I first visited Tushka Schools in April 2011, after a tornado destroyed the district’s main school building. It was a heartbreaking scene – much of the building was in ruin, many students and teachers were displaced form their homes, and district staff worried about how they would finish the school year.

I visited the Atoka County district again about a year ago, and I made my third trip last week. I can hardly express how thrilled I am with the fortitude of the students, teachers and administrators in Tushka.