Jarreth Ingram is a member of the Memorial High School class of 2023, and he says his love of basketball and engineering is a big part of what drives him. He says his favorite class is Advanced Placement Calculus.

“I’m taking AP Calculus B and C in the same year. Mr. Russell Pascarella is the teacher. We go really fast and do a lot of homework, so there is a lot of memorizing formulas, but it’s great if you want to go into engineering! I took an engineering course last year. Working with the robots and drones learning how those work–just seeing how it all ties together is really cool.”

Basketball has played a big role in his life, and he says he appreciates the hard work of the coaches and his teammates: “Really, every single day is a great memory. Just being at practice – everyone wants to be there. We’re like a family. There are people who would never hang out together outside of school, but basketball is what connects us. Coach Allison is an amazing coach and has a lot to do with the program’s success. Last year we won state – I think every senior had an opportunity to play college ball if they wanted to. This year I think five or six of the eight seniors are going to be able to play college basketball. He’s really good at making those connections.

“Basketball teaches you a lot about life in general, but also having good coaches who can demonstrate good qualities is a big deal. You can learn a lot from them, how they act, how they respond to bad calls or bad plays. And that all relates to how you respond to adversity in life.”

His advice for rising seniors: “My parents told me this a lot, but be involved in as much as you can. Next year you’ll be going to college or into the workforce and there won’t be a lot of time to try new things. Right now is really the time to make connections, try new sports and activities, and see what you really like. Just be more involved.”

Jarreth also lives by his own advice: “After basketball season ended, I went out on a limb and joined tennis. I’d never played before. We played in a tournament last week and went 2-0, so that was fun!”

He says he hasn’t made a final decision on where he will attend college, but he has options: “I have a few basketball offers that I’m looking at – University of Central Oklahoma, Colorado School of Mines, Air Force Academy, Missouri Western, Oklahoma Baptist, East Central...a few others. I’m looking at majoring in either biomedical or aeronautical engineering.”

The Memorial High School graduation will take place Saturday, May 20 at 12:30 p.m. at Expo Pavilion, 4145 East 21st St.