OSU student named Truman finalist

Monday, February 25, 2019

Oklahoma State University junior Allison Wilton has been named among the finalists for the highly competitive 2019 Truman Scholarship, the premiere graduate scholarship for aspiring public leaders in the United States.

Wilton, a Fort Sumner, New Mexico, agribusiness major, has an option in pre-law and a minor in legal studies. She has an outstanding academic record and an extensive history of leadership and service.

She is among the finalists selected from more than 830 applications for the scholarship, which provides up to 65 winners each year with $30,000 for graduate studies in a wide variety of fields.

Wilton and other finalists will interview with regional review panels between now and April 6. The 2019 Truman Scholars will be announced April 17.

Wilton came to OSU from a family ranch in New Mexico, where she and two sisters grew up helping maintain the family’s cattle and land. Her upbringing instilled in her an appreciation for the agriculture industry and recognition of its importance. She has seen the impact of state legislation on her father’s management of the ranch, and her career path has become deeply personal. Wilton wants to pursue a dual law degree and master’s in agriculture and applied economics and serve as an advocate for the agriculture industry in government.

At OSU, Wilton has been developing her leadership skills as secretary and president of OSU Collegiate FFA, leading the Collegiate FFA’s annual speech and parliamentary procedure contest for nearly 400 students. She also has been involved in 4-H, FFA and student government in high school, as well as with the Wesley Foundation’s PB&J Project at OSU. This organization supports the Africa Hope Center in Nairobi, Kenya, an orphanage for children who have lost both parents to HIV/AIDS.

OSU students have been selected for this scholarship so many times that the university was designated as Oklahoma’s first Truman Honor Institution in 2000.

The Henry Bellmon Office of Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research at OSU has long been a national leader and innovator in scholar development, assisting students in seeking national/international scholarships and fellowships. The office also encourages student-faculty mentoring, undergraduate research, international travel experience and exposure to other cultures. For more information, contact office director Jessica Sullins at jessica.sullins@okstate.edu or 405-744-7313.