By BEVERLY BRYANT

News Education Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY — Ponca City High School senior Joshua Pauls has been chosen by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence as a 2010 Academic All-State Award winner. Pauls is one of the 100 top public high school seniors, selected from 621 nominations statewide.

Visual art instructor Audrey Schmitz at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa has been named the recipient of the Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Regional University/Community College.

The 2010 Academic All-State Class is the 24th to be selected by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. Since the award program's inception in 1987, some 2,400 high school seniors from 301 school districts have been named All-State scholars.

Each of this year's All-Staters will receive a $1,000 merit-based scholarship and a medallion. The All-Staters will be recognized at the foundation's 24th annual Academic Awards Banquet on May 22 at the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center.

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."

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 Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) combined critical reading and math score of at least 1340; 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 on the ACT, with six recipients scoring a perfect 36.

In addition, 44 of this year's All-Staters are National Merit semifinalists, while one is a National Hispanic Scholar.

(See AWARDS, Page 2A)

Academic All-Staters are nominated by their principals or superintendents and 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 Oklahoma Supreme Court Justice Marian P. Opala, 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 Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence awards its Oklahoma Medal for Excellence to five outstanding educators in Oklahoma's public schools.

Each of the five winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a glass "Roots and Wings" sculpture, designed by the late Oklahoma artist Ron Roberts and produced by Jim Triffo of Oklahoma City. Medals are awarded annually to outstanding Oklahoma teachers, one each at the elementary, secondary, community college/regional university and research university levels.

In addition, the foundation will present a Medal for Excellence to an exceptional administrator from the elementary or secondary level.

Schmitz begins her classes each semester telling the story of how her first-grade teacher, Ms. Barnhardt, encouraged Schmitz from a very young age and saw in her the potential to be an artist.

Since joining the faculty at NOC in 1989, Schmitz has sought to do the same for her own students.

"I believe that facilitating the discovery of a life of purpose is what education is all about," she said.

The learning objectives Schmitz sets for her students include growth in technical and visual literacy skills, honing discipline and problem-solving abilities, developing effective research methods and gaining skills of time management.

"Audrey Schmitz establishes an environment for making art that requires discipline, dedication and a strong work ethic," said colleague Neo Kirby.

A professional artist herself, Schmitz has expanded course offerings at NOC to include three-dimensional art and created a ceramics and sculpture studio. She also teaches art history and art appreciation, including a successful Web-based course. In 1996, Schmitz accepted the additional position as director of NOC's Eleanor Hays Art Gallery, which opened new doors for developing student internships and learning opportunities, including a gallery/portfolio course that culminates with the Annual Northern Student Art Exhibition.

To commemorate Oklahoma's Centennial, Schmitz led students, faculty and community leaders in the creation of "Heart in the Park," a heart-shaped labyrinth located in Tonkawa's Centennial Park.

Schmitz is the recipient of numerous art and teaching honors and was recently recognized by her community with the "Pride of Tonkawa Award."

Founded in 1985, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide, non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing and encouraging academic excellence in Oklahoma's public schools. Through its Academic Awards Program, the foundation has provided more than $3.6 million in scholarships and cash awards to honor outstanding graduating seniors as Academic All-Staters and exceptional educators as Medal for Excellence winners.

Other foundation programs include a Education Foundation Outreach Program; Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute Fellowships and Electronic Field Trip subscriptions; teacher grants for professional development; and a statewide, school-based mentoring initiative.

The Academic Awards Banquet is open to the public, with admission priced at $50. This year's banquet will feature a keynote address by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough.

The awards ceremony will be televised statewide by OETA, the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority, at 8 p.m. May 29.

For more information, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence office at (405) 236-0006 or visit its Web site at www.ofe.org.