The Prairie School Hall of Fame represents a cooperative effort between Prairie’s Development Office and the alumni community to honor those who have demonstrated success in one of four key areas: academia, the arts, athletics and leadership.
These four categories represent Prairie’s mission and philosophy of practice, celebrating alumni who have carried the spirit of Prairie into their lives post-graduation.
SCHOLAR
Omai
Garner '96
Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for the UCLA Health System
ATHLETE
Coach Melody
Owsley
ARTIST
Suzanne
Selmo '98
Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for the UCLA Health System
LEADER
Kanwar
Singh '85
Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor at Singh Coleman Private Wealth
SCHOLAR
Omai Garner '96
Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory for the UCLA Health System
ATHLETE
Coach Melody Owsley
During her 35-year career in Wind Point, Mel served as a physical education teacher, Middle School advisor, and Prairie’s official CPR instructor. Most notably, she was responsible for growing the girls’ basketball program into a state power over the course of a 26-year varsity coaching career that saw her win a school record 345 games.
Family: Mel’s husband, Keith, worked at Prairie as an athletic trainer. Her children, Courtney ’12 and Zachary ’16, are Prairie alumni. Courtney is married to Logan Ketterer ’16.
Noteworthy: Included in her 345-266 career coaching record are eight conference championships, ten regional championships, and the 2004 WIAA Division 4 State Championship. It remains the only girls’ basketball state title in school history.
In Her Words: “Prairie has been a special place in my life. I saw the school as way to give back to students by teaching them sports. From the beginning, I recognized the quality of education Prairie could give students; the kind I didn’t get growing up in a public school in Indiana.”
Did You Know: During her senior year at Twin Lakes High School in 1982 Mel was named an Indiana Basketball All-Star, an honor recognizing the 12 best seniors in the state.
Hobbies: Spending time with her grandchildren and tending to her roses.
ARTIST
Suzanne Selmo '98
LA-Based Children’s Musician, Singer/Songwriter and Mindfulness Coach
LEADER
Kanwar Singh '85
Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor at Singh Coleman Private Wealth
SCHOLARS
ARTISTS
Past Recipients
- Connie Cage ’73 | Art
- Bill Reid ’73 | Art
- Dominic Miller ’78 | Music
- Jill Neubauer ’78 | Art
- Mark Lutz ’79 | Music
- Terrance Gray ’81 | Music
- Neil Patel ’82 | Scenic Design
- Heather Martin Bixler ’82 | Music
- Ann-Elise Henzel ’83 | Communications
- Mary Osmundsen ’83 | Art
- Janice Martin ’85 | Music
- Amanda Cosgrove ‘85 | Art
- Andrea Early Cohen ’86 | Music
- David Simmons ‘88 | Music
- Jonah Libster ’89 | Music
- Andrew Isaacson ’95 | Communications
ATHLETES
Past Recipients
- John Gittings (Years of Service: 1965-2012) | Parent, Board Member, Loyal Advocate
- Ralph Henkes (Years of Service: 1967-1992) | Coach: Soccer, Track, Golf, Wrestling
- Mary Jane Carreno (Years of Service: 1970-1978) | Teacher, Coach, Girls’ Athletic Supervisor
- Harold Swanson (Years of Service: 1970-2020) | Coach: Boys and Girls Tennis
- Jessica MacVicar ’72 | Tennis, Field Hockey, Basketball, Track
- Jim Dudley ‘74 | Basketball, Tennis
- Helen Leipold-Johnson ’74 | Tennis, Field Hockey
- Judson Shaufler ’75 | Tennis
- Earl Campbell ’76 | Soccer
- Nancy Geenen ’77 | Basketball, Tennis
- Bryan Miesel ’77 | Soccer
- Jay Porter ’79 | Tennis
- Tom D’Orazio ’82 | Basketball, Soccer
- Karen Corsica ’83 | Softball, Basketball, Field Hockey
- Terry Chapko ‘84 | Basketball, Soccer
- Cathy Taylor Pfarrer ’87 | Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Teacher, Coach
- Jennifer Cook Qualley ’87 | Tennis
- Bob Becker ’89 | Soccer, Wrestling, Tennis
- Brittany Holterman ’04 | Tennis, Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer
LEADERS
2025 Hall of Fame Committee
- Pat Badger
- Mike Borzynski ’99
- Andrew Isaacson ’95
- Megan McGuire ’02
- Shakila Manogaran Shimp ’86
- Armen Vidian ’88
Committee and Process
The committee, composed of Prairie alumni, faculty and former faculty, will vote to induct individuals annually. Nominees not selected for awards will remain on the selection list for review in future years. Recipients will be announced in February, and will be celebrated during Prairie’s Alumni Weekend festivities.
Nominations
The Committee will seek nominations for inductees from the greater community – alumni, faculty, and friends of Prairie. Nominees (either living or deceased) must meet the qualifications established for each category.
Qualification for Hall of Fame Nominations
Prairie has a diverse and successful alumni community, and the Hall of Fame categories seek to honor those who have lived out the Prairie mission since graduation. Below you will find the qualifications for an alum to be considered as a Hall of Fame nominee.