Spears Business students Kimberly Burns and Kyla Ellis Woodbridge have been named 2022-2023 Outstanding Seniors by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.

Two Spears students named Outstanding Seniors

Monday, February 27, 2023

Media Contact: Terry Tush | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2703 | terry.tush@okstate.edu

Two Spears School of Business seniors — Kimberly Burns and Kyla Ellis Woodbridge — have been named 2022-2023 Outstanding Seniors by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.

Burns is an international business major from Pilot Point, Texas, and Woodbridge is a hospitality and tourism management major from Edmond, Oklahoma. The OSU Alumni Association Student Awards Selection Committee met with 47 Seniors of Significance selected in the fall of 2022 (eight of which were Spears Business students), and chose 21 as this year’s Outstanding Seniors.

The Outstanding Senior award recognizes seniors who show excellence through academic achievement; campus and community involvement; athletic or extracurricular honors or awards; scholarships, and work ethic during their time at OSU.

While at OSU, Burns served as president of OSU Marketing Club and external relations coordinator for Spears Ambassadors. She was a member of the Business Student Council and Class IX scholar and mentor for McKnight Scholars. Burns also served as a teaching assistant for Spears faculty Jerry Rackley and Maribeth Kuzmeski. Her community involvement includes Habitat for Humanity, Stillwater Humane Society, Salvation Army, Our Daily Bread and Payne County Youth Services.

Burns was recognized as a 2022 Senior of Significance and OSU Marketing Club Member of the Year. She also was a Top 10 Freshman, Spears School of Business Lead Rider and Top 15 OSU Homecoming Royalty.

“The Cowboy family is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Burns said. “I am eternally grateful for the advisor, professors, peers and friends that have turned into family over the last four years.”

After graduation, Burns will be actively pursuing her MBA with a Graduate Assistant Scholarship.

Ellis Woodbridge served as vice president and merchandise chair for Business Student Council and inaugural state president for Oklahoma Collegiate DECA. She also served as president of OSU DECA. Ellis Woodbridge was public relations and marketing chair for Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society and wine manager for Distinguished Chef Series.

Her community involvement includes Our Daily Bread, Business Student Council food drive and being a welcome desk greeter at Edmond Faith Bible Church. She also was a leadership workshop presenter at Oklahoma DECA and volunteered as a humanitarian aid with Serve Hope Honduras.

Ellis Woodbridge was recognized as a 2022 Senior of Significance and received the Richard L. Tourtellotte Family Entrepreneurship Scholarship. She won the 2022 OSU Business Plan competition as well as the 2022 and 2023 Pitch and Business Plan competitions at the Riata Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She also placed first at the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference and was the recipient of the Oklahoma Collegiate DECA Vision Award.

“At OSU, I was encouraged to dream big,” Ellis Woodbridge said. “With the mentorship and support of so many professors and friends, I am now ready to make those dreams a reality.”

After graduation Ellis Woodbridge will be starting her own company, Events Unboxed, which delivers high quality, pre-themed and packaged parties directly to the customer’s door.

A private reception honoring the Outstanding Seniors will be April 6 at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center in Stillwater. For more information about the OSU Alumni Association’s student award program, visit the website.