Published: May 09, 2008 12:49 am            

Focus pays off for Chisholm pupil; Outstanding Achievers to be honored

When Eric Wesolowski walked into Vicki Stuever’s Eng-lish IV classroom last August, he was nervous.



“I struggled in English,” the Chis-holm High School senior said.

“My brother had Mrs. Stuever before me and told me she was hard.”

He kept quiet during class, Stuever said, avoiding eye contact and keeping his nose on his paper while working on assignments.

Stuever nominated Weso-lowski, son of James and Linda Wesolowski, for a Turnaround Achievement Award, given annually by Oakwood Bowl.

His older brother, Ryan Reyes, told him to apply the same focus to school work as he did to weight lifting, and Wesolowski decided to give it a try.

“It wasn’t easy,” he said. “I’m not all that into reading. But since then, I’ve looked forward to coming to school.”

Wesolowski’s grades went from nearly D’s to strong C’s and B’s, an achievement that “feels good.”

For his turnaround, Weso-lowski thanks Stuever and Reyes.

“Mrs. Stuever is probably the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Wesolowski said, “and my brother talked to me and told me to get my head straight.”

After graduation, Weso-lowski plans to attend North-eastern Oklahoma A&M Col-lege and major in physical therapy.



What it’s all about



Each year, Oakwood Bowl honors area youngsters who may not have started their school careers out in stellar fashion but who have turned themselves around and are heading in the right direction. The Turnaround Achievement awards breakfast is 9 a.m. Saturday at Oakwood Country Club, 1601 N. Oakwood.

This year’s speaker is Shawn Schenk, former Enid High School basketball coach who now coaches at Edmond Santa Fe.

Other students to be recognized are:

Amber Foland



Amber Foland, daughter of Linda Foland and Robert Laxton. She is a student at Longfellow Junior High School. Fo-land struggled with absences, behavior and poor grades at Waller and Emerson junior high schools, according to her nomination form, but improved in those areas after transferring to Longfellow.



Brandon Ross



Brandon Ross, son of Anedria Brown. He is a senior at Enid High School. Ross has in-creased his involvement in extra-curricular activities and improved his grade point average from 2.5 his ninth-grade year to 3.62 his senior year, according to his nomination form.



“Brandon’s attendance is outstanding,” his nomination form states. “We can count on him to be at school and complete tasks.”

Jennessa Smith



Jennessa Smith, a senior at Chisholm High School, is the daughter of Brian Smith.

Principal Jaymie Mor-ley first met Smith as a middle school student, and described her as “angry, loud and boisterous.”

“Jennessa has grown into a lovely young woman,” Morley said. “She is thoughtful, always has a smile on her face and wishes to please. She is a joy to know.”



Austen Oatmen



Austen Oatmen, son of Heather Cove and Mark Oatmen, is a student at Waller Junior High School.

Shy at first, his nomination form states he has be-come involv-ed in choir and band, singing solos at various honor choirs.

“All the staff at Waller is very impressed with Austen’s integrity, honesty and dependability,” according to his nomination form. “He is a delightful and intelligent young man who deserves this award.”

Dakota Nelson



Dakota Nelson, Emerson Junior High School student, is the daughter of Misty and Milton Wood. She has raised her grades and attendance since becoming a student at Emerson.

“Dakota is an amazing young lady who has struggled to find herself in the last couple of years,” according to her nomination form. “This year, Dakota has exhibited many strategies that have enabled her to express her needs in an effective manner and build positive social relationships.”



Making it possible



Schools are sent a nomination form for the Turn-around Achievement Award and are asked to pick a student who has shown teachers and administrators promise after overcoming adversity.



Main sponsors are Oak-wood Bowl and Enid News & Eagle, with Ward Petroleum, Conrady Elec-tric, Northcutt Chevrolet, Rusco Plastics and A.E. Howard Tile & Carpet also providing sponsorship.