The iconic orange-rimmed glasses, Oklahoma State University-themed apparel and infectious smile make Les Thomas immediately recognizable, but the Cowboy hype man hasn’t always been all smiles.

Cowboys Care — and its architect, First Cowgirl Angela Hess — hosted an evening of conversation with Thomas to discuss his journey through challenges from growing up in a single-parent home in a rough neighborhood to the joy-filled man OSU fans enjoy at nearly every sporting event.

“Events like these are critical — we have to keep these conversations going,” Hess said. “That’s why these Cowboys Care Conversations will keep going. We have to keep bringing people like Les Thomas forward so anybody sitting in this room has a chance to hear something they can relate to and can help them heal.”

Thomas relived stories of growing up with an absentee father, witnessing the shooting of a friend as a young boy and the challenges he faced as an angry teenager during the conversation inside the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center on Monday night.

Through held-back tears, he discussed having a “default angry setting” and the impact it had on the people closest to him: his family and friends.

“Overcoming that default setting was vital to my success, vital to my growth and vital to the relationship with my family,” Thomas said. “That anger was holding me back. It was causing me to tell them with my mouth that I love them, but then pushing them away with my anger and my actions.

“I’m so grateful I overcame that, because I wouldn’t be able to live in the world I live in now if I didn’t have the support of my family.”

However, the evening wasn’t all about challenges. Thomas spent a large portion of the evening discussing his triumphs, as well, such as the moment he realized that he truly needed help to change and how empowering that journey has been.

He encouraged students not to be afraid to talk about their challenges and to face them head-on — even when it’s uncomfortable — because Thomas believes it’s in those moments where people truly grow.

“Once you deal with the challenges, you’ll be so free,” Thomas said. “That’s what people see now, the joy. People call me a hype man, but I’m the hype man of hope. I’m a living testament to hope.”

The Cowboys Care initiative was started to help break the stigma surrounding mental health and to make the conversation about it more comfortable for all members of the Cowboy family.

Through tabling events and the ever-growing Cowboys Care Ambassador program, which now boasts over 400 members after launching in October, the Cowboys Care initiative continues to make meaningful impacts in addressing mental health at OSU and improving access to care.

The first Cowgirl’s connection to mental health is a personal one, but one Hess shares openly. She believes that by sharing, it naturally makes others willing to share — and as more people share, it hopefully makes it easier for others to address challenges they may be facing.

“It’s vital that stories continue to get shared, because it’s what brings us together,” Hess said. “It’s those stories that are peeling back the layers of stigma surrounding mental health.

“The more people that step up and share their story, the more people are going to step up and share their stories.”

Thomas — the hype man, the husband, the father — echoed the sentiment with the crowd during his conversation.

“If you want to impress people, you share all your victories,” Thomas said. “If you want to impact people, you share your challenges.

“This platform that I’ve been blessed with is not about me. If I can unlock the greatness within someone else by sharing my challenges, it’s all worth it.”