Category Grant Programs

In this photo, Seminole State College students participating in the College’s TRIO programs pose for a group photo while attending a recent college and career fair hosted by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Grand Casino Event Center in Shawnee.

SSC TRIO Students Explore College, Career Opportunities

Josh Hutton

Seminole State College students explored educational and career opportunities during a recent college and career fair hosted by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Grand Casino Event Center in Shawnee.

Several of SSC’s federally funded TRIO programs partnered for the event, bringing together high school students served by Upward Bound and current SSC students participating in Student Support Services.

The trip was sponsored by Student Support Services, STEM Student Support Services, Upward Bound I and II, and Upward Bound Math and Science I and II. Following the fair, students had lunch at Santa Fe Cattle Co.

Continue reading “SSC TRIO Students Explore College, Career Opportunities” →
In this photo, Shannon Miller performs her gold medal-winning balance beam routine during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Photo by Dave Black.

Beyond Olympic Gold: Shannon Miller on Work, Failure and the Strength to Ask for Help

Brooks Nickell

Shannon Miller put it plainly: “The trouble is, you cannot outwork cancer.”

For most of her life, Miller could measure progress in repetitions: one more push-up, one more routine, one more landing. The girl who grew up in Edmond turned those ordinary days of work into an extraordinary career, winning seven Olympic medals and two world all-around championships before her 20th birthday.

Then a rare form of ovarian cancer forced Miller to reconsider the self-reliance that had carried her so far. Determination still mattered. Discipline still mattered. But neither could replace the help of a team.

Miller said, “My cancer diagnosis and treatment was a curveball I never saw coming. I was always a workhorse in the gym. I was not the most talented, the strongest, or the most flexible, but I would outwork anyone.”

Miller will share lessons from her athletic career, cancer diagnosis and life beyond gymnastics at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the Jeff Johnston Fine Arts Auditorium at Seminole State College. The event is free and open to the public. Her presentation is part of the 2026 “Wellbeing and Resilience” theme of SSC’s Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions program and will serve as a culminating event for the final year of the College’s current five-year NASNTI grant.

Continue reading “Beyond Olympic Gold: Shannon Miller on Work, Failure and the Strength to Ask for Help” →
In this photo, pictured from left, Talent Search Advisor Amanda Thomas, TRIO Accounting Clerk Yahnah Factor, Talent Search Advisor Damaris Haney, Talent Search Director Karan O’Dor and Talent Search Advisor Rachelle Jones pose for a group photo.

SSC Awarded $1.25 Million Federal Grant

Josh Hutton

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Seminole State College’s Talent Search-West program a $1.25 million grant to continue providing college preparation and academic support services to area middle and high school students.

Talent Search-West will receive $250,000 annually for five years. The program will serve 500 students at seven schools: Earlsboro, Macomb, Maud, McLoud, Pleasant Grove, Shawnee and Tecumseh.

The program serves students in grades 6-12, providing resources and guidance designed to help participants remain in school, graduate from high school and pursue postsecondary education.

Continue reading “SSC Awarded $1.25 Million Federal Grant” →

USA Esports Team Manager Shares Lessons on Leadership at SSC

Josh Hutton
In this photo, USA Esports National Team Manager Daniel Clerke (left) and Maryville University senior Nick Wiseman (right) give a presentation at Seminole State College.

Seminole State College hosted USA Esports National Team Manager Daniel Clerke (left) and Maryville University senior Nick Wiseman (right) for a presentation on Aug. 27 in the Jeff Johnston Auditorium. The event was hosted by the Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions federal grant program. Clerke discussed his philosophy of treating esports like other youth sports, using competition to teach discipline, teamwork, personal responsibility and the importance of physical and mental well-being.

In this photo, USA Esports National Team Manager Daniel Clerke and Maryville University senior Nick Wiseman interact with SSC students and employees in the College’s new Esports Lab on Aug. 27.

USA Esports National Team Manager Daniel Clerke and Maryville University senior Nick Wiseman interact with SSC students and employees in the College’s new Esports Lab on Aug. 27. Clerke visited SSC to present “Beyond the Game: Leadership, Competition and Careers in Esports” and discuss leadership, competition and career opportunities within the growing esports industry.

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

SSC to Host Seven-Time Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller

Josh 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.

Continue reading “SSC to Host Seven-Time Olympic Medalist Shannon Miller” →
This photo is a portrait of Daniel Clerke.

USA Esports Team Manager Daniel Clerke to Speak at SSC

Josh 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.

Continue reading “USA Esports Team Manager Daniel Clerke to Speak at SSC” →

SSC GEAR UP Hosts Summer Camps for Area Students

Josh 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.
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.

Continue reading “SSC GEAR UP Hosts Summer Camps for Area Students” →

SSC Upward Bound Camp Blends Academics and Adventure

Josh 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

Josh 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.

Continue reading “SSC GEAR UP Program Hosts Oklahoma’s Promise Event” →
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

Josh 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.

Continue reading “SSC Board of Regents Extend President’s Contract” →