DUNCAN — Emily Wininger Callahan and Joseph T. Wells found success in their careers, success both acknowledged was shaped in Duncan Public Schools and the Duncan community.

Callahan and Wells were inducted into the Duncan Public Schools Foundation Hall of Fame on Thursday as representatives of the year 2011.

Their travel to success finds Callahan working as an executive for St. Jude’s Children Hospital, while Wells is the founder and chairman of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.

To be inducted into the hall of fame, individuals have to have attended Duncan Public Schools — although graduating from Duncan High School is not a prerequisite — and they must have excelled in their chosen fields.

The DPSF Hall selection committee felt Callahan and Wells met the qualifications well.

Both new inductees had the option to choose someone to introduce them prior to their acceptance speeches. Callahan chose her husband, Jason, while Wells chose life-long friend and 2010 DPSF Hall of Fame inductee Doug Pruitt.

While introducing his wife, Jason Callahan noted touched on various qualities, including her personality, drive and compassion for others.

“Emily loves life,” Jason Callahan said. “She is opening and accepting to others. That’s the natural beauty she possesses.

“She has a huge heart; her heart is indescribable. She encourages others to speak up. She is an amazing woman. God had truly created you for this moment.”

Emily Callahan was in awe of becoming a new Hall of Fame member, to be listed with the other 39 people — counting Wells — to be so honored.

“I am really overjoyed,” Callahan said. “I came from Duncan, Oklahoma. I cannot be more proud of that statement. They teach children those simple joys.

“Throughout my life, my parents encouraged me. They told me I could be anything. My teachers backed this up.”

Callahan said her instructors helped to keep her on the right path, which her parents created a foundation for by encouraging their daughter to achieve goals. Callahan said that encouragement became the tapestry of her life.

“My heart is flooded with memories,” she said. “I’ve learned it’s critical to let other people love your children, too. There’s far more joy in life to give than receive.

“I am who I am, because I grew up in this place.”

In introducing Wells, Pruitt describing his friend as someone who became a great friend while they were in the later years of high school.

He noted that Wells has found success in various endeavors, from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to his current position.

“His resume is about as thick as the Austin phone book,” Pruitt said. “I have always seen him as an entrepreneur of some sort. We have all known people who have been successful. Rarely do you know someone who has defined their chosen field.”

Well talked about Duncan as growing up “in a small town,” but said it was that small town that helped him grow as a person.

He recognized people in the Duncan community who helped support that growth, whether it was joining the Navy after graduating from high school or running for and winning the “Ugly Man” competition at the Duncan High School.

“The reason I’m here is because of the people who made a difference in my life,” Wells said. “I learned a great deal right here at the Duncan High School.”

Early in life, Wells set a goal to be a welder for Halliburton. While talking about the value and importance of Halliburton to the Duncan community, he said the school district helped him aim past initial goals to find success beyond the boundaries of Oklahoma.

“It infused me with the spirit I have had my entire life,” Wells said. “There’s no doubt I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for the things I learned here.

“As you slide down the bannister of life, I hope the splinters go in the right direction.”