Leadership has taken different forms throughout Evie Spangler’s high school career. Sometimes it has meant competing alongside her teammates on the volleyball court. Other times, it has meant working the football sideline as an athletic trainer, serving her community or investing in younger students.
Now a senior at Wagoner High School, Spangler has built a high school experience that reaches well beyond one sport or activity.
Her athletic career has included selection to the Riverside Athletic Conference All-Conference Basketball Team as a freshman and the All-Tournament Team at the Okay Varsity Volleyball Tournament as a junior. She also helped the Wagoner volleyball team break the school record for wins in a single season.
But when Spangler looks back, those honors are not what stand out most.
“More than any award, though, I’m proud of the relationships I’ve built and the opportunity to represent my school well both on and off the court,” Spangler said.
One of those relationships is with Alex Collins, a former teammate who showed Spangler the type of leader she wanted to become.
“We’ve spent countless hours together shooting basketballs, hitting volleyballs, encouraging one another, and pushing each other to improve,” Spangler said.
Her own leadership now extends throughout Wagoner. Spangler serves on the Wagoner Athletic Leadership Council, volunteers at youth basketball and volleyball camps and works with early childhood students through the Criss-Cross program. Her faith is also central to her life, and she helps lead small-group devotions on Sunday evenings.
Spangler has matched that involvement with success in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0-plus GPA and earning a national championship in FCCLA Parliamentary Procedure.
Her journey has also required adapting to change. Spangler transferred to Wagoner midway through her sophomore year and credits Coach Bell with helping make that transition easier. Several coaching changes throughout her athletic career have further taught her to focus on what remains within her control.
“I can’t control officials, other teams, injuries, or unexpected circumstances, but I can control my attitude, my effort, and how I treat people,” Spangler said.
That perspective fits the future Spangler is building. A summer internship in speech-language pathology confirmed her interest in the field. After graduation, she plans to attend Northeastern State University or the University of Central Oklahoma before pursuing a master’s degree in speech-language pathology.
For Spangler, that path offers another opportunity to continue what has already become an important part of her life: working with children, serving others and making the relationships she builds count.
