2023 Mr. and Miss Hispanic/Latinx OSU crowned

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Media Contact: Sydney Trainor | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | sydney.trainor@okstate.edu

On Saturday evening, Wilson Lazo-Salmeron and Michelle Salazar were crowned Mr. and Miss Hispanic/Latinx Oklahoma State University. 

Salazar, a Tulsa native, is a junior majoring in international business and marketing. Lazo-Salmeron is a counseling psychology graduate student at OSU and his hometown is Bowie, Maryland. 

Salazar and Lazo-Salmeron will receive a $1,500 scholarship as well as one year to promote and advocate for their platforms. 

The scholarship pageant was hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs and featured a celebration of the vibrant Hispanic/Latinx culture for the audience. 

Assistant Vice President of Institutional Diversity Nate C. Todd shared a few words before the scholarship pageant began. 

“This is a great time to be here at Oklahoma State University,” Todd said. “It’s a great time to show your pride, it's a great time to honor your culture, this is a great time to show the excellence that is within your family.”

The four contestants competed in six different categories; private interview, platform, cultural wear, talent competition, evening wear and extemporaneous question. 

“It is such a surreal feeling,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “I am grateful to be the next Mr. Hispanix/Latinx OSU. It is empowering to be in this position to represent my community and advocate for our needs. This role is about being a leader, an advocate and a listener.”

For Salazar, her platform is focused on criminal justice reform in Oklahoma. 

“​​To me, being the Miss Hispanic Latina OSU means being an advocate, a leader, a listener and a pathway for people to be heard,” Salazar said. “It’s a privilege and an honor to represent the Hispanic/Latinx community.”

Lazo-Salmeron’s platform is advocating mental health within the Hispanic/Latinx community. 

“Some of my goals are to provide mental health resources in and outside the community for people to seek,” Lazo-Salmeron said. “I want to host workshops for people to learn more about mental health in the Latinx community. My ultimate goal is to be a representative of the Latinx community and empower our voices and experiences.”

At the end of the night, last year’s Mr. and Miss Hispanic/Latinx OSU Alexander Turner Camacho and Valerie Rios took their final walk and congratulated participants on their hard work. 

“Hopefully with my presence on campus I can also encourage other men and women to run in the pageant,” Salazar said. “It is about having a voice and showing who you are, what you stand for, and what you represent.”

First runner-up of Miss Hispanic/Latinx OSU Elva Lizeth Soto Oviedo will receive a $500 scholarship. Second runner-up Emmily Marquez will receive a $250 scholarship.

Story By: Olivia Trolinger | olivia.trolinger@okstate.edu