Checotah High School graduate Rylee Sisson was among 100 top students from around the state honored at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Banquet, held recently in Tulsa.

Sisson, who graduated this year received a $1,500 Academic All-State award sponsored by the W.R. Stubbs Charitable Remainder Trust.

Mann was Sisson’s honored teacher guest at the awards banquet. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide nonprofit organization that recognizes and encourages academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools.

The 100 top public high school seniors, selected from hundreds of nominations statewide, hail from 75 schools in 68 Oklahoma school districts.

The 2023 Academic All-State class is the 37th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.

Since the award program’s inception in 1987, some 3,700 high school seniors from 335 school districts have been named Academic All-State scholars. Two high schools will celebrate their first Academic All-Stater: Pittsburg and Texhoma high schools.

This year’s All-Staters scored an average of 33 on the ACT, with six recipients scoring a perfect 36. The students’ average GPA was 4.25. In addition, 29 of this year’s All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists.

Each of this year’s All-Staters will receive a $1,500 meritbased scholarship, honor cord, and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation’s 37th annual Academic Awards Celebration on Saturday, May 20, at the Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa.

Patsy Mann (left), a retired Checotah High School English teacher, congratulates Rylee Sisson, an Academic All-Stater from Checotah, during the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Academic Awards Banquet, held recently in Tulsa.