Dinner salutes Catholic schools

The Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma recently saluted the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City’s educator, support staff member and volunteer of the year during the 2025 Saints & Scholars Dinner for Catholic Education.

About 240 people attended the dinner Jan. 30 at the Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. The Catholic Foundation holds the dinner each year as part of Catholic Schools Week.

The award finalists received gifts from the Catholic Foundation, with the school where the winner works or volunteers receiving $1,500.

Katie Gonzalez, a fourth-grade teacher at Saint Joseph Catholic School in Enid, was named Educator of the Year. Other finalists were Evie Everett, a theology and English teacher at Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School; Jonathan Gillis, music teacher and coordinator of campus ministry at Christ the King Catholic School; Sandy Politte, first-grade teacher and assistant principal at Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic School; and Emily Strah, English teacher at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School.

Support Staff Member of the Year was Dannie Calhoun, who has been maintenance director at Mount St. Mary for 50 years. Other finalists were Annie Marino, counselor at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, and Emily Boyanton, administrative assistant at Saint John Nepomuk Catholic School.

Sheryl Dolan, who runs the uniform exchange at Christ the King, was selected Volunteer of the Year. Other finalists were Beth Watts, volleyball coordinator and coach at Rosary Catholic School, and Chantel Blackburn, who leads the Family School Association at Saint Joseph.

The keynote speaker was Lt. Natalie Moyer, an International Port Security Specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard. Moyer attended grade school at Villa Teresa and Saint Charles Borromeo and graduated from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.

Proceeds from the dinner benefit the Saint Thomas Aquinas Endowment at the Catholic Foundation, which provides grants to support Catholic schools in the archdiocese.

The 2026 dinner will be Thursday, Jan. 29.


Photo: (Above) Lt. Natalie Moyer, U.S. Coast Guard. 


(From left) Archbishop Coakley, Volunteer of the Year Sheryl Dolan of Christ the King Catholic School, Support Staff Member of the Year Dannie Calhoun of Mount St. Mary Catholic High School, Educator of the Year Katie Gonzalez of St. Joseph Catholic School, Senior Director of Catholic Schools Lara Schuler, and Chuck Duginski, chairman of the Catholic Foundation of Oklahoma’s Education Grants Committee. Photos provided.