Alisha McLelland is a Library Media Specialist at Ponca City High School. During her time in college, she realized that she wanted to make an impact on the lives of students. After a few years of working her way up, she was able to achieve the position she was looking for.

“I have a lifelong commitment to learning,” she said. “While I was in college, I realized I wanted to share that passion with students. After graduating from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, I applied for an elementary teaching position in Ponca City. Over the next six years, I taught second-grade, third-grade, and fourth grades at Woodlands Elementary and seventh-grade Reading at West Middle School. During that time, I began working on my second master’s degree in information and library studies. A position at POHI for the library media specialist opened while I was at West, and it felt like it was meant to be.”

McLelland is an alumnus of Ponca City High School and a third-generation graduate of the school. When she was a student, Alisha was on the Robotics team, the National Honor Society, and the 2008 Cat Tale yearbook staff.

Though she enjoys being a teacher at Ponca City, Alisha says that she loves being a part of the community and its strong past.
 “Ponca City is filled with so much history,” she stated. “I feel that Ponca’s history has instilled pride in its residents, and more than any other town I’ve been in, they want the city to continue to be exceptional and dedicate themselves to anything that is asked of them, like the Save the Seat Campaign for the Poncan Theatre and the bond issue to add a STEM building at the high school. That is why we have such wonderful organizations like the Ponca City Arts Association and the Ponca City Development Authority.”

When she is not teaching, Alisha likes to use her time to be with family.

“In my free time, I enjoy reading, gardening, and attending all my daughter’s performances for choir, orchestra, competition dance, and gymnastics.”