Sunny Day, Miss Oklahoma 2023, is a first-generation high school and college graduate. She graduated from Norman Public Schools in 2013 and went on to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Communications at The University of Oklahoma in 2018. She has been a public-school teacher at Bridgestone Intermediate in Western Heights Public Schools since 2018. Sunny has had many roles in her school, she has taught 6th grade, served as an ESL teacher, and a 5th grade ELA and Social Studies teacher. Some of her proudest moments in her teaching career are being named Next Gen 30 Under 30 in Education (2020) and Teacher of the Year (2021). She calls her school a second home, which is why she has decided to continue to teach during her reign as Miss Oklahoma.

Sunny has a personal connection to volunteerism. As a little girl, she and her family were often taken care of by churches, schools, and the generous people within her community. As she got older, she decided she wanted to give back in the same way. She has invested over 5,000 hours in her community service endeavors. Two of her favorite organizations she has been a part of are OKC Teem and the Tim Tebow Foundation. Aside from her service work, she has done a lot within the walls of her own school. Planting a school garden, starting her school’s first cheer team, and establishing a recycling club are some of her many leadership roles in her school.

Over time, she created her own character development school program called Ready S.E.T. Go: Building Skills Today for Tomorrow’s Success. Her community service initiative is a mission that provides a path to gain life-skills, mentorship, scholarships, and the dream life for youth of all ages and upbringings, by helping them navigate school, the workforce, and life experiences. Through an interactive, three-pillared approach (Support. Encourage. Teach.), Ready S.E.T. GO empowers youth to embrace our mission; to provide our youth with the skills to be their most successful, confident, and empowered selves, no matter their life circumstances.

Sunny began her unique journey in the Miss Oklahoma Organization in 2020. She held her local title for two years and went on to compete at Miss Oklahoma 2021 where she placed 4th Runner-Up. She was also awarded multiple community service awards, interview awards, and Overall Rookie. After the 2021 competition, Sunny’s journey in the Miss Oklahoma Organization came to an end due to aging out, until Miss America announced their age increase in 2023. Sunny earned the title of Miss Norman and went on to compete at Miss Oklahoma 2023. She walked away as Miss Oklahoma 2023. Sunny has won over $70,000 from the Miss Oklahoma Organization and is now debt-free and on her way to obtain her Masters in Education.

Sunny has big plans to travel the state as Miss Oklahoma and make Oklahoma her classroom by going into schools across the state and implementing her school program. As a big sister and educator, she is looking forward to educating and empowering today’s youth. Aside from connecting with students, she is eager to speak with legislators about education reform, bring in new sponsors and partnerships to the Miss Oklahoma Organization, and build an empowerment workshop program for the future women of this organization.

Sunny is the daughter of Jamie Day and Samuel Day, the big sister the Kali Day (25), Maron Day (18), Harley Day (16), and Jordyn Day (12), and a proud dog mom to her boxer Arie.

Follow Sunny on Social Media! @missamericaok @sunnymday

Join me and four graduate students (Aya Iwamoto, Genevieve Simmons, Hyekyong Yun, & Julie Muir) from the University of Central Oklahoma’s Master’s in Bilingual Education program as we reflect on the impact of data utilization within language programs, examining both its positive contributions and potential pitfalls. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, we discuss how data-informed decision-making can drive program improvement while also highlighting the importance of ethical and responsible data practices in education. Through firsthand experiences and insights, we explore how embracing diverse languages enhances classroom dynamics and informs assessment practices. Accompany us as we explore practical approaches to foster fair and unbiased assessments that support all learners

Dr. Stephen Krashen completed his Ph.D. in Linguistics at UCLA (1972), and is currently an Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Krashen is the author of more than 525 articles and books in the fields of bilingual education, neurolinguistics, second language acquisition and literacy.

He has received numerous awards including the Mildenberger Award (1982), given for his book, Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning (Prentice-Hall), the Pimsleur Award, given by the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers for the best published article in 1985, the Dorothy C. McKenzie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Field of Children’s Literature (Children’s Literature Council of Southern California), a Doctorate of Humane Letters awarded by Lewis and Clark College, Portland (2011), and the “Kenneth S. Goodman In Defense of Good Teaching” Award, by the College of Education, University of Arizona, 2019.

https://www.sdkrashen.com/ - for past articles & books