Lizabeth Richey
Alumni Director
1996 Bachelor of Science in business administration
2000 Master of Education

Lizabeth Richey is both an alum and employee of Northwestern.

She has served as Alumni Director since 2004. She began her career with the Northwestern Foundation and Alumni Association in 1991.

Raised in Elk City, Okla., Lizabeth began her college experience at Oklahoma Baptist University and completed her bachelor’s in business administration at Northwestern in 1996. She earned a master’s degree, also from Northwestern, in 2000.

Lizabeth is active in the Alva community singing in her church choir and the community choir. She is a past director with the Chamber of Commerce. She also is a member of the Singing Church Women of Oklahoma.

Lizabeth considers her job as Alumni Director at Northwestern very rewarding.

“In my position, I get to hear wonderful stories detailing the struggle to achieve a degree; I, then, am amazed when an alum is blessed enough to enjoy giving back to Northwestern. The cycle of learning, dedication and giving is so rewarding to share,” she said.

Her favorite thing about Northwestern is the people. Lizabeth said she can’t imagine being anywhere else!

“The people at Northwestern are dedicated to the students and have Northwestern’s best interests at heart,” she said.

Q: If you had a chance to tell a prospective student why they should choose Northwestern, what would you say? What would be your compelling short story?
A: Northwestern is the place to shine; a place to discover yourself; a place to grow; THE place to begin the rest of your life!

Q: What makes Northwestern unique from any other university you may have worked at?
A: Student-teacher ratio; friendly staff; helpful people across campus; positive energy everywhere; that wonderful Ranger spirit always present.

Q: If you needed to describe Northwestern through the use of adjectives or phrases, what would you say?
A: Mighty, positive, cooperative, enthusiastic, grounded in tradition, legacy school.

FAVORITES
Movie: Pretty Woman
TV Show: American Idol
Color: Red & Black
Book: Purpose-Driven Life
Type of music: All kinds
Food: Fresh veggies

About Lizabeth:
I’m in the best part of my life right now – how great is that! Two beautiful granddaughters bless me more than I ever imagined. My husband and I have shared the best love story I’ve ever witnessed. I’m also a member of the Singing Church Women of Oklahoma.

I was incredibly shy until my mid-20’s and still work hard not to be “too quiet.”

What does it mean to be a Ranger?
“A solid education and a connection to Rangers all around the world; there’s always someone where ever I go that is a Ranger or knows about Northwestern.”

Rich Cantillon
President, Ponca City Area Chamber of Commerce/Tourism Office
Ponca City, Okla.
Bachelor of Science in Business and Economics, 1981

After graduating from Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Rich Cantillon enjoyed a successful photography business for 15 years in Blackwell before serving as president of the Blackwell Area Chamber of Commerce. He spent a few years at the Blackwell chamber before joining the Ponca City chamber.

In 1994, Cantillon was selected as Blackwell’s Outstanding Citizen, and in 2008, he was selected as the Chamber Executive of the Year for the State of Oklahoma.“I am very proud of this accomplishment,” Cantillon said. “There are 250 chambers in the state, and it was a great honor to be chosen!”

In addition to his awards, Cantillon has worked with the youth in his church for more than 25 years, and he serves on various boards in Blackwell and Ponca City. He also has served as president of the Northwestern Alumni Association, on Rotary Clubs in both Blackwell and Ponca City and on the Jaycees.

He teaches Chamber Management classes with the State Chamber of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Center for Excellence Chamber Outreach and is a regent for the U.S. Chamber Institute Program on the University of Arizona Campus in Tucson.

In his spare time, Cantillon spends time with his wife, Pam, of 29 years and their three children, Austin, Nichole and Colby. Austin will soon enroll at Kansas State University; Nichole attends Northwestern; and Colby is a freshman at the University of Oklahoma.

Recalling his time at Northwestern, Cantillon said he liked how friendly everyone was on campus.

“My instructors were outstanding,” he said. “I was involved in Sigma Theta Kappa Fraternity and really enjoyed that aspect of Northwestern.”

Although Northwestern was not his first choice, Cantillon admits now it was the best choice.

"My first choice was the University of Oklahoma,” he said. “My parents did not want me to go to such a large university. They said go one year to Northwestern and then you can transfer to OU. After one year I did not want to transfer.”

He said Northwestern prepared him to achieve his goals in both his photography business and his positions as chamber president. He continues to hold a very special place for Northwestern in his heart and keeps lots of Northwestern memorabilia in his office to show off his Ranger Pride.

“When people see my Ranger stuff in my office and ask me about Northwestern, I share my memories and the joy I had attending this great university!” Cantillon said. “Ponca City has a lot of Northwestern Alumni.”

Some of his fondest memories are of former journalism instructor Wayne Lane and the Northwestern News, as well as Sigma Theta Kappa Fraternity and the Student Government Association.

To sum it all up, Cantillon said of being a Ranger, “It is who I am! I am proud to say I graduated at Northwestern – Alva! Ride, Rangers, Ride!”

Some of Rich's Favorites:
Hobby – watching football
Color – I have two, red and black
Type of Music – classic rock
Music artist – Kansas
Book – Padre Pio
Food – any kind of Mexican food
Movie – True Grit
TV Show – Amazing Race!
Actor – like a lot of them
Actress – same thing …
Season – Fall
Drink – Margarita!
Favorite Sport to Watch – football
Pet or animal – dog
Favorite Toy as a Child – Tonka truck
Favorite Car – Mustang
Favorite Flower – rose
Favorite Day of the Year – Christmas
Vacation Destination – anywhere in Oklahoma!
Favorite Inspirational Quote – “In the end it is not the years in your life that matter but the life in your years!"

Nicolle (Rubenstein) Campbell
Buford, Ga., (originally from Enid)
Owner of The Actor’s Scene: an acting studio in the suburbs of Atlanta that trains actors of all ages for film and television
Bachelor of Art in Speech/Drama and Mass Communications, 1993

Nicolle was highly involved in both theatre and various aspects of mass communications while attending Northwestern, so after graduating in 1993 with two degrees, she moved to Atlanta to pursue an acting career. She knew that someday, somehow she would find a way to make a living in the field.

After several acting jobs including industrials, independent film and commercials, she started a traveling theatre group, and then became training director for a national acting school. After working at this acting school for awhile, she opened The Actor’s Scene in August of 2003. In less than one year, Nicolle had one of her students signed and auditioning in New York City for shows on Broadway, in major films and for television.

Now, after only a few short years operating her own business, Nicolle was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the national competition Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC), the most prestigious event of its type in the world. She became only the sixth recipient to receive this award in the 27-year history of AMTC. AMTC is a competition where actors, models, singers and dancers perform in various competitions that are judged by industry professionals.

“Nicolle is a dream developer,” said AMTC Chief Carey Arban. “She takes the talent that God gives young performers, molds it, makes it marketable, and places these hopeful stars in the national spotlight. She has launched hundreds of careers, building self-esteem in the process.”

Nicolle said teaching at The Actor’s Scene is the highlight of her life because she is able to work with actors of all ages and help them to realize their dreams.

“It’s so cool to be watching TV and seeing one of your students on a commercial or in a TV show, or going to the movies to see one of your students!” she said. “I have had successful students in all genres of the entertainment world, including starring roles in the Hannah Montana movie (Lucas Till, who plays Miley Cyrus’ love interest), starring roles on Broadway, TV commercials and print. The greatest joy for me; however, is when a parent will write in or tell me how much confidence and self-esteem their child has gained by taking acting classes at the studio. We are helping to create a better generation, and it’s very rewarding to be a part of that.”

More than 100 students under her school’s direction have gone on to major work in the industry, such as India Scandrick, who starred in Lion King on Broadway in New York City as young Nala in 2007; and 7-year-old Mary-Charles Jones, who has guest starred on Grey’s Anatomy, filmed more than 10 commercials and filmed “Father of Invention” in New Orleans this summer where she plays Kevin Spacey’s daughter. Another success story is Kelsey Sanders, a member of The Stunners music group, who starred in the movie “Au Pair Kansas” due out this year. She's also on all the covers of the "Private" books and stars in the web series.

Nicolle recently married her college sweetheart, a few years removed from when they first dated.

“Life is funny,” Nicolle said. “Mark (Campbell) was my first boyfriend, and we met as freshmen at Northwestern and dated our sophomore years. He transferred to a different school, and we eventually drifted apart. He married after law school, but after a great, loving nine-year marriage, his wife died of cystic fibrosis.We reconnected after that and were married a year later.”

She now has a preteen step-son, who Nicolle has been training in acting. He is doing pretty well.

Nicolle said in January 2009, he and the rest of The Actor’s Scene students took part in the AMTC competition. He won Grand Overall Child Actor and signed with agents all over the country. He was set to have the lead in a television pilot to be filmed over the summer that was going to be pitched to Nickelodeon, but the downturn in the economy interrupted those plans. Nicolle said the company hopes to find the funding soon to continue with the project.

“This was an outstanding achievement for him, but great validation for me,” Nicolle said.

As for the future, Nicolle would like to open multiple branches of her acting studio around Atlanta and possibly expand into other states.

When Nicolle has spare time she likes to watch television and go to movies and plays. She also is an avid football fan and plays fantasy football every year. she also likes to hike, teach her dog new tricks and spend time with her family traveling or just playing board or video games.

"I am the champion at Sorry!

FAVORITES

• Hobby - fantasy football
• Color - purple
• Type of Music - Christian
• Music artist - Casting Crowns
• Book - Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
• Food - Chocolate and Mac N Cheese
• Movie - Grease 2
• TV Show - Survivor
• Actor/Actress - Morgan Freeman
• Season - Spring
• Drink - Water
• Favorite Sport to Watch - Dallas Cowboys Football
• Pet or animal - My dog Tito and my cat Sebastian
• Favorite Toy as a Child and/or Today! - Malt O Meal, my stuffed bear
• Favorite Flower - Tulip
• Favorite Day of the Year - Christmas
• Vacation Destination - Anywhere tropical

Q & A with Nicolle:

Q: Why did you choose Northwestern to earn your degree?
A: First I received scholarship money from NWOSU and second, I wanted to go to a small school so I could get hands on experience starting with my freshman year. It was a great choice for me. My college years are some of the best, and I have so many great memories.

Q: How did Northwestern help prepare you for your current job or the jobs you’ve held along the way?
A: I use sooo many things in my business that I learned from NWOSU. The other great thing about a small school is the professors have more time to establish a relationship with their students to help them learn more. I use so many things now that I learned in my communication and acting classes that I learned from Terry Winn, Doc Stewart, Delbo Leach and many others. My lessons there are invaluable.

Q: For life after graduation in general?
A: The professors there helped me to believe in myself and nurtured my confidence while teaching me the things I needed to know.

Q: Advice that you would give to a prospective student trying to make a decision on where to go to school? Why should they choose Northwestern?
A: For the reasons I stated above -- smaller school means more one on one instruction, opportunities to be involved in your major right from your freshman year. Many students in the big schools would have to wait till they are juniors or seniors to be on the newspaper staff, be on the radio or TV station, be in the plays--I did that all right away. My other advice is to get involved in activities. They enhance your college experience so much!

Q: Advice to recent Northwestern graduates about entering “the real world.”
A: Keep your expectations realistic. We live in such an instant gratification society these days that people do not want to wait for success, or work hard for it over a period of time. You can't expect to start out at the top. You have to work your way up and that takes time, hard work and perseverance. Also, never underestimate the power of networking. Try to meet as many people in your industry as soon as you can. If that means volunteering to intern for free for a period of time with someone who could help you later--by all means do it!

Q: Advice to all students about things they should focus on while in college to get them prepared for “the real world.”
A: Attending class and getting good grades. These things tell employers that you are dependable and hard working!

Q: What was your favorite “elective” class or “general education” class when you were attending Northwestern and why?
A: Soap opera and TV acting because we made a soap opera in class and filmed it. I still have it to this day and it is hilarious!

Q. Did scholarships and/or financial aid/campus job play any part in your ability to attend school? If so, please explain how these helped.
A: Yes, they were a vital factor in my decision to attend Northwestern, and the scholarships I received throughout school made it possible for me to stay and graduate.

Q: How involved were you on campus?
A: I was involved in just about every club imaginable! I was in Castle Players, Alpha Psi Omega, Speech team, Northwestern News, TV station, Radio station, Student Government, Band and others. These clubs and activities were some of the best tools at making me feel a part of the college community. They gave me a sense of purpose and belonging and created some of the most fun and memorable moments of my college career. You can't fully experience college without being involved!

Q: Did you live on or off-campus?
A: Both. I would recommend all freshmen stay in the dorm as it helps you to meet people right away and get involved in campus life. These things will help combat the shock and loneliness of being away from home for the first time.

Q: They say that failure and/or mistakes sometimes can be the best teacher. Do you have any stories/advice about times when you’ve failed or made mistakes, but it’s taught you an important lesson?
A: The biggest lesson I have had in life, is that things happen for a reason. God may close doors and you may not understand why at the time, but if you have faith, bigger and better things are waiting for you through the next door.

Q: What does it mean to be a Ranger?
A: My husband and I have a debate about how where you go to school affects your career life. I think too much emphasis is placed on going to big schools with big names. I have found you can be just as successful going to a smaller school if you possess the attributes of success. It all depends on the individual--their work ethic, drive, personality and intelligence. Being a Ranger to me means, being proud of where you came from, but also pushing yourself to always improve and being a better person.