Ferris State University alumnus Jason Proctor has been named Oklahoma’s 2015 State
Teacher of the Year.
Proctor, a 2001 Ferris graduate, earned a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education. During his time at Ferris, Proctor helped coach the Big Rapids High School cross country and track and field teams. He also participated in His House Christian Fellowship.
“The opportunity to work within the community, specifically with the BRHS cross country and track teams, fostered the growth of my desire to impact the lives of those around me,” Proctor said. “I learned that the academic and athletics pursuits are important, but neither are of the greatest importance alone.”
At Ferris, Proctor met his wife, Alissa, a Michigan College of Optometry alumna. The couple married in 2005. After he graduated from Ferris, Proctor earned a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching at Marygrove College in Detroit.
“Looking back, I can see how many of the foundational pieces of who I am can be traced back to my time at Ferris,” Proctor said.
Proctor teaches mathematics classes at Tahlequah High School in Tahlequah, Okla. and coaches the school’s cross country team. As part of his recognition, as the 2015 State Teacher of the Year, Proctor will serve as Oklahoma’s ambassador of the teaching profession. His duties will include traveling around the state talking to and listening to people on topics related to the value of education.