Institutional Diversity hosts annual honors convocation

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Oklahoma State University’s Office of Institutional Diversity hosted its 27th annual Honors Convocation Wednesday, April 25 in the Conoco Phillips Alumni Center.  Institutional Diversity hosts the annual ceremony to recognize the students who are achieving academic excellence and leading OSU toward its goals of diversity and inclusion.   

“The purpose of the awards ceremony is to recognize student leaders and scholarship recipients who have committed themselves to academic excellence and to creating an environment of inclusiveness and respect at OSU,” says Precious Elmore, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, which offers support to students through advising, cultural identity development, mentoring, scholarships, referrals and advocacy.

The awards ceremony also serves as an opportunity for those on this campus who are committed to diversity to commemorate the successes from the past year and appreciate the strides that OSU is taking as an institution in recruiting and retaining underrepresented student populations, Elmore says.  

“Both the commitment to that goal and its actualization are reasons for us as a university community to celebrate.”

Students recognized include the recipients of the Office of Multicultural Affairs Diversity Excellence Scholarships, Black Faculty and Staff Association Scholarships, Nancy Randolph Davis Scholarships, Asian Faculty & Staff Association Scholarships, Black Alumni Association Top 10 Scholarships, Native American Faculty & Staff Association Scholarships, Hispanic Faculty & Staff Association Scholarships, Viola Lacher Holmes Scholarships, Friends of Dana Tiger Scholarship, TRiO Access Award Scholarships, and TRiO Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance Scholarships, as well as those who were recipients of the OMA pageant scholarship awards, our outstanding seniors, and our student organization leaders.

This year’s keynote speaker was Paul De La Cerda, an OSU alumnus and former OK-LSAMP scholar with an Engineering degree and Master of Business Administration (MBA) concentrated in entrepreneurship and marketing.  While at OSU, he was a “Top Ten Senior,” an “OSU Leadership Legacy” award winner and cross country student-athlete. He also served in many leadership roles including Hispanic Student Association President, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers President and Spears School of Business MBA Ambassador. De La Cerda is now the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the Los Angeles Community College District at Southwest College.  He is also the Executive Director of a Goldman Sachs Foundation small business development program and a $5 million Department of Labor workforce development project.

Below is a list of this year’s award recipients:

Photos available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ostatenews/sets/72157629576565170/

Office of Multicultural Affairs Excellence Awards
First Year Scholarship
Cynthia Bejar
Susana DeLoera
Francisco Lozano
Adrian Saenz

Continuing Student Scholarship
Ashleigh Coser
Joanne Daniel
Alix Goff
Fatima Gomez
Timothy Higgins
Nia Stewart
Faith Wilkins

Transfer Scholarship
Courtney Baker

Leadership Scholarship
Tiara Byrd
Ashley Duvall
Kristen Enyart
Stephanie Nava
Chase Thresher

Dr. Howard Shipp, Jr. Scholarship
Anthony Van

Viola Lacher Holmes Scholarship
Peatrice Banks
Taishel Douglas

Friends of Dana Tiger Scholarship
Hillarey Dees

Senior Award
Lawrence McClure

TRiO Access Award
Morgan Whetstine

Alex Thorne

Trio Oklahoma Division of Student Assistance Scholarship
Ashley Duvall
Cierra Ramon
Jesus Raygosa(delete)

Black Faculty and Staff Association Scholarships
Angela Batts
Cherril Orange              
Billy Mitchell

Nancy Randolph Davis Scholarships
Jasmine Farley
Troy King                                     
Alix Goff
Milecia Matthews                   
Jason Semien

Asian Faculty and Staff Association Scholarships
Natasha Khan
Chase Thresher

Black Alumni Association Top 10 Scholarships
Academic
Jason Semien
Jasmine Farley
Joseph Brown
Jourdan Johnson
Milecia Matthews

Leadership
Alexis Alexander
Timothy Higgins
Tiara Byrd
Cherril Orange
Jeremy Willis

Excellence in Leadership Awards
African American Student Association                                                      
Asian American Student Association                                                      
Hispanic Student Association                                                                        
Native American Student Association                                                      
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People                                                                        
Minority Women’s Association                                                                        
National Organization for Women
Sexual Orientation Diversity Association
Vietnamese American Student Association                                    
Women’s Resource Center Student Alliance                  

OMA Scholarship Pageant Recipients

Miss American Indian OSU 2012   Amber Anderson

Miss Black OSU 2012     Alexis Daniels  

Miss Hispanic OSU 2012    Diana Martinez