An Okmulgee County student is among those who will be honored May 4, when the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence hosts its 38th annual Academic Awards Celebration at 5 p.m. at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman.

This celebration of academic excellence will honor five outstanding educators as Medal for Excellence recipients, 100 public school seniors as Academic All-State honorees and three Oklahoma public school foundations as winners of the Outstanding Program Awards.

Thomas Hurst of Preston High School is among the honorees.

Thomas is a National Merit finalist and class valedictorian. He is class president and president of his school’s National Honor Society chapter. He is captain of the academic team and has made four straight state tournament appearances, including a state championship in 2022 and state runner-up in 2024. He was named by the College Board as a National Rural and Small Town and National Indigenous Scholar. He is a member of FBC Preston youth group.
Hurst plans to attend the University of Tulsa and major in petroleum engineering.

“This event showcases the incredible impact of Oklahoma’s public schools and the dedicated people who work to make them exceptional,” OFE Executive Director Elizabeth Inbody said. “The Academic Awards Celebration is an inspiring, unforgettable event, and we encourage everyone to attend.”

2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson, a math teacher at Union High School in Tulsa, will deliver closing remarks.

The event, which starts at 5 p.m., will be held at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Norman. Event registration is available at OFE.org. The event will be broadcast on OETA at 3 p.m. May 18 and 10 a.m. May 19.

One of Oklahoma’s most prestigious teaching honors, the Medal for Excellence recognizes public school educators for their passion and innovation, commitment to professional development and extraordinary impact on student learning. Each recipient receives $5,000 and an etched glass “Roots and Wings” sculpture.

OFE will present Medal for Excellence awards to Jennifer Goldner (Elementary Teaching), fifth grade science teacher at Jay Upper Elementary School; Jill Andrews (Secondary Teaching), English language arts teacher at Claremore High School; Kevin Hime (Administration), superintendent of Lawton Public Schools; Dr. Sapna Das-Bradoo (Regional University & Community College Teaching), professor of biology and interim chair of the Department of Natural Sciences at Northeastern State University Broken Arrow; and Dr. Greg Burge (Research University Teaching), economics professor and department chair at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

The Outstanding Program Awards for Oklahoma School Programs recognize innovative programs sponsored or administered by public school foundations in Oklahoma. Each program receives a plaque and a monetary award of $1,000.