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Cat Payton is the 2025-2026 Memorial High School Teacher of the Year!

Cat joined Team Tulsa in 2024 as a science teacher at Memorial. This year, she also serves as the dance team coach and junior class sponsor. We asked Cat a few questions to learn more about her and her time at Tulsa Public Schools.

What led you to a career in education?

I grew up in a home that valued public education. My father served on my district's school board for ten years and my mother was a dedicated leader at PTAs, booster clubs, and all of our diverse extracurriculars. Then after my bachelor's degree, I moved to Thailand where I taught ESL classes in public schools for three years.  After I came back, I got my master's degree in public health and jumped in headfirst to clinical trials and the COVID-19 pandemic. As I got more experience, I was pulled further and further away from the community members I was serving. Being a Tulsa native, I have been a witness to the dire need for teachers, and started to feel the call of the classroom.  

What is your favorite thing about your work?

Building relationships with my students. I get to go to work every day and be surrounded by some of the funniest, most caring young people in the world!

What is one thing you are passionate about outside of teaching?

My community.  I've worked hard to build community through church, volunteering, and creating a village of amazing friends.  I also love to garden, cook, and travel!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

When I tell people I am a high school teacher, the response is usually, "I don't know how you do that." Here's the thing, it is an incredibly taxing job. The school year sometimes means grading on Friday nights, going to school basketball games even when you are exhausted, but it is also the most rewarding job in the world. My students make every day worth it to get up and go into work!