Danielle Nester is the 2025 Raymond D. Thomas Award winner.

Nester named top Spears Business senior

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

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

Danielle Nester planned to major in management information systems when she arrived at Oklahoma State University from Jenks, Oklahoma.

Then, she added a second major in marketing. When the Spears School of Business launched its data analytics degree, Nester realized she could pick that up, too.

After four years, Nester will cross the graduation stage this May as a triple major wearing the orange gown. The regalia distinguishes her as the top Spears Business senior in spring 2025 and the first to receive her diploma. She also received the 2025 Raymond D. Thomas Award as the top Spears Business senior for the entire 2024-25 school year. A Spears Business faculty committee annually selects the winner based on outstanding scholarship and campus leadership.

Nester, an OSU Alumni Association Senior of Significance, is graduating with the Honors College Degree. Her campus involvement includes Women in Technology, Association of Information Technology Professionals, Business Student Council, Spears Freshman Community, Spears Business Living Learning Program, Data Analytics Club and The Table OSU ministry. A two-time Datathon finalist, Nester has worked as a Spears Assist intern and social media intern for the Department of Management Science and Information Systems.

As a student in the master’s in business analytics and data science 4+1 program, Nester plans to spend one more year at OSU to obtain her graduate degree.

Q: What led you to OSU?

Nester: My dad went to OSU, and my mom went to the University of Oklahoma, so it was kind of a family divided. I had a lot of cousins that went to OSU, so I had quite a few hand-me-downs from my older cousins that were all my first OSU T-shirts.

When it came time to tour, I toured OSU first. Spears, especially, was really accommodating. They let me meet with some of the Spears Ambassadors, and I had a 30-minute sit-down with an MIS student. Some of the people in the retention office helped set up a classroom visit so I could go sit in on one of the MIS classes and get a feel for what it was like being on campus. I really appreciated OSU’s acceptance of CLEP and AP scores. That made it a lot easier financially. I felt really welcomed while I was touring.

What OSU leadership experience stands out to you?

I was the founding president of Women in Technology here on campus. I did that with Kim Strom, MSIS assistant department head, and Tina Meier, who worked in OSU IT and is now at the College of Arts and Sciences. We founded that club my sophomore year and helped find an executive team. It was awesome to get to brainstorm the type of events we thought would be beneficial and give people exposure to all of the different paths you could take in technology.

Kim Strom has been my mentor for the past four years. Getting to work with her on WIT and Spears Assist, she’s an incredible professor who puts so much care into her courses and time with her students trying to prepare them for the workforce.

Danielle Nester stands outside the business building and wears her orange gown. — Danielle Nester, a Spears Business triple major, was OSU's Women in Technology founding president.

Did you have a favorite WIT event?

We did the Career Closet, so we collected donations of professional clothes from people all around Stillwater and Tulsa. We set it up like it was a shopping experience and promoted it. Girls were able to come in and pick pieces of clothing because the career fair was coming up and they needed stuff to wear. It was all free. I think we’re going to do it again next year and try to get some donations of men’s clothes, too.

What do you aspire to do after college?

I’ll be going with Texas Instruments in Dallas, hopefully. This will be my third summer back with them, and then I’m hoping to end up full time with them after graduation. I’ve been working in their digital experience group, which is the perfect combination of the marketing and analytics sides of what I’m studying.

Do you have a favorite OSU memory?

It’s too much to pick one memory from four years of time. All of my close friends now, I can remember the first meal we had together, if it was at North Dining, and the first outing we made, if we went to go see a movie at the AMC theater. I have such fond memories of when I first met those people, and to think how far we’ve come and hoping we’re going to be friends for life, I’m really thankful for the time I’ve had here and the relationships I’ve made.