LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Carrie Schlehuber was nominated by her colleague, Claudia Smith.

Ms. Schlehuber has spent 20 years in education as a speech pathologist, special education teacher, and a special education coordinator. She is now serving as the director of secondary special education for Sand Springs Public Schools, where she has worked since 2003. She has also served as a Special Olympics coach and a youth and varsity cheerleading coach. With many of these responsibilities running concurrently, little time was left for being ill, but that's exactly what has happened for most of her career.

In 2004, Ms. Schlehuber was diagnosed with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, a common genetic kidney disorder that is treatable, but not curable. Her kidneys were the size of footballs and were failing. She was in pain. She wasn't approved for the donor list until November 2017, and the search began. Frank and Sally, the affectionate names given to her kidneys, were to be harvested and replaced with a healthy kidney. However, finding an exact match takes time, and Ms. Schlehuber was weeks away from dialysis.

Unbeknownst to her, however, one of her best friends and neighbors, Susan Cox, was going through testing and was found to be a match. In the middle of church service one Wednesday evening, Ms. Cox asked for prayers for an impending surgery. Ms. Schlehuber found that ironic, as she was scheduled for surgery that same day. When their eyes met, Ms. Schlehuber almost dropped to her knees. Ms. Cox's kidney, Lola, was transplanted July 19th, 2018.

“Carrie battled through her kidney disease for years, coming to school even when she probably should have stayed home so that her responsibilities at school were not neglected," said Megan Elliott, a colleague. "Once she received her new kidney, she worked from home and was available via phone or email. I doubt she even took off work a week!

Ms. Schlehuber is organized and thorough. She attends every meeting she can. She is willing to do anything needed to make sure a student succeeds.

While teaching students with significant cognitive and physical disabilities at Angus Valley Elementary in 2014, Ms. Schlehuber was approached by Representative Jadine Nollan. She was asked to speak before an Oklahoma House of Representatives subcommittee about participating in an interim study regarding high stakes testing for special education students. Ms. Schlehuber presented her concerns with the current system to the group. Students who had the cognitive functions of a two- to three-year-old were expected to take grade-level State tests. This opportunity to speak helped the House of Representatives adopt a bill that removed end-of-instruction testing for students with significant cognitive impairments.

Ms. Schlehuber has partnered with several organizations to offer recreational and therapeutic activities for her students. They have traveled weekly to attend therapeutic horseback riding, which has marvelous physical, emotional, and mental benefits. She also partnered with a local dance studio, The Legacy Project. Each week, she took her students to their studio for hip hop, jazz, and ballet classes. The benefits of this yearlong program culminated at the school talent show, when her students and their instructors performed for the entire school.

Ms. Schlehuber’s life passion revolves around providing recreational opportunities for students with disabilities, so they can live life to the fullest regardless of perceived limitations. For several years, she has taken dozens of Sand Springs students to Make Promises Happen (MPH), an outdoor adventure camp for individuals with special needs. This camp gives individuals the opportunity to “live life without limits” by providing a typical camp experience, including a high ropes course with a rock-climbing wall and zip line, archery, paddle boating, fishing, laser tag, paintball, etc. Every activity is adapted so every person can participate. In addition, she has directed adventure trips for these students, taking them surfing in Port Aransas, TX, and to the rainforest jungles of Costa Rica, where they stayed for a week in treehouses.

Ms. Schlehuber once asked a fourteen-year-old student, Cody, to attend the camp with her as a volunteer counselor. He has continued to attend faithfully for 11 years. His early years of service led him into a career working in nonprofits, and he ultimately secured a job at MPH. Last year, he was added to their staff and was named the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Recently, he completed a campaign to raise $20,000 for camper scholarships and exceeded the fundraising goal.

Ms. Schlehuber has mentored countless Sand Springs students as volunteers at MPH and/or peer partners for Special Olympics. Among those who are now adults are special education teachers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, missionaries, and doctors. Their opportunity to serve at MPH at a young age allowed them to see their gifts in working with the special needs population and to guide their career paths.

"Due to Carrie’s strong ideals and stance on inclusion, Charles Page has become a welcoming atmosphere for everyone," said Dylan Cahwee, assistant principal of Owasso High School West Campus. "It's truly a powerful thing when you see a leader impact so many students simply by being an example. By virtue of being a kind human, Carrie has left a trail that many students follow throughout their high school careers, as well as their adulthood.”

Last year, the CPHS Student Council started a school-wide philanthropy initiative called G.O.L.D. (Give Often. Love Deeply) Week. Because of MPH's school-wide popularity, the student council decided MPH would be the recipient of their fundraising efforts. The students had a fundraising goal of $5,000, which they surpassed by raising $16,000 for the camp. Ms. Schlehuber would never take any credit for the work put into this event, but she is the driving force behind the advocacy for special needs students at Sand Springs Public Schools.

In 2018, Ms. Schlehuber and her colleague, Angela Fitzgerald, wrote a grant which was funded by the Sand Springs Education Foundation. Special needs students in Angela’s work-study program set up a coffee cart named “The Morning Grind” that provides students and faculty with drinks on the go.

“The Morning Grind is an opportunity for students in Angela's work-study program to learn job skills such as taking orders, making change, customer service, dealing with an incorrect order or unhappy patron, and more," said Kirk McCracken, a reporter for the Sand Springs Leader.

The $1,500 grant allowed the students to purchase two mobile coffee carts, two Keurig coffee makers, breakfast snacks, and a large variety of coffees, teas, and cappuccinos. A former Sand Springs head wrestling coach donated a cash register so students could run the coffee cart business with very little adult assistance.

“The coffee cart is self-sustaining because all proceeds will be used to purchase more snacks and beverages," said Schlehuber. "The cart is currently running several mornings each week and also fulfills an order two afternoons each week for a little afternoon pick me up.”

Ms. Schlehuber currently has a student, Kristine (Kris), who is on her varsity cheer team. Kris has Down Syndrome, and she asked Ms. Schlehuber if she could try out for the cheer team. Kris now cheers at football and basketball games and attends and participates in all practices. Recently, Kris was featured on a local news station for her involvement on the team.

“It has been so delightful to watch her personality bloom as she has found her place among the cheer squad," said Schlehuber. "They are some of her best friends and biggest allies, and they have become huge cheerleaders for her success.”

“Carrie has an inclusive mentality," said Sandi Franklin, a colleague. "Every student, teacher, and parent is important to her. She will give every person who reaches out to her the same attention and care. Her care for others rubs off on all of us and makes our school a kinder place.”