Congratulations to MNTC Esthetics/Nail Care instructor Lilly Allen who was awarded the 2026 OkACTE Carl Perkins Community Service Award for the Trade and Industrial Division. Lilly was recognized for making community service a defining feature of her Esthetics/Nail Care program. Rather than checking a community service box, Lilly has integrated community service into student development through sustained partnerships, student-led initiatives, and purposeful reflection. This commitment also recently earned Lilly recognition as SkillsUSA District Advisor of the Year.

Lilly’s signature community service initiatives show her and her students’ commitment in action. Through an annual pumpkin fundraiser for Toby Keith Kids Korral, students lead marketing and donor outreach to support families of children with cancer, then personally deliver the funds and see their impact firsthand. She has guided students through United Way Day of Caring, serving neighbors in transition and reflecting on empathy and civic responsibility. She has also had students volunteer for Special Olympics which transformed students' perspectives on inclusion and advocacy. Lilly’s students also raise funds, budget, and adopt families for the holidays through the MNTC Holiday Helper program. This program, which involves purchasing gifts for children who might otherwise have none during the holidays, pairs lessons in financial literacy with generosity for Lilly’s students.

Lilly’s leadership demonstrates that community engagement is a personal, professional and classroom expectation, not an extracurricular add-on. She is developing graduates who understand that true success includes improving the communities they serve. 

Lilly was recognized during the Monday General Session of the 59th Annual Oklahoma Summit! The annual conference is hosted by Oklahoma CareerTech and OkACTE and brings together over 4,000 educators, administrators, industry partners, and technology center leaders from across the state for two days of collaboration, learning, and leadership development.