The THS Alumni Association will be recognizing three alumni during homecoming weekend. The Alumni Pride Award will be presented to Jack Evans during the Allclass Alumni Meeting on Friday, October 4th at 10:30AM.This meeting is open to anyone who would like to attend. Dr.Ed Vineyard and Willie Street MPAS, PA-C will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at the Awards Luncheon on Saturday, October 5th at 11:30AM.Tickets for the luncheon may be purchased at either bank, the Chamber of Commerce, or from an Alumni Board member.Distinguished Alumnus – Willie J. Street Jr. MPAS, PA-CWillie J. Street, Jr. was born in 1962 to Willie J. and Sharon K. Street. He is a member of the Tonkawa tribe and a descendant of the Cherokee and Ponca tribes. Losing his mother at a young age, he helped his father in the care and guidance of his brothers and sister. While attending Tonkawa Public Schools, Willie excelled at football and wrestling. He became the first in his family to graduate high school and college.Following his graduation from Tonkawa High School in 1980, Willie earned his Associate of Science degree from NOC in 1982. He went on to attend Wichita State University where he obtained certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. While taking classes at WSU, Willie worked as an EMT, hospital cardiac monitor technician and nursing assistant. Willie was named Outstanding Minority Student by the President of WSU and the Sandra Somers Memorial Scholar by the Kansas Academy of Physician Assistants. He met his wife, LuAnn, in 1984. And they were married in 1990. He graduated in 1992 with Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Science and Physician Assistant. He went on to earn his master’s degree in physician assistant studies in 2022 from the University of Texas Rio Grande.Willie has done much in his career to improve the healthcare of Oklahomans in rural underserved and indigenous communities. He was named Director of Ambulatory Services for Choctaw Nation, responsible for five clinics covering eleven counties in Eastern Oklahoma. He returned to Tonkawa in 2000 to provide quality healthcare to surrounding communities through a partnership with his wife and Dr. Paul Briggs. During this time, Willie demonstrated his commitment to serving tribal populations by participating in the Tonkawa and Ponca tribe health fairs, serving on the Kaw Nation Health Board, and continuously advocating for better access to quality healthcare. Street showed his love for Tonkawa by ...
