2022 Northwestern Outstanding Graduates announced

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2022 Northwestern Outstanding Graduates announced

Fri, 05/20/2022 - 01:12
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ALVA – Six Northwestern Oklahoma State University graduates have been selected as the 2022 Outstanding Graduates.

This year’s Outstanding Graduates include Alexandria Carmon, Rich Cantillon, Tommi Leach, Patricia Mitchell, Clay Reed and Greg Bowman.

The Outstanding Graduates program was established by the Northwestern Alumni Association in 1973 to recognize outstanding achievement. Initially, no distinction was made between categories. In 1977, awards were presented in the specific fields of business/professional, education and humanitarian.

In 1984, the Recognition Award was added to honor a graduate who has made significant achievements within five years of his/her commencement. In 2017, the Alumni Board voted to change the period of time to “ten years of his/her commencement”. This change was made to encourage the submittal of additional nominations while recognizing that it may take more than five years to realize significant career achievements. The Ranger Recognition Award was first awarded in 1990 and an arts category was introduced in 2010.

For more information on the nomination process, or to nominate a Northwestern graduate, please visit: https://ournorthwestern.org/get-involved/events-programs/spring-alumni-reunion

Alexandria Carmon, Arts Category Oklahoma City, Okla.

2016; Vocal Performance

Alexandria Carmon (Skinner) made her professional debut as Mercedes in Carmen with the Enid Symphony Orchestra. Performance credits include several productions, including Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte in 2019 and Lady Harriet in Flotow’s Martha in 2018. Carmon also played the title role in Mollicone’s Starbird in 2017. She is preparing for the role of Office Lisa Price in the world premiere of a new opera, No Justice, No Peace, which can be seen in summer 2022 in Oklahoma City.

Alexandria established the Education Outreach program for Painted Sky Opera in Oklahoma City, which serves to establish an appreciation of the arts in school-aged children by bringing live opera into the Oklahoma City metro schools. She is the Managing Director of Opera On Tap, OKC, a non-profit performance company that brings opera to the people by performing in local bars and restaurants. Carmon is also the elementary music teacher and middle school and high school choir director at Cashion Public Schools while she works to reestablish herself as a performer full time.

Rich Cantillon, Business/Professional Category

Blackwell, Okla.

1981; Business Administration

Rich Cantillon serves as a major player in promoting not only Ponca City, Okla., but also the State of Oklahoma.

As the President and CEO of the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce since 2004, Cantillon’s passion for his home state has been recognized with several awards of distinction, including the Executive Leadership Award – State Chamber of Oklahoma (2000) and the Oklahoma Chamber Executive of the Year (2008). In 2022, Cantillon was inducted into the Oklahoma Chamber Executive Hall of Fame.

Cantillon’s enthusiasm for service and leadership has benefitted a number of organizations. He has served on the board of the University of Oklahoma Center for Chamber of Excellence, as well as an instructor. Cantillon also serves as an instructor for the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce Executives. He is currently a member of the U.S. Chamber Institute Board and the Oklahoma Chamber Executive Board.

Tommi Earnheart Leach, Education Category

Stillwater, Okla.

1976; Elementary Education/1981; Master of Education

Tommi Earnheart Leach is grateful for Northwestern’s influence in her career as an educator. Her accomplishments have been many, but her greatest reward from a career as an educator is seeing the success of her students.

“I have seen my former students become successful in all walks of life… and think ‘Wow, I taught them how to read!’ It is so amazing.”

Leach is retired as the Academic Coordinator for the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech Education. Her support for and participation in excellence in education have been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including OkACTE Guidance Division McCharen Award (2018) and the Women in CareerTech Leadership, Making a Difference Award (2018).

Leach’s leadership was critical in bringing together the Oklahoma Department of Education, the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education and the Oklahoma Department of CareerTech to assure all students receive academic credit for their work, regardless of where they take their classes.

Patricia Mitchell, Humanitarian Category Enid, Okla.

2013; Business Administration

Between 2001 and 2006, Patricia Mitchell served as a court advocate for the YMCA of Enid, (Okla.), assisting more than 1,500 victims of domestic violence. During part of this time and beyond, Mitchell also served in more than 10 organizations handling the issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

In 2010, she became the Executive Director for the 4RKids Foundation in Enid. The 4RKids Foundation provides multiple job opportunities and services to individuals with disabilities. To better serve her community and non-profit organizations, Mitchell continued her education through Northwestern, online, while working full time.

Mitchell’s community involvement covers several organizations, including Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Social Work Advisory Board and the Women in Business Advisory Board of Enid. Her accomplishments include Leadership Greater Enid (2013), Vance AFB Honorary Commander (2015) and Enid Chamber of Commerce Ambassador of the Year (2019).

Clay Reed, M.D., Ranger Recognition Category

North Bethesda, Md.

2013; Biology and Chemistry

Dr. Clay Reed, a third-generation graduate of Northwestern, credits the university and the Northwestern community for giving him the opportunities to follow his dream.

“My favorite memory of Northwestern is the close connections I made with the professors and the other students.”

After graduation, he was selected to be in the University of Oklahoma’s College of Medicine program. Dr. Reed is convinced that the exceptional education received at Northwestern helped him excel in medical school. He graduated as the number one ranked medical student from a class of almost 200 students.

In 2017, Dr. Reed obtained a residency physician position with the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. In July 2020, he began his Hematology Oncology Fellowship at the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.

With a passion for the health care field, Dr. Reed continues to mentor medical students across the United States, and was one of the first mentors to sign up to Ranger2Ranger, Northwestern’s student mentoring program.

Greg Bowman, Ranger Spirit Category Alva, Okla.

1982; Economics

His constant smile, the energetic “welcome” and his unmistakable pride for the Ranger Nation are some of the traits of this year’s Ranger Spirit honoree.

Greg Bowman brings enthusiasm to every Northwestern event he attends.

For years, he has carried the torch of tradition for the Rowdy Rangers in supporting Northwestern students, alumni, and the Northwestern community by providing great food and loud encouragement. Bowman leads the preparation of the smoked meat and side dishes for Northwestern’s Ranger Lunch on the Square, served after the annual Homecoming Parade. In the spring, he and his wife, Sarah, help feed baseball fans and players by preparing the “special recipe” hot dogs for the annual Baseball, Hot Dogs and Apple Pie event in Enid, Okla.

Bowman has served on the Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association Board as a trustee and the Northwestern Alumni Board as a member and president.

In 2021, Bowman was elected to serve as a council member for the City of Alva, Oklahoma.