(Cushing, Okla.) The Cushing Chamber of Commerce Business After School honoring September and October recipients was held on Monday, October 29, 2018. Business After School is a Chamber program that honors Cushing’s education community.
Each month, one educator, one support staff and two high school seniors are honored. A reception is held at 4 p.m. in the Cushing Chamber of Commerce board room the last Monday of each school month (with the exception of September and December). Receptions are open to the public.
Those honored for the month of September were: Braelyn Berlowitz, CHS senior; Jake Ahrberg, CHS senior; Becky Burt, support staff; and Denice Kennedy, teacher
A little bit about the September honorees:
Teacher of the month is Denice Kennedy. Denice has been married to Joe Kennedy for over 15 years and they have two children, Caden and Carlie. She attends Oak Grove Baptist Church and helps with children’s ministry. Some of her hobbies include scrapbooking and movies. In her free time, she loves taking her family on adventures and making memories. Her favorite food is chicken fajitas, chips and salsa. Denice states that the greatest joy in her job is to watch them learn and grow and to be able to help her students learn to believe in themselves.
Becky Burt is the support staff of the month. She has been married for 30 years and has two sons, future daughter-in-law and granddaughter. She enjoys crafts and traveling to places she has never been before. Her favorite food is Mexican. When asked what the greatest joy in her job is, she replied “It is great when a past student comes back and remembers who I am and I can find out how they are doing.”
Braelyn Berlowitz, CHS senior, is the daughter of Jason and Melanie Berlowitz. She has twin brothers, Blaze and Brody. Some of her activities are playing basketball and running track. She attends Oak Grove Baptist Church. Braelyn is also involved in NHS, FCCLA and FFA and shows cattle. When Braelyn has free time, she enjoys hanging with family and friends. Her favorite food is Mexican and would love to spend the day with her best friend Kyleigh. Braelyn said she’s really good at two things, playing basketball and showing cattle. In five years, she hopes to be graduated from college and getting a job to become successful.
Jake Ahrberg, CHS senior, is the son of Rick and Jill Ahrberg. He has three brothers; Rickey, Wes, Luke and one sister Erin. His community activities include participating in the Oak Grove Baptist Church youth group. Wrestling and running are his hobbies and he has a special interest in politics. His favorite food is filet mignon, cooked rare. In his free time, he likes to read. When asked what is something he does really well, Jake stated “I am pretty good at talking. I can talk a lot.” In the next five years , he sees himself graduated from college and working in his career field.
Get to know the October honorees:
Cara Smith is the teacher of the month. She has a son, Shane, who is 23 and a daughter Megan, who is 20. She attends Yale First Baptist and states her church family is very supportive. Her hobbies are reading, crafting and hunting. Her favorite food is pizza. Her greatest joy as a teacher is “Watching the faces of our little kinders and first graders light up when they discover a new book they love.”
Justin Annis is support staff of the month. He is married to his best friend Ashely. They have two boys Grayson in first grade and Easton who is in pre-k and a German Shepherd named Nala. His special interests include researching new technology and keeping up with the weather. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading with his boys and relaxing at home. His favorite food is Mexican. Justin states that his job is the most enjoyable job he has ever held. “There is no other job where I could work with such supportive and friendly colleagues in such a great community.”
Tera Allen, CHS senior, has two siblings, Lara and Shandee. Her mother is Pamela Allen. Some of her special interests include psychology/mental heath and taking pictures of the sky. Tera is involved in Key Club, Student Council, FCCLA and Feed My Starving Children. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music and driving around. Her favorite food is either steak or mashed potatoes. Tera stated that she’s found she’s fairly good at looking objectively at situations and trying to find a middle ground. In five years, she expects to be either finishing or continuing her college education in psychology.
Tyler Grimes, CHS senior, has two siblings, Chloe and Shelby. His parents are Peggy and Randy Tallman and Rick and Kathy Grimes. Tyler is a Stillwater Bible Church member, he is on the Student Council, participated in MAD Week and went to Oklahoma Boy’s State. In his free time, Tyler enjoys reading, playing video games, watching TV and sleeping. His favorite food is hamburger. Something he says he does very well is playing football, drama, taking tests and understanding information. In five years, Tyler expects to be graduating from OSU with a Masters in Engineering, starting a career and becoming successful.
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