chases, but tribal IDs are not. arm. This bill amends Section strengthen firearm access for My Tribal Firearm Access Act 922(d) of Title 18 to include Indian Country. The Tribal would fix that error,” said Con- valid tribal government iden- SCAN Firearm Access Act clarifies existing law to include Tribal gressman Johnson. “Additional- ly, tribal police departments are tification documents. Tribal Police Department governments as eligible enti- often severely under resourced Parity Act: NOW ties to issue identification doc- yet have to jump through even Under current law, the uments for the purposes of ob- more hoops to obtain the duty Bureau of Alcohol, Tobac- taining a firearm. The Tribal weapons their jobs require. We co, Firearms, and Explosives Police Department Parity Act must do better to support trib- (ATF) places an undue burden eliminates burdensome regu- al law enforcement – the Tribal on tribal police departments lations and streamlines tribal Police Department Parity Act while exempting state and lo- police department access to will do just that.” cal entities from the same bu- duty weapons. Senator Steve Daines (R- reaucracy. “Tribal citizens, and all MT) cosponsored both bills. Tribal police departments Find lost property easy by scanning law-abiding Americans, have a “Tribal members and law that lack a cross-deputization the QR code or visiting: fundamental right to keep and enforcement should be given agreement with the Bureau bear arms. For too long, Tribal the same treatment and access of Indian Affairs (BIA), must members have been prohib- when it comes to purchasing (1) pay a National Firearms ited from using their govern- firearms as their non-trib- Act (NFA) transfer tax stamp, YOURMONEY.OK.GOV ment-issued Tribal identifica- al counterparts. I’m proud to (2) are prohibited from in- tion to lawfully obtain firearms. cosponsor these bills so that terstate transfers, and (3) are Our commonsense legislation members of tribal communi- prohibited from possessing corrects this wrong,” said Sena- ties and law enforcement agen- of “post 1986” machine guns. It only takes a minute, plus it’s free. tor Mullin. “We’re also boosting cies are able to provide safety Absent this legislation, the support for our Tribal police and protection for both them- ATF treats non-cross-depu- departments to ensure they selves and their peers,” said tized tribal police departments Enter your last name to discover if you don’t have to use vital resources Senator Daines. as civilians under the NFA and are one of over a million Oklahomans on unnecessary processes. I’m Tribal Firearm Access Act: the Gun Control Act (GCA). proud to be leading this effort in The Tribal Firearm Access The Tribal Police Depart- sharing more than a billion dollars in the Senate and working with my Act would clarify that identi- ment Parity Act is cospon- unclaimed property. good friend in the House, Con- fication documents issued by sored by Sen. Chuck Grassley gressman Dusty Johnson.” tribal governments are gener- (R-IA). “The ability for lawful citi- ally accorded the same treat- “Tribal police departments in the United States are often subject to additional burden- some regulations and taxes, which prevent them from having the tools they need to protect their communities. The Tribal Police Department Parity Act would cut through this red tape and ensure tribal law enforcement officers aren’t subject to unnecessary bu- reaucracy while fulfilling their sworn duties,” Senator Grass- ley said.