Connie Sturgeon to Deliver Northwestern Spring 2026 Commencement Address
April 16, 2026
Northwestern alumna Connie Sturgeon will deliver the commencement address Saturday, May 9, at 10 a.m. at Ranger Field.
ALVA, Okla. — Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumna Connie (Feerer) Sturgeon will deliver the commencement address at her alma mater during the university’s spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m. at Ranger Field. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held in Percefull Fieldhouse.
The Woodward native graduated from Northwestern in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She played in the Ranger Marching Band and was a member of the Delta Zeta Sorority. One of her favorite memories is attending the Delta Zeta National Convention.
Upon graduation, Sturgeon began her 39-year career as a Chick-fil-A operator with a restaurant in Oakwood Mall in April 1987. She has been awarded numerous state and national marketing awards within the Chick-fil-A Corporation, including their highest honor, the Symbol of Success, three times in 2004, 2011 and 2012. Her leadership was essential in developing Enid’s free-standing restaurant, which opened in December 2013.
Sturgeon stays active in the Enid community as a member of the Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, where she has served on the Board of Directors for three years and the membership committee chair for one year; as a member of the Visit Enid advisory board; as a trustee and secretary of the Memorial Park Cemetery Board; as a member of the Night to Shine Prom committee, and many more volunteer positions. She is a current board member of 4 R Kids, a foundation providing opportunities for developmentally disabled individuals, where she previously served as president and vice president.
Her work has been recognized by several awards, including the Enid Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year (2014); Northwestern Foundation and Alumni Outstanding Graduate Award (2015); Enid Pillar of the Plains Finalist (2021); the Partner of Education award from the Enid Education Association; and has twice received the Governor’s Award of Excellence for hiring individuals with disabilities and enabling them to succeed.
Sturgeon is very involved with her church as a current member of Oakwood Christian Church. She previously taught Sunday School at Emmanuel Baptist Church, played in the church orchestra with the French Horn and formerly served on the church finance board.
She is mother to Seth Sturgeon and his wife Emily, and Ericka Nault and her husband Landon. She has five grandchildren, with another on the way.
For more information on the Northwestern Commencement ceremonies, visit the commencement webpage. A livestream link for the commencement exercises can be found the day of the event on the Northwestern Athletics YouTube Channel. Commencement photos will be available for download on Northwestern’s Flickr page.
Follow Northwestern on social media to stay up-to-date with upcoming events at the university.
-NW-
Media Contact:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
Email: sjdoherty@nwosu.edu
Phone: (580) 327-8480