Shakoda Wright and Preston Sowder were selected as Rotarians of the Month for September by the Chandler Rotary Club.
Shakoda Wright is the daughter of Takeilo Wright and Cassondra Taylor. She has a younger sister, Iridessa, and a younger brother, Jeramiah.
Wright spent a year at Gordon Cooper Technology in the Business Education Program. There, she was vice president of Business Professionals of America and represented GCTC at the state level. She is also a member of Chandler High School’s BPA. As a member of BPA., she had the opportunity to compete at the national level in Chicago this past spring. Wright is on the yearbook staff and was chosen as a 2024 Oklahoma Girls State delegate. There, she was elected to serve as a state senator.
Wright enjoys volunteer work and routinely volunteers at the local non-profit organization Helping Hands Community Foundation. The organization provides food, clothes, and other resources to aid Lincoln County citizens. In addition to HHCF, Wright has volunteered for the Ice Cream Festival, Unity in the Community, and CIC.
Wright has been employed at the Chandler location of McDonald’s since her sophomore year.
After high school, Wright plans to attend the University of Central Oklahoma and major in Psychology.
Preston Sowder is the son of Josh and Mandy Sowder. He has two older sisters, Abbie and Allie, and a younger sister, Peyton.
Sowder has attended Chandler High School for four years. He has been his class vice president and is currently on the yearbook staff. He was elected Student Council president this school year and has been a member of Student Council for his entire high school career. Through this, he had the opportunity to attend the Basic Leadership Workshop in the summer of 2023 and was chosen to be the president of his Basic Student Council. He also attended State that same year. This last summer, he attended Advanced Leadership Workshop, representing Chandler High School.
Sowder is a member of the National Honor Society and enjoys doing community service through the organization. He routinely helps with recycling every year at his school. He also enjoys spending some of his Sundays volunteering and doing Chandler Recycles.
He has been employed at Sonic in Chandler since his junior year.
After high school, Sowder plans to attend the University of Oklahoma and major in Biochemistry.