Colonel Stauffer Visits West Middle School

COL Carol M. Stauffer, Commander of the 500^th Military Intelligence Brigade, was a special guest at West Middle School on Friday. She captivated the students with an inspiring journey that began right here in Ponca City.

At the age of 13, she moved to the community, attended West Junior High School and later graduated from Ponca City High School and Oklahoma State University before embarking on her remarkable Army career.

Stauffer fondly reminisced about how her education foundation at West and Ponca City set the stage for her achievements. She took the students on a global adventure, sharing the enriching experiences of her travels to various foreign countries and the invaluable cultural perspectives they afforded her.

With 21 years of dedicated service in the Army, including a role at the Pentagon in 2018, COL Stauffer delivered a speech that resonated with the students. She highlighted key themes such as the courage to fail and try again, trust, looking to yourself, taking responsibility, and the importance of making a plan.

Col. Carol M. Stauffer visits with students at WMS.