Wildcat of the Week #2 is Thomas Rathbun

The Heather Cannon Wildcat of the Week #2 for the 2022-2023 school year was presented to Po-Hi senior Thomas Rathbun.

Superintendent Shelley Arrott said, “Thomas is a Wildcat who is very involved with and is dedicated to his studies at both Po-Hi and Pioneer Technology Center. In addition to his core subjects at Po-Hi, Thomas is a new member of the Wildcat Ag Farm Family and at PTC he is highly active in the Criminal Justice Program. Thomas has a heart for his underclassmen friends and serves as a mentor to them and supports them with any need they may have. He is kind, has a good attitude, and demonstrates excellent teamwork.”

“His teachers say he is a hard worker in class, dedicated to his goals, and is an all-around great kid! Mr. Tag said that he has never seen a side of Thomas that was not pleasant. His career goal is to become a police officer and work for the Ponca City Police Department because he loves to serve others. For this reason, he is captivated with the Criminal Justice Program at PTC. Everyone who knows Thomas at all, knows his passion about becoming a police officer, and without doubt, everyone knows he will accomplish this dream and will serve his community well.”

“Thomas, it was great presenting this award to you at the farm in the presence of your Wildcat Farm Family. I know this is your first year is Ag, but you just dove right in and had (3) entries in the Kay County Fair and (2) of these entries placed, the pillowcase you made and the Lego car you entered. Although you came up short with your No-Bake Cookies, I bet they were delicious. You said the recipe didn’t call for peanut butter so that is why they may not have placed.”

“I am super impressed you are going to be a police office and I have no doubt you will be a good one. I usually talk to Wildcats about being a teacher and working for PCPS, but the PCPD is a great support to PCPS. You might think about being a School Resource Officer, but I know you want to start being an officer with PCPD and then move to a large city where the crime rate is higher. Wherever you choose to land, I know you will be successful. Your passion for serving others is clear and we are so proud of you for caring so much about others.”

“Something that really impresses me about you, Thomas, is how you respond to challenges. We all have challenges and stress in our life that we cannot control. However, we can choose how we respond to these challenges. You are very resilient and no matter what life throws at you, you pick yourself up by having an optimistic attitude and focusing on the good in any given situation. That doesn’t mean you ignore reality or make light of problems, you respond to the challenges by not letting them get you down and that is an admirable trait! It is easy for negativity to sneak in when challenges occur, but it takes discipline to not let the challenges get you down!” “We are all very proud of you, Thomas, and we are glad you are a Wildcat! Great things are in your future!”

The “Wildcat of the Week” Award is sponsored by Heather Cannon Honda. The award is for a deserving high school student who follows the characteristics of the Wildcat Way which are Work Ethic, Improve, Leadership, Discipline, Compete, Attitude, and Teamwork. These characteristics may be exhibited in any setting and is open to all Ponca City High School students.

Several Ponca City patrons are involved in making the “Wildcat of the Week” a reality. These partners include Tina Christian, Senator Bill Coleman – TEAM Radio, Heather Cannon – Heather Cannon Honda, Danny’s BBQ Head Quarters, and Tyndall Dentistry.

Each week a new “Wildcat of the Week” will be selected from the nominations of TEAM Radio listeners and viewers. Winners receive a free BBQ sandwich meal from Danny’s BBQ Head Quarters and a T-shirt from Boss Custom Tees. PCPS will make the presentation weekly at Po-Hi. If you know an outstanding student at Po-Hi who is living the Wildcat Way, please use the form in one of these links https://www.poncacitynow.com//32875-2/, or visit www.PoncaCityNow.com, www.PoHiSports.com, or www.pcps.us.