Family from Washington Takes Furthest Distance Traveled Prize, Three Others Win Tuition Scholarships During Northwestern Family Day Events September 27 in Alva

September 29, 2025

Debra, Latisha and Rayah Goodfellow, the family of Northwestern Rangers Jailon and Amari Goodfellow, were given the award for the family who traveled the furthest distance to attend the annual Family Day events during halftime of the Ranger football game. They came 1,868 miles from Arlington, Washington.

Northwestern Foundation Chief Executive Officer Skeeter Bird (far left) presented three Northwestern students and families with tuition scholarships during halftime of the Ranger football game. Receiving the $500 tuition giveaway is Aidan Slater; Madison Hayes is the winner of the $300 tuition prize; and Levi LeCrone is the $200 tuition prize winner.

ALVA, Okla., Sept. 27, 2025 -- The family that traveled the furthest distance plus the winners of scholarships won during “Shop for Tuition” for Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s annual Family Day were announced at halftime of the Ranger football game Saturday.

Debra, Latisha and Rayah Goodfellow traveled 1,868 miles from Arlington, Washington, to visit their Rangers Jailon and Amari Goodfellow, who are both juniors from Auburn, Washington, majoring in business administration and play baseball for the Rangers.

The three students winning Northwestern Foundation tuition scholarships after shopping for tuition include Aidan Slater, a freshman elementary education major from Laverne, who received the $500 tuition award; Madison Hayes, a freshman psychology major from Seiling, the winner of a $300 tuition prize; and Levi LeCrone, a sophomore history major from Enid, the $200 tuition prize winner.

Ethan Sacket, student success coordinator, transfer student recruiter and sponsor of the Northwestern Scholar Ambassadors (NSA), who organized the Family Day events, said that hundreds of slips were entered in the Shopping for Tuition drawing and is extremely thankful for the businesses that participated.

About 50 families registered in the Student Center on Saturday to receive tickets that would allow them free entry into the Ranger football game that day. Families were also able to shop in the Northwestern Bookstore.

The Northwestern Foundation and Alumni Association also played host to a free lunch for Northwestern alumni and their children who currently are attending the university.

Winners Will and Trevor Fowler were among 20 teams that competed in the Cornhole Tournament as part of the events for Northwestern’s Family Day.

Families were treated to a free tailgate dinner of hamburgers and hotdogs and all the sides before the start of the Ranger football game, courtesy of sponsor Energy Transfer.

Twenty teams participated in a cornhole tournament during the afternoon. It was won by Trevor Fowler, Wagoner freshman majoring in business administration/general business, and his dad, Will.

Other families completed the Ranger Race, a town-wide scavenger hunt, by solving a set of clues and then taking family group photos at the various destinations. They then returned to the Student Center to show the photos they had taken. For their efforts, participants earned discount cards to the Northwestern Bookstore.

Sacket noted that the families who participated in the Ranger Race said they loved it, and they hoped it would be held again next year.

Rounding out the day’s events was a free tailgate meal at Ranger Field before the kickoff of the football game. Energy Transfer sponsored the hamburgers and hot dogs.

“Family Day is always a great event and something I look forward to each year,” said Calleb Mosburg, vice president for student services and enrollment management. “We had a great turnout of families who came to campus and enjoyed time with their student.”

Mosburg also praised the NSA students for their hard work in making this day a success, and gave additional kudos to Janie Rempel, a Forgan junior majoring in elementary education and a current NSA member, who coordinated the event and all its activities.

“Family Day was an epic success this year,” Rempel said. “The scavenger hunt allowed families to explore Alva and take some great family pictures. The Cornhole tournament was a huge success as well. And, we served about 400 hamburgers and hot dogs at the tailgate.

“I love being able to make connections with families so that they, too, can experience the Ranger Family atmosphere. We could not have done it without help from the Northwestern Scholar Ambassadors,” Rempel said.

For more information about Family Day or Northwestern, visit https://www.nwosu.edu/family-day or contact Sacket at egsacket@nwosu.edu or (580) 327-8606, or Mosburg at cnmosburg@nwosu.edu or (580) 327-8415.

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