In this photo, Shannon Miller holds up her Olympic medals while sitting for a photo.

SSC to Host Seven-Time Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller

August 24, 2026Josh Hutton

Seminole State College’s Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions program will host seven-time Olympic medalist, ovarian cancer survivor and health advocate Shannon Miller at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the Jeff Johnston Fine Arts Auditorium on the SSC campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation will serve as a culminating event for the final year of SSC’s current five-year NASNTI grant. The program’s 2026 theme, “Wellbeing and Resilience,” focuses on providing students with resources and strategies to support their personal well-being and academic success.

Following Miller’s presentation, audience members will have an opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session and photo opportunity.

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This photo is a portrait of Daniel Clerke.

USA Esports Team Manager Daniel Clerke to Speak at SSC

August 19, 2026August 19, 2026Josh Hutton

Seminole State College will host Daniel Clerke, National Team Manager for USA Esports, for a presentation titled “Beyond the Game: Leadership, Competition and Careers in Esports” from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, in the Jeff Johnston Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Clerke will take attendees behind the scenes of competitive esports, exploring the leadership, competition and career opportunities that have emerged as the industry has grown. He has spent 14 years building championship teams at the professional and collegiate levels. His teams have earned more than $11 million in prize winnings, captured world championships in Call of Duty and Smite and won 24 collegiate national championships.

Clerke currently serves as National Team Manager for USA Esports as the organization prepares to represent the United States at the Esports Nations Cup. In that role, he oversees operational aspects of the national team program, including the selection of game coaches and coordination of competitive rosters.

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SSC GEAR UP Hosts Summer Camps for Area Students

July 22, 2026Josh Hutton

*_{SSC GEAR UP students pose for a photo in front of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium during a tour of the University of Oklahoma campus.}*

Seminole State College’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) hosted more than 140 incoming eighth- and ninth-grade students during two summer camps held July 5-8 and July 12-15.

Students from all 12 GEAR UP partner schools participated in campus tours, career exploration activities and hands-on educational experiences designed to prepare them for college.

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SSC Upward Bound Camp Blends Academics and Adventure

June 17, 2026Josh Hutton

In this photo, Seminole State College Upward Bound students are shown paddling a raft at Riversport OKC.

Seminole State College Upward Bound students visit Riversport OKC as part of the program’s annual summer residential camp. This year, SSC is hosting 120 students from 19 area high schools through June 25. Students attend daily classes in math, science, foreign language, English and other subjects, receive hands-on instruction with drones, 3D printers, forensics kits and photography, and participate in team-building activities. Camp activities also include a trip to the Outdoor Adventure Park at Oklahoma State University and campus tours at Southeastern Oklahoma State University and OSU. Upward Bound is fully federally funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

In this photo, Strother Middle School students Aubree Fleming (left) and Cara Fleming (right) play a card game with GEAR UP Educational Coordinator Jackie Bush (center) during the event.

SSC GEAR UP Program Hosts Oklahoma’s Promise Event

March 9, 2026Josh Hutton

In this photo, SSC GEAR UP Educational Coordinators (from left) Leah Martin, Zoe Blue and Kate Sprague greet attendees at the Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7. — *_{SSC GEAR UP Educational Coordinators (from left) Leah Martin, Zoe Blue and Kate Sprague greet attendees at the Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7.}*

Seminole State College’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, hosted an Oklahoma’s Promise Family Event on March 7 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on campus.

The event gave students and parents an opportunity to learn more about Oklahoma’s Promise, enroll in the scholarship program and receive additional information about SSC’s GEAR UP services.

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In this photo, Seminole State College Board of Regents members gather around SSC President Lana Reynolds for a group photo. Pictured (seated, l-r): President Reynolds, Chair Marci Donaho; (standing, l-r) Regents Ryan Franklin, Robyn Ready, Mona Adkisson, Teresa Burnett and Curtis Morgan

SSC Board of Regents Extend President’s Contract

January 15, 2026Josh Hutton

The Seminole State College Board of Regents convened Thursday, Jan. 15, for its monthly meeting in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center Board Room. Prior to the meeting, regents toured SSC’s new esports lab in the David L. Boren Library and learned about the program.

During the meeting, SSC President Lana Reynolds shared personnel and campus activity updates and introduced “SSC 2025: At a Glance,” a publication that offers a quick overview of the last year, campus accomplishments and the College’s top news stories. The publication highlights SSC receiving a $17 million gift from MacKenzie Scott’s foundation, the launch of the esports program, the establishment of a paralegal program set to launch in fall 2026, SSC securing two federal TRIO Student Support Services grants to enhance academic support and the partnership between The Clinic and SSC to provide comprehensive health care access for students. The publication can be viewed at sscok.edu.

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Members of the Seminole State College esports team pictured (left to right): Alexandria Flatt, Kashtin Wilson, Braden Carter, Joseph Mull, McCamey Jones, Daxton Likens and Croix Tucker. Not pictured is Destiny Branham.

SSC Esports Team Caps Inaugural Season with Playoff Appearance

November 21, 2025Josh Hutton

Seminole State College’s new esports team has completed its inaugural season in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), highlighted by a playoff run in Overwatch 2 and strong showings in Chess and Mario Kart.

SSC joined the NJCAAE in October 2025 and currently competes in Division III. All members of the existing Esports Club tried out and earned a place on the competitive team. The club has been meeting in Tanner 202, a dedicated gaming space equipped with 24 gaming PCs and gaming chairs, with team practices held on Tuesdays and Fridays.

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Grandin Speaks on Animal Welfare, Reaching All Kinds of Learners at SSC

November 12, 2025November 12, 2025Josh Hutton

On Nov. 10, students, faculty and community members filled the Jeff Johnston Auditorium at Seminole State College for “An Afternoon with Temple Grandin.” The renowned animal behaviorist and advocate for neurodiversity appeared via Zoom, presenting “Animal Welfare Presented Through the Lens of Autism,” a talk that braided the two themes that have defined her career: humane livestock handling and opening doors for visual and hands-on thinkers. The event was made possible by SSC’s Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions federal grant program, which is funded in the amount of $450,000 annually.

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Temple Grandin to Present at SSC

October 29, 2025October 30, 2025Josh Hutton

Portrait of Temple Grandin. — _{Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and an advocate for autism awareness and humane livestock handling. She will deliver a live Zoom presentation with audience Q&A at Seminole State College from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10.}

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., a pioneering animal behaviorist and advocate for neurodiversity, will deliver a live Zoom presentation with audience Q&A at Seminole State College from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, in the Jeff Johnston Auditorium. The event, free and open to the public, is titled “Animal Welfare Presented Through the Lens of Autism.” No link will be provided. You must attend in person to see the presentation.

Grandin has worked for more than five decades to apply her observations of animal behavior to livestock handling practices. Her work has contributed to the development of curved chutes, lighting adjustments and low-stress systems intended to reduce fear and injuries in cattle and pigs. Today, across North America, a significant share of cattle is handled in center-track restrainer systems based on her designs, and her facility audits are used in processing plants. Her methods are studied by agriculture and veterinary students as examples of how field observation and iterative prototyping can affect industry practices.

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SSC GEAR UP Hosts Summer Camps for Area Students

August 7, 2025Josh Hutton

In this photo, participants in Seminole State College’s GEAR UP summer camp pose for a group photo outside the Enoch Kelly Haney Center. More than 160 students from 12 area schools attended the two-week event, which included campus tours, STEM lessons, recreational activities and college-readiness workshops. — _{Participants in Seminole State College’s GEAR UP summer camp pose for a group photo outside the Enoch Kelly Haney Center. More than 160 students from 12 area schools attended the two-week event, which included campus tours, STEM lessons, recreational activities and college-readiness workshops.}

Seminole State College’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) welcomed more than 160 students from 12 partner schools to campus this summer for two weeks of educational camps. The events were designed to provide sixth and seventh grade students with a glimpse into college life while building STEM skills and promoting academic success.

Students from Asher, Maud, Wewoka, Seminole, Varnum, Strother, Konawa, Okemah, Tecumseh, Wetumka, Holdenville and Moss participated in the camps, which offered a mix of campus tours, hands-on lessons and recreational activities.

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