Meece named Academic All-State honoree

Rylee Meece of Sallisaw is one of 100 public high school seniors from across the state who has been named a 2025 Academic All-State honoree by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence (OFE).

The All-State class features students from 67 schools in 62 school districts. Each All-Stater will receive a $1,500 award, an honor cord and medallion.

Meece, a senior at Sallisaw High School, is a College Board Rural and Small-Town Academic Scholar, an Advanced Placement Scholar, and a Sallisaw Distinguished Honor Graduate.

She serves as the school’s National Honor Society president, academic team captain, Lettermen for Literacy executive board member, Black Dia- mond Book Club founder, and drumline section leader of the three-time state champion and onetime state runner-up marching band.

Meece is employed at Clif’s Pharmacy in Sallisaw, is a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership alumna, and attended Oklahoma Girls State. She plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and major in public health.

Meece is the daughter of Mike and Rachel Meece of Sallisaw.

OFE will honor Meece and the Academic All-State class at an awards celebration on Saturday, May 10, at the Oklahoma City Convention Center. Registration for the event is open at OFE.org and admission is $75.

The foundation encourages honorees to invite a teacher who has strongly impacted their academic success. OFE will recognize these educators alongside their students during the ceremony.

“These 100 students serve as a powerful example of academic excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools,” OFE Executive Director Elizabeth Inbody said. “By celebrating the All-State class and their educators, we reinforce the importance of public education in Oklahoma.”

Since the program launched in 1987, OFE has recognized 3,901 Academic All-State students from 342 school districts.

To be eligible to apply, students must meet one of three criteria: an ACT composite score of at least 30; a combined SAT evidence-based reading and writing and math score of at least 1370; or be selected as a National Merit Semifinalist.

The selection committee evaluates applicants through a rigorous process based on academic achievement, leadership and community service, as well as letters of recommendation and an essay.

The 2025 All-Staters scored an average of 33 on the ACT, with 12 scoring a perfect score of 36. Their average weighted GPA is 4.36, and 34 are National Merit Semifinalists.