Lasallian Founder's Alumni Award: Concern for the Poor and Social Justice, Shane Saunders

November 9, 2023

From the Bishop Kelley Class of 1999.

One of the five tenets of the Lasallian Charism is a dedication to the poor and social justice. Bishop Kelley gives out an award annually to an alumnus who lives out these values in a profound and meaningful way. For many years, Shane Saunders has been involved with a Tulsa non-profit called Iron Gate which has a mission of feeding the hungry of Tulsa every day. This organization feeds people in three ways, through a community meal, through a grocery pantry, and through a kids’ pantry.

For over ten years, Shane has served as a member of Iron Gate’s Board of Directors and has chaired that board. He’s proud to say that they call those who eat at Iron Gate their guests. As Shane puts it, we are all guests on this earth and guests should treat one another with courtesy, kindness and respect.

Shane is a member of the last Bishop Kelley graduating class of the previous millennium…1999! In fact, he was the president of BK’s Student Government. For many years, he has led a life of service to others, both through public policy and direct action. His life’s work has been focused on the alleviation of poverty, a virtue Shane says he learned as a student at Bishop Kelley.

Shane remembers a very candid conversation he had as a senior with the late Brother Norman who taught here for several years. Brother encouraged Shane to really focus on what he wanted to do with his life. Not focus so much on the how, but rather on what he wanted to do with the gifts that God gave him. According to Shane, Bishop Kelley taught him several things. His time as a student here instilled a drive in him to serve others. BK also taught him how to relate, engage, and respect others regardless of their station in life.

One of the things Shane cherishes most about his Bishop Kelley experience is the great group of lifelong friends that he made while he was a student here. He says Kelley gave him the tools to continue his education at the highest levels and without this school, his life may have taken a different path.

Upon Shane’s graduation from BK, he enrolled at Washington and Lee University where he earned a BA in Politics and a BA in Classics. He later earned an MBA from the University of Tulsa. Shane is the owner and president of Trident Energy which is a Tulsa-based oil and gas exploration company. Trident is a domestic producer of American energy, holding interests in hundreds of wells located throughout the United States. Shane is also the owner of Trident Capital which invests in real estate and in other companies.

Prior to founding Trident, Shane served as Press Secretary and Campaign Manager for Congressman John Sullivan who is also a Bishop Kelley graduate.

Shane is a member of the Church of Saint Mary and has two daughters, Bay and Maple, who attend the School of Saint Mary. Shane is a big believer in Catholic education, having served as a past chair of the Saint Francis of Assisi gala which is an effort to build a large endowment to help lower income families afford a Catholic education in the Diocese of Tulsa.

Shane is serves in a variety of roles with Washington and Lee University, including the Annual Fund Council, is president of the University’s alumni association in Tulsa, and is president of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity Housing Corporation. He is a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, an organization that gave its most recent Community Service award to Shane. He also serves on the Oklahoma board of directors for JDRF International which is an organization dedicated to finding a cure for diabetes.

Please join me in congratulating our newest recipient of the alumni award for dedication to the poor and social justice, Mr. Shane Saunders.

Lasallian Founder’s Alumni Award

Recognizing the accomplishments of Outstanding Bishop Kelley Alumni who exemplify the five core principles of the Lasallian Mission; Faith in the Presence of God, Quality Education, Concern for the Poor & Social Justice, Respect for All Persons & Inclusive Community.

If you know a deserving BK Alumni, please nominate them here:

https://www.bishopkelley.org/alumni#LasallianFoundersAlumniAwardsNominationForm

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Bishop Kelley Named to Advanced Placement Gold Honor Roll

January 15, 2026

Bishop Kelley High School was recently named to the Gold Advanced Placement Honor Roll by the College Board . The AP Honor Roll program works to acknowledge schools around the United States that help students achieve excellence while maintaining broad access to challenging curriculum. According to the College Board, Honor Roll schools, “Reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, maximizing college readiness.” The award also recognizes the broad access to advanced classes especially for students in underrepresented populations. The AP Honor Roll distinguished schools in three main areas: college culture, college credit and college optimization. Seventy-two percent of Bishop Kelley students in the Class of 2025 took at least one AP class and test during their time at the school. Fifty-eight percent earned college credit by scoring at least a “3” on one AP test and thirteen percent of the class took at least five AP tests through their four years of high school. All three of these indicators show an increase from previous years for Bishop Kelley. Two hundred and fifty-seven Bishop Kelley students took a record six hundred and twenty-six Advanced Placement (AP) tests in May, 2025 with an extraordinary 85% scoring “3” or higher. Nineteen percent of Bishop Kelley test takers scored the highest possible “5” on their exams, the equivalent of “Extremely Well Qualified” according to the College Board which administers the international testing. A “5” equates to an A+ or A in college level classes. Internationally, only 9% of all tests earn a “5” score. Another thirty-six percent of Bishop Kelley students scored at the second highest tier, a “4,” equal to ”Very well Qualified,” a level only achieved by twenty percent of all testers. The record number of exams for Bishop Kelley students cover a wide range of disciplines including science, math, English, social studies, fine arts, world languages and business. The largest number of tests for Bishop Kelley students included one hundred and thirteen AP English Language and Composition students, followed by eighty-six students who took the AP United States Government test, and seventy-one who took the AP United States History exam. Bishop Kelley students scored the highest average on the second-year AP Precalculus exam with a school mean score of 4.6, followed by AP Physics I with a mean score of 4.3. In the 2024-2025 school year, Bishop Kelley offered AP tests in twenty-four different subject areas. The Advanced Placement program is sponsored by the College Board. Research has proven that students who take AP classes are more likely to enroll in and complete four-year colleges.