College of Human Sciences Advisor Laura Price named Outstanding Mentor
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Price advises 250 nutritional sciences students in the Patricia Kain Knaub Center
for Student Success in the College of Human Sciences. She is also the staff advisor
to the Human Sciences Ambassadors, a group of undergraduate student leaders who serve
as peer mentors to freshmen, meet with prospective students who visit OSU’s College
of Human Sciences, provide tours of the college to prospective students, and engage
in related leadership activities.
“Without Laura’s guidance and encouragement, I am unsure if I would have accomplished
even a fraction of what I have accomplished in these past four years,” Keri Shaw,
a senior majoring in human development and family science, said.
Price cares for each individual student she meets. She enjoys helping students take
advantage of all OSU has to offer and seeing them accomplish things they never thought
possible.
“Sometimes it takes that one person recognizing something in you that you can’t recognize
in yourself to give you the confidence or motivation to get out of your comfort zone,”
Price said. “Everyone needs someone to be interested in their story and to be there
when they need help or just someone to talk to. Students need someone to cheer for
them, and I hope I can be that person.”
Senior HDFS major Natalie Richardson said Price’s interest and effort as the Ambassador
advisor is the reason Richardson has remained an active member for three years.
“She (Price) takes the time to get to know each of the Ambassadors on a personal level
and always has her door open for us, even if we just need to stop by to vent about
our stresses,” Richardson said. “Laura is much more than an advisor for the Ambassador
organization; she is a mentor, role model, cheerleader, ally, and cherished friend.”
Mentoring Day honorees were selected by programs within the Mentoring Initiative network.
Each recipient received a Certificate of Recognition signed by Boren. The award presentations,
which took place in the House of Representatives’ Chambers, were made by Oklahoma
Foundation for Excellence President Les Risser of Norman. Past president and trustee
Patti Mellow of Oklahoma City read descriptions about each outstanding mentor.
As part of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence’s David and Molly Boren Mentoring
Initiative, Mentor Day is held in conjunction with National Mentoring Month in January.
The initiative grew out of Boren’s own commitment to mentoring and the proven impact
that mentoring can have on a student’s success in and out of the classroom. The initiative
was launched in 2006 to promote the growth and development of quality youth mentoring
programs statewide. Since then, more than 100 Oklahoma mentoring organizations have
joined the foundation’s network.