A young man holds an oversized check and receives a gold crown. — Anthony McNeal (right) earns his Mr. OSU crown. His predecessor, Dustin Meadows, presents the crown as Miss OSU Jaselyn Rossman celebrates.

Finance student McNeal shapes role as Mr. OSU

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Media Contact: Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | hallie.hart@okstate.edu

Anthony McNeal II has a message for his fellow Oklahoma State University students.

He wants to make sure you don't feel alone.

“If you see me around, please talk to me,” McNeal said. “Do not be shy. I would love to come greet everybody and just be surrounded by the rest of the Cowboys.”

Making friends in college can be both exciting and overwhelming, but McNeal knows the importance of taking a chance to meet people through campus involvement. In April, he mustered the nerve to compete in the Mr. OSU 2025-26 pageant, winning the crown and a $500 scholarship. McNeal, a finance student from Fort Worth, Texas, will hold his title until spring 2026.

Entering his senior year, McNeal strives to raise the profile of Mr. OSU on campus. As the fourth student to ever be crowned Mr. OSU and the first Black winner, McNeal embraces the opportunity to continue shaping his role for those who follow him. That starts with his goal of connecting with students of various majors, backgrounds and interests.

McNeal talked to the Spears School of Business about his pageant experience and vision as Mr. OSU.

A young man wears a Western-inspired outfit as he speaks into a microphone on stage. — Anthony McNeal shows his Cowboy spirit with his outfit at the Mr. OSU pageant.

Q: What inspired you to participate in the Mr. OSU pageant?

A: I honestly just wanted to try something new. I wanted to get out there and express myself to basically any and everybody possible, wanted to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. And also, I want more people to run for Mr. OSU as the years go on, as Miss OSU contestants do.

What did your preparation look like?

Lots of late nights. It was a lot of repetition, over and over, practicing speaking out loud in front of people. The dance routine was my favorite part. It was a group of us, four of us contestants, and we all learned pretty quickly. It was really fun meeting different personalities and telling each other our stories.

For your talent portion, what did your poem mean to you?

I recited “If” by Mr. Rudyard Kipling. It was a pretty lengthy poem, but it’s near and dear to my heart. It teaches you how to be upright and have your shoulders back, head held high, no matter if you’re up too high or down too low in life. It means a lot.

What does your platform of challenging toxic masculinity and creating healthy masculinity mean to you?

I believe in unity. Unity breeds vulnerability, so I believe every man should have someone to talk to about things going on in their mind and in their heart. If you’re a separate individual away from society, I don’t believe you can express your emotions. You have all those feelings bottled up. I want to have more events where men can greet each other and not be feeling shameful about anything that they have going on in their life.

What are some supportive spaces where you have those conversations?

First, I pray to my Lord and savior. That, and my family are the biggest support system I have. My dad has always taught me to be open and honest about my feelings. He’s definitely allowed me to do that and expressed that men do not have to be by themselves, internally.

Other than that, it’s my fraternity. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has really molded me and shaped me into a decent man. Those are my brothers, and I confide in them about anything.

What led you to OSU?

The true Cowboy spirit, I’m going to be honest. I’m the first in my family to go out of state for college. I really love OSU basketball and football. The Spears School of Business set me up really well with OSU. I was in high school, and I was just thinking about what I wanted to do in life. I knew I wanted to do business, and I knew I wanted to be a financial consultant. So, I typed in top business schools on Google search, and Spears School of Business, I kid you not, was the first to pop up. I said, “I’m going there.”

Do you have a favorite Spears Business class or professor so far?

Professor Aaron Light. He was just so honest. He kept it real with you 100% about how the professional world is. It’s all about who you know in life, and it’s all about the experiences you get. He kept it real, and I really appreciate that.

What will your schedule as Mr. OSU look like?

I don’t know it entirely yet, but I do know I will have personal events here on campus. I will make appearances at other organizations’ events, and I know I will be in the Homecoming parade. We definitely will be outside, and we will have more events for people to come to as we start back up in the fall.

What are some ways you hope to raise the profile of Mr. OSU?

To be on campus and make sure everybody sees what I’m doing and what I’m representing. I’m not just representing myself. I’m also representing OSU.

This is a really cool position to be in. This is a great opportunity to meet new people, not just professionally, but for life. You meet new people and get out of your comfort zone. That’s what I plan to do. If you want me to come to your event, please reach out to @mr.okstate or @aj2niceee on Instagram.