Lasallian Founder's Alumni Award: Outstanding Young Alumni, Caitlyn Benedict Gonya
May 26, 2023
From the Bishop Kelley Class of 2011.
Working extensively throughout the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, Caitlyn Gonya is an exemplary young alumnus who has used her short time since graduating from Bishop Kelley to do big things. During her four years at Bishop Kelley, Caitlyn filled her schedule with Speech and Debate, among other things, and attended daily Mass.
After graduating from Bishop Kelley in 2011, Caitlyn attended Benedictine College in Kansas, where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Theology and English, graduating in 2015. While at Benedictine, Caitlyn served as a Totus Tuus missionary for the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma. After graduating, she worked as the Youth and Young Adult Minister of Parish of Christ the King and then spent three years in the Youth Office of the Chancery. Caitlyn graduated in 2018 with a Master’s in Theology from the University of Notre Dame.
Caitlyn is the current Director of Mission and Faith Formation at Christ the King. Beyond her role in the Diocese, Caitlyn has worked to implement an event called Song Praise in the Diocese, which includes food, Adoration, praise and worship, and talk. Sing Praise has been held at 11 locations, including a prison. Furthermore, Caitlyn created a five-year strategic plan for the parish and aided with the faith-based elements of the school’s strategic plan.
Simply put, Caitlyn exhibits what it means to be a servant-leader. Her hard work, faith, and service have led to opportunities across the Diocese for others to invest in their faith journeys. She’s used her education at Bishop Kelley and beyond to instill knowledge in others, especially her children.
Lasallian Founder’s Alumni Award
Recognizing the accomplishments of Outstanding Bishop Kelley Alumni who exemplify the five core principles of the Lasallian Mission; Faith in the Presence of God, Quality Education, Concern for the Poor & Social Justice, Respect for All Persons & Inclusive Community.
If you know a deserving BK Alumni, please nominate them here:
https://www.bishopkelley.org/alumni#LasallianFoundersAlumniAwardsNominationForm
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.
