The Times & Free Press has welcomed a new summer staff member.

Kingfisher High School graduate and current Oklahoma State University sophomore Katon Lunsford joined the staff this week as an intern.

“When she was in school here, Katon often graced our pages with her numerous honors and accomplishments,” said KT&FP Publisher Barry Reid. “Now we’re excited to have her contribute in a different way.” Lunsford will have multiple roles at the newspaper, including news and feature writing.

She’ll work primarily with Editor Michael Swisher and also with staff writer Twila Adams.

“I was always impressed not just with Katon’s abilities in high school, but also her willingness to work, whether it was in track and cross country or with FFA or taking on part-time jobs,” Swisher said.

“So when we found out that she had changed her major into a communications field, we knew she’d be an excellent candidate to work with us this summer.”

In high school, Lunsford partook in many activities that earned her honors.

She was a member of the 2018 state champion cross country team, the 2020 third place state cross country team, various state qualifying track relays and the national third place conduct of chapters team, just to name a few.

She was the 2021 Kingfi sher County Distinguished Young Woman winner and was one of the select few to be named Academic All-State.

She held titles such as senior class president, National Honor Society president, Kingfisher FFA president, junior class vice president, Kingfisher FFA treasurer and Center of Family Love Teen Board member.

She graduated KHS in 2022 as a valedictorian and recently completed her freshman year at OSU.

She recently changed her major to strategic communications with a concentration in public relations and advertising and a minor in English.

Lunsford was listed on the Dean’s Honor Roll for the 2022 fall term.

She is active on campus and is involved in her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, the nonprofit Wishes for Water, President’s Leadership Council and was just selected to be a coordinator for the Junior Greek Leadership Board.

Through PLC, she plans to study abroad in Zimbabwe, Africa, this summer for 11 days.

During the school year, she works on campus at the Child Development Laboratory.

Her parents are Kenny and Meggan Lunsford and grandparents are Bill and Val Loyall, who all live in Kingfisher.