OSU's Blake Jackson wins two coveted national scholarships

Friday, April 1, 2011

Udall and Truman Scholar Blake Jackson (5th from left) is pictured with State Senator Jim Halligan, former Stillwater City Councilor Tom Dugger, State Representative Cory Williams, State Senator Mike Schulz, (Jackson) State Senator Richard Lerblance, State Senator Eddie Fields and State Representative Lee Denney. Jackson an Oklahoma State University junior from Hartshorne, Okla. was surprised with the announcement he had received the two national scholarships while working as an intern at the State Capitol. The agribusiness major is the first OSU student to receive both scholarships in the same year. He is the 16th OSU student selected for the Truman honor. The university was Oklahoma’s inaugural Truman Honor Institution.

Oklahoma State University junior Blake Jackson of Hartshorne, Okla, has received two of America’s top scholarships, capturing both the Harry S. Truman Scholarship and the Morris K. Udall Scholarship. He is the first OSU student to receive both awards in the same year. OSU junior Flint Holbrook was also named a Udall scholar.

“We are extremely proud of the tremendous accomplishments of these two tremendous young men,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “OSU has become a regular winner of prestigious national scholarships and Blake and Flint are the latest examples of how OSU students rank among the best in the country academically.”

OSU was named Oklahoma’s inaugural Truman Honor Institution because of its production of Truman scholars. The Truman Scholarship provides up to $30,000 in funding to college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors or education. Jackson was the 16^th OSU student selected for this honor.

“OSU can have four nominees for the Truman scholarship every year,” said Dr. Bob Graalman, director of the OSU Office of Scholar Development and Recognition. “Betsie Stukenborg and Phyllis McLemore, were also two nominees from OSU. Their leadership and career plans made them great candidates for the Truman scholarship.”

The Udall scholarship provides $5,000 for educational expenses to outstanding sophomores and juniors who are studying environment-related fields or who are of Native American decent and pursuing fields related to health care or tribal public policy. Only 80 students nationwide are selected for this award each year, and Jackson is the 13^th OSU student to earn it.

“I feel extremely blessed to be the recipient of both these awards,” said Jackson, an agribusiness major. “I truly did not know what to expect when applying for them. I always told myself that I had grown a lot through the process and that regardless of the outcome, just applying was worthwhile because I had the chance to interact with a lot of people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.”

After graduating from OSU, Jackson said he plans to attend law school and concentrate his studies in environmental and Native American law. For students who are considering applying for either of these scholarships, Jackson said he would advise them to go for it.

“If you have any reservations, you should throw caution to the wind,” Jackson said. “You never truly know what you are capable of until you try. There were a couple of times early in college that I debated applying for an award as big as the Truman or Udall, but I would never have known I was capable of achieving it unless I applied.”

OSU’s strong student base and outstanding academic programs suit the Udall requirements perfectly, Graalman said.

“Of the major awards we oversee on campus, Udall has lately enjoyed the largest number of applications to become OSU nominees,” Graalman said. “We can nominate six every year, and the other four who weren’t chosen – Evan Booher, Melissa Booher, Jamie Andrews and Rachel Branch – worked just as hard and made a very strong showing. Just being named a nominee is a great accomplishment, considering all the local competition. All of these students were exceptional.”

Jackson will attend Truman Scholar Leadership Week in Liberty, Missouri, in May to introduce him to the Truman community. Jackson will attend the Udall Scholar Orientation Weekend in Tucson, Ariz., in August along with Flint Holbrook, an OSU junior who also has been named a Udall scholar.

For more information about the Udall or the Truman Scholarship, call the OSU Office of Scholar Development and Recognition at 405-744-7313 or send an email to schdev@okstate.edu.