Edmond Natives Go Above and Beyond as Cowboys

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Three students from Edmond are selected as OSU’s 2015-16 Top 10 Freshman Men

Front Row - Peyton Hillery, Bailey Thornburg, Savannah Martin, Rebecca Lane, Dalacy Dockrey, Summer Stevens, Taylor Copeland, Vanessa Wiebe, Averie Hinchey, Shelbi Gambrell Back Row - Luke MacNaughton, Mason Russell, Cardin Hart, Kolton Kardokus, Partick Steichen, Haden Comstock, Clay Daily, Blake Giles, Mason Martin, Vishnu Patel

“I hear it all the time when people talk about OSU, but it’s so true — the people,” says Blake Giles, a freshman electrical and computing engineering major at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. “My college experience has been made a thousand times better because I picked a university where I can walk around knowing complete strangers will always treat me with kindness, and it’s something that amazes me every day I’m here.”

Giles, along with Cardin Hart and Luke Macnaughton, both chemical engineering majors, are among OSU’s 2015-16 Top 10 Freshman Men — and they’re all three Edmond, Oklahoma, natives.

The three students’ parents are OSU alumni, so for them, the often daunting college search was made fairly simple. From attending countless Cowboy football and basketball games to the famed yearly homecoming celebration and more, they’ve been immersed in orange since they can remember.

“I chose Oklahoma State University because it had always been home to me,” Cardin says. “Every fall of my childhood was spent making the trip to Stillwater for home football games. When it became time for me to apply for college, I knew that I wanted to be in Stillwater. Even with an opportunity to go to universities out of state, I chose to only apply to Oklahoma State and have no regrets about that decision. I've loved the past year and a half I've been able to spend here.”

On top of their unstoppable work ethic, the three students share common views toward OSU, especially when it comes to people — fellow students, professors, advisers and just about everybody else.

“The people at OSU are unlike people anywhere else,” says Macnaughton. “They love you and encourage you and push you to reach your full potential. The people here make OSU the amazing university that it is.”

Along with the family like community, one can’t forget about the gorgeous campus, adds Hart.

Also, the three agree that so far their OSU experience has pushed them to be better friends, students and leaders.

“My experience at OSU has been everything I hoped it would be and more,” Giles says.

The three stay pretty busy on campus. Giles participates in Student Government Association, Greek Life, and the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology. Hart too participates in SGA, serves as a CEAT senator, and holds a spot in the Greek Honor Society, Order of Omega, as well as on the student governing board for the Student Alumni Association. And Macnaughton is involved in the CEAT Student Council, the Wells Project, Greekwide and Beta Theta Pi.

“Coming into college, I knew that I only had four years here, and I wanted to make the absolute most of them, so I searched for a variety of activities in the interest of expanding my horizons,” Giles says.

“Through getting involved in organizations on campus and involvement within my fraternity, I have made countless friends in just over a year — something that I would have found quite difficult to believe in high school,” Hart says. “I have had the opportunity to foster a passion for service, and I have also gotten more experience with leading groups of people. Freshman year of college is truly a year of growth.”

While the three students are still on the brink of their college experiences, they’ve each already made so many memories. The next three years or so are limitless.

“My most memorable moment here was being on the field after being chosen as a top ten freshman,” Macnaughton says. “What made it so awesome was looking out into the stands at so many classmates and alumni, and feeling the energy in the building and the excitement for the thing that connected us all — that we were Cowboys and Cowgirls. It was awesome.”

Students honored as 2015-16 Top 10 Freshman Men and Top 10 Freshman Women were chosen based on scholarship, community service, campus involvement and leadership during their freshmen year. They were selected through an extensive interview process held by the Achafoa Chapter of Mortar Board of OSU, during which the group was narrowed down to Top 20 and then Top 10 lists.

The students were formally recognized during a ceremony on Oct. 8 in the Browsing Room of Edmon Low Library and then during halftime of the OSU-Iowa State football game.