Wyandotte Roosevelt Honors Trenton School Board Member Carol Oakley

Three Downriver residents recently were inducted into the Distinguished Graduate Hall of Fame.

The 2012 inductees are , and . The three were honored during a March 26 ceremony at the school.

The hall of fame celebrates the accomplishments of those who graduated from Roosevelt at least 10 years ago and who have showed exemplary contributions to society. In order to be considered, candidates must have made contributions to either their chosen profession or to the community, whether that be Wyandotte or the community in which they now live.

A steering committee at Roosevelt chooses the honorees each year.

Here we introduce Carol (Monroe) Oakley:

Oakley, a 1961 Roosevelt grad, has distinguished herself through her longtime community service throughout Downriver. While she has been involved in a number of volunteer and community activities, she has two long-term passions–the Trenton Board of Education and the Soroptimist International of Trenton Area.

As a Trenton school board member for the past 28 years, she said she has always based her decisions on what is in the best interest of children. 

She has been involved for 25 years with Soroptimist, an organization made up of business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls throughout the world and in local communities. She currently chairs the awards committee within the Trenton chapter. Her committee garners and provides educational opportunities for women who have lost their jobs and wish to return to the workforce. She served as president of the club from 1996 to 1998 and was honored as "Soroptimist of the Year" in 1998.

Oakley has been a member of the Michigan State Waterways Commission for seven years, is a volunteer for Travelers Aide Society at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and is a member of the . She has worked as a legislative aide for three former Michigan legislators.

Carol and her husband live in Trenton. They have two adult children and four grandchildren.

"A lifelong resident of the Downriver area, she has given much time, talent, and hard work to improving the quality of life for the area communities and their residents," committee members said in honoring Oakley. "She has shown, through example, that one person can make big differences improving the lives of others and the communities in which we live."

READ ABOUT THE OTHER HONOREES: