(Cushing, Okla.) The Cushing Chamber of Commerce recently held the Business After School reception to honor those selected for the months of January and February.
Each month during the school year, one teacher, one support person and Cushing High School senior boy and girl are selected to be honored for their outstanding work.
Those honored for January were: CHS seniors Gabrielle Robinson and Daniel Smith; Teacher of the Month Cynthia Ramsey and Support Person Elloese Floyd. Honorees for February were: CHS seniors Allisha Babinec and Marshal Dilley; Teacher of the Month, Kellie Richerson and Support Person Eileen Barnett.
Gabrielle said she enjoys spending her spare time cheering, hanging out with her friends and watching CHS sports. She loves cooking and says she is "constantly looking up new things to make." Gabrielle said she sees herself attending Oklahoma State University and graduating with either a masters in Speech Pathology or a bachelors in Business.
Daniel Smith admits much of his spare time is spent practicing the trombone or just relaxing on the couch or hanging out with his Tulsa Youth Symphony friends. He was recently selected to attend the prestigious Interlochen Center for the Arts (only 3 were selected from Oklahoma) which was a highlight for Daniel. His future includes attending college and completing a degree in Music Performance.
Ms. Ramsey teaches at Harmony School where she is considered a "huge asset" by Harmony principal Nancy Dowell. "Cynthia's heart is huge. She won't stop until she reaches each child." Ms. Ramsey has been married for 41 years to Bill and has 3 children. She admits her focus is on how to teach children to read. Her greatest joy in teaching is watching students learn and "seeing their self-confidence
increase."
Support person at Deep Rock, Elloese Floyd, said she realy enjoys working in the school flower beds, decorating it for the holidays and keeping the school clean. In her spare time she loves spending time with her grandchildren. Ms. Floyd received a special presentation from two students from Deep Rock who said, "Miss Elloese is really sweet. I love her! She gives us candy!"
Marshal is looking forward to attending and graduating college and looking for a job in the business field. He humbly admits he plays football really well. When asked what his favorite food is, he received a chuckle when he said "a bologna sandwich and Grandma's sweet tea." In his spare time Marshal enjoys hanging out with his friends and eating.
Allisha enjoys reading and spending time with her friends and family. She is currently reading the book "Emma" for her AP English class. When asked to "brag a little" she said her organizational skills are very good. "It allows me to be reliable and handle most situations." Her future plans include attending dental school at the Univerity of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.
Ms. Richerson is new to Cushing and teaches at Sunnyside. She enjoys working outside, decorating her home, baking, Bible studies and "cheering for the Cowboys." Sunnyside principal Gary Toland said they are happy to have her at their school and that she is "doing real well." Ms. Richerson said the highlight as a teacher is "seeing the light come on in a child's eyes when they conquer a new concept."
Eilene Barnett is a member of the First Baptist Church, where she is the secretary for the 3rd grade Sunday School Dept. and a member of the choir and ladies ensemble, Hartsong. She is proud to say she went back to school at OSU after her youngest son graduated high school where she earned her teaching degree. She taught 3rd grade at Harmony for 12 years and 2nd grade for 1 year. In 2004 she began teaching/working in Title I Reading at Harrison Elementary.
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