OSU-OKC employee honored at Making It Work Day

Ariel Moore, an OSU-OKC employee, recently received the Making It Work Day Spotlight Award from the Oklahoma Career and Technical Education Equity Council.

Moore was one of 17 Oklahomans honored, along with three businesses and organizations, at the 28th annual Making It Work Day at the Capitol in a virtual ceremony May 6. Making It Work Day recognizes individuals who are committed to removing barriers to success for single-parent families by providing educational experiences for students beyond the classroom. The ceremony also recognized nontraditional students.

Moore has been with Oklahoma State University-OKC’s Center for Social Innovation since it launched in August 2020, said Angela Barnes, REACH coordinator at OSU-OKC, who nominated Moore for the award.

Students are referred to CFSI after completing addiction recovery programs or jail diversion programs, and many have experienced homelessness, trauma, abuse, addiction and other challenges, Barnes said. Moore’s own story helps her relate to the students she is helping, Barnes said.

She helps them with goal-setting, tutoring and job placement and tries to provide “an environment conducive to physical and emotional sobriety,” Barnes said.

“Ariel knows all about what addiction, incarceration and homelessness can do to someone and their family,” she said. “Her own success has made her believe that anything is possible for anyone -- especially people who have been given a second chance at life and are trying their hardest to become the best version of themselves.”

OkCTEEC is affiliated with the administrative division of the Oklahoma Association of Career and Technology Education. The council advocates for students pursuing nontraditional careers and for resources for educating single parents.

“OkCTEEC is always privileged to honor those who have chosen a career path that is nontraditional and those individuals or partners who have assisted them in their quest,” said KayTee Niquette, Work Prep and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families coordinator at the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education. “This year is a transitional year that everyone seems to be working through, so students and others have been doing an exceptional job meeting in person and through a hybrid model.”

She serves as an adviser for OkCTEEC, along with Lisa French of the Department of Human Services and Gina McPherson of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

“All of us continue to navigate through the continuing pandemic, facing new challenges each and every day,” said Kelly Vinson, OkCTEEC president and director of Project Achieve at Northern Oklahoma College. “Our students have shown tremendous strength and determination navigating through the many challenges they face along the way. It is a great honor to recognize these students, who have excelled and are continuing to reach their goals.”

OkCTEEC’s purposes include promoting and supporting career and technology education, increasing its effectiveness, promoting research in the field and in educational equity, developing leadership and advocating for equity and diversity.

For more information about OkCTEEC, visit https://www.cteec.org/okcteec. For more information about the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, visit www.okcareertech.org.