Bishop Kelley High School Celebrates the Successful Completion of $25 Million Capital Campaign
March 4, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TULSA, OK – March 4, 2025 –
Bishop Kelley School is thrilled to announce the successful completion of its $25 million capital campaign, the We Are BK: Honoring our Legacy, Building our Future, raising an impressive total of $25,128,667. This extraordinary achievement marks a significant milestone for the school and reflects the unwavering support from its alumni, parents, grandparents, and community members.
The campaign officially concluded on Friday, February 28, 2025, after landing the final five-year pledge. This remarkable accomplishment surpasses all previous fundraising efforts, including the Forever Bishop Kelley Campaign
which raised $6.4 million in 2006, and the Championship Drive
stadium renovation project, which raised $8.2 million. The overwhelming success of this campaign is a testament to the strength of the Bishop Kelley community and its commitment to the school's mission and future.
Campaign Journey:
The We Are BK Capital Campaign
began in December 2019 during its silent phase when Very Reverend Fr. Gary Kastl, then-President of Bishop Kelley, secured a generous $3 million pledge that helped kick off the campaign. Less than three months later, the global pandemic forced the world into lockdown, halting in-person meetings and altering the course of fundraising efforts. Despite these challenges, the campaign persevered, thanks to the relentless efforts of Doug Thomas, Bishop Kelley’s Director of Philanthropy, and the school’s Philanthropy Team, as well as the dedication of the Campaign Steering Committee.
Now, just over five years after its inception, Bishop Kelley has successfully surpassed its original fundraising goal, securing essential funding to support the school’s future growth and impact.
Gratitude for Leadership and Support
The school extends its deepest gratitude to the Campaign Co-Chairs, Beth and Randall Snapp, for their exceptional leadership. Their tireless dedication, professionalism, and personal engagement with both new and longtime donors played an instrumental role in this campaign’s success. BK President Sister Mary Hanah Doak, RSM, went on to say, “From writing heartfelt thank-you notes to attending campus meetings and checking in with regular phone calls and texts, Beth and Randall were key to bringing this vision to life.”
The Snapps echoed that sentiment, saying “The campaign's success would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity of the donors who made this campaign a priority. Each individual and family who gave their time, resources, and support played a vital role in ensuring the school's future growth and success.”
A Bright Future Ahead:
The funds raised through the We Are BK Capital Campaign
play a crucial role in enhancing the student experience at Bishop Kelley, supporting academic excellence, facility improvements, and continued growth in the school’s endowments. The success of this campaign ensures that Bishop Kelley will continue to be a beacon of academic and spiritual formation for generations to come.
“We are truly humbled and grateful for the outpouring of support from our community,” said Doug Thomas, Director of Philanthropy. “This campaign has shown that when we come together, there’s no limit to what we can achieve for Bishop Kelley. We are excited for the future and all the wonderful things we will continue to accomplish with the help of our generous donors.”
For more information about the We Are BK Capital Campaign
or how to get involved with Bishop Kelley, please visit our website at www.bishopkelley.org
or contact the Philanthropy Department at philanthropy@bishopkelley.org.
About Bishop Kelley School
Bishop Kelley School is a Catholic diocesan high school located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which focuses on preparing students' hearts and minds for a purposeful life, for college and beyond. Founded in 1960, the school offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a wide range of extracurricular activities, and a deep commitment to spiritual formation. Bishop Kelley strives to educate the whole person, empowering students to become responsible, faith-filled leaders in their communities.
Media Contact:
Candace Maggard
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Bishop Kelley High School
Phone: (918) 609-7143
Email: cmaggard@bishopkelley.org
Website: www.bishopkelley.org
Outstanding Young Alumni: Sam Littlefield ’10 Sam Littlefield attended Marquette from 1996 - 2006 before attending Bishop Kelley in the fall of 2006. At Bishop Kelley, Sam was President of Student Council his senior year, was also named Mr. Kelley, and was honored with the Bishop’s Medal upon his graduation in 2010. Sam set sail west and attended the University of San Diego from 2010 - 2014. While there, Sam served as President of his fraternity during his junior and senior years. He graduated with a BA in English in 2014. During his senior year, Sam applied to Gallo Winery’s esteemed sales rep academy and out of 5,000 applicants, was one of the 14 selected for this role out of college. He received world class sales training for a year before an opportunity presented itself for Sam to work as an Account Manager at a global digital marketing agency in downtown San Diego. In 2016, Sam moved back home to Tulsa eager to take on a role at Littlefield Agency, which his father, David, started in 1980. Sam has been at Littlefield for almost 9 years—becoming President in 2020 during the pandemic! Sam bought the agency in 2021. His role now is leading the charge on all new business and fostering key client relationships for ongoing accounts while running agency operations day-to-day. Sam has a staff of 24 all-stars…all here in Tulsa. This year, AD AGE, which is a global media industry magazine, named Littlefield as a Best Place to Work—one of the highest national marketing awards you can receive as an agency. Sam was recently elected as the youngest Chairman in MAGNET, which is an international group of over 30 independently owned marketing agencies made up of successful CEOs and Principals throughout the world. Sam met his wife Tara in December of 2016 and they were married in December of 2018 at Christ The King in Tulsa. Tara is a Doctor of Medical Dentistry and she owns and operates Littlefield Dentistry. They have two beautiful children: four-year-old Matthew and two-year-old Veronica.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE One hundred and forty-one Bishop Kelley students were recently named AP Scholars through their demonstrated excellence in the Advanced Placement (AP) program. Fifty-nine of these students were named as AP Scholars with Distinction. The accolade is granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of the exams. This is the highest recognition the College Board offers through the AP program. In addition, thirty-two Bishop Kelley students were named AP Scholars with Honors. These awards are granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Another fifty students have been designated AP Scholars, granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Two hundred and fifty-seven Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and twenty-six Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2025 with an extraordinary 85% scoring “3” or higher. Nineteen percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score. Another thirty-six percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers. The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students cover a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and thirteen AP English Language and Composition students, followed by eighty-six students who took the AP United States Government test, and seventy-one who took the AP United States History exam. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1-5 with a “passing” score considered to be a “3” or higher. Bishop Kelley offers students AP exams in nineteen different subject areas. AP tests, developed by college and university professors, are considered among the most rigorous college-preparatory exams for high school students today. Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Distinction Tycen R. Armour Lola K. Bain Anne Blankenship Rebecca Carlile Faith C. Chernisky Emily Clower Micah Cutsinger Ellen O. Dale Anthony W. Dunham John P. Edwards Lauren E. Embry Gianna M. Frey Alejandro Garduno Joseph A. Gareis Camden E. Gehring Macy C. Gerkin Julia S. Godwin Evan D. Green Julia H. Grisaffe Noah T. Hart Charles D. Hill James H. Hillman Benjamin T. Hoel Dylan M. Huntley Amelia R. Johnson Connor T. Kelley Kate H. Klimisch Keira L. Koenigsknecht Lauren M. Leake Isabella M. McClure Eleanor R. McDermott Elisabeth A. McIntosh Berkley R. Means Madeline G. Mellen Sara N. Miller-Laquerre Ella G. Miller Finley G. Munn Sally K. Murrah Danny Nguyen Gavin Nguyen Quynh-Nhu M. Nguyen Natalia Ochoa Daniel Papa Anna I. Pereira Ethan Perkins Luke Perkins Makenzie B. Pohlenz Emma Rasor Violet Ritchie Jocelyn P. Ross Joseph A. Schurman Giavanna R. Smith Veronica C. Sousa Kate L .Strandmark Divya C. Thomas Hope E. Thompson Jonathan V. Tran Dat J. Vu Teagan B. Yarbrough Bishop Kelley AP Scholars with Honors Charlie Bagley Madeline L. Balbas Clara E. Berg Alexander J. Clark Olivia V. Dietz John N. Galbraith Madeline E. Gerkin Isabella G. Gilbert Beau A. Goodwin Owen G. Govier Madison R. Green Owen M. Hair William L. Johnson Robert T. Jones Robert W. Karlovich Camryn Liechti Ella R. Lundt Joseph P. McKean Sophia R. Mcknight Nicholas J. Modovsky Claire Nelson Eva V. Nguyen Isaac Oliphant Abigail F. Orr Lillian N. Orr Shannon F. Ray Emilia G. Ross Lily Tran Laila J. Uhren Colette VanTrease Marcus S. Warden Collin M. Williams Bishop Kelley AP Scholars Jacob T. Arp Patrick R. Berg Kassie M. Brannon Quinn M. Brasseux Audrey E. Brewer Jaelin R. Brooks Maurizio A. Carbonell Joshua A. Cheong Joseph D. Clancy Natalie A. Colombin Kennedy Cooper Isaac R. Dailey Anna H. Dougherty Mary Alice A. Doyle Mackenzie E. Engelke Malana L. Eureste Trevor P Gable . Andrei Emmanuel B. Galvez Claire V. Goodman Addison K. Greer Bode R. Harris Eli Horeled Hayden R. Hutto Erin A. Jolin Vinny J. Jones Asher J. Keltner Hudson J. Kruggel David M. Lenhart Madelyn R. Lynch Jacqueline K. Manning Cooper S. Marz Stacey L. Maupin Rowan J. Meyers Jordan Morales Andrew W. Nix Karelis Olivares Laurel B. Pohlenz Anthony T. Pollard Caroline E. Rabb Olivia K. Rambo Charlie F. Ritchie William R. Ritzhaupt Tristan K. Shadid Abigail R. Sherwood Lola Shyers Hailey N. Stoller Bethany N. Suszczynski Elizabeth T. Tran Ethan T. Tran Laila N Wong Bishop Kelley Mission Bishop Kelley is a Catholic diocesan high school, inspired by St. John Baptist De La Salle, that carries on the teaching ministry of Jesus Christ by preparing students’ hearts and minds for a purposeful life. More About Bishop Kelley Bishop Kelley High School is Oklahoma’s largest private high school and is considered a life-preparatory institution. It offers a faith-based education that fosters academic excellence, spiritual growth and personal development. The school features a rigorous curriculum, including more than 40 honors and AP courses across a wide range of disciplines. With an average ACT score of 28 and an average SAT score of 1260, Bishop Kelley graduates are well-prepared for college, with 90% attending four-year institutions. The Blessed Stanley Rother Academic Support Program provides individualized assistance to students with diverse learning needs. Beyond the classroom, students can choose from more than 30 clubs and organizations, while athletes, academic bowl, and the speech and debate team compete in 20 OSSAA-sanctioned sports. The campus includes state-of-the-art facilities for academics, athletics, dining and the arts. Recent improvements were made possible through the successful completion of the $25 Million We Are BK capital campaign—funded entirely through private donors, not tuition dollars.
