Photo Essay: What it means to OSU students to do what's right
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Media Contact: Page Mindedahl | Communications Specialist | 405-744-9782 | page.mindedahl@okstate.edu
At Oklahoma State University, students make choices every day, not just about classes or careers, but about how they treat people and what they stand for. Sometimes, the right decision isn’t the easiest one. It can mean speaking up, stepping in or doing something uncomfortable because it matters.
That idea sits at the heart of the Cowboy Code tenet: we have the passion to do what’s right, even when it is hard. For students, it often shows up in small, everyday ways like checking in on a friend who’s struggling, taking responsibility for a mistake or choosing honesty when it would be easier to stay quiet.
The OSU community plays a big role in that. Students don’t navigate those moments alone. They lean on classmates, professors and mentors who remind them that integrity isn’t about big speeches, it’s about consistent actions. Over time, those choices shape not only the kind of students they become, but the kind of people they are after they leave campus.
Living out this part of the Cowboy Code isn’t about getting it right every time. It’s about choosing kindness on a hard day, standing firm in your values and remembering that doing what’s right often starts with the smallest decisions.
Here’s how OSU Cowboys are living the Cowboy Code and what it means to do what's right, even when it's hard.
We have a passion to do what's right, even when it's hard.
“Doing what’s right means helping people out, being kind and lending a hand. If something needs to be done, even when it’s uncomfortable, you step up and do it anyway.”
Hometown: Antlers, Oklahoma
“Basically, it’s about integrity and always doing what’s right, even when it doesn’t feel easy.”
Hometown: Muskogee, Oklahoma
“It’s being true to yourself and to doing what’s right. It may sound old-fashioned, but when you’re younger, you’re taught to treat others the way you want to be treated. That still matters as you move into adulthood. Even something simple, like caring for someone or showing a small act of kindness, is what it means to do what’s right.”
Hometown: Stillwater, Oklahoma
“It means sticking to your guns. Society can tell us a lot of different things, so it’s important to stay true to our roots, especially here at OSU, where we have the Cowboy Code to live by. Even when it gets hard, and on the days when it feels especially difficult, it’s important to love the person sitting next to you and keep pouring into those around you.”
Hometown: Akron, Colorado
“It’s the willingness to try to put a smile on people’s faces. I know how much it means when someone makes a positive impact, so I want to do that, one way or another. Even if it’s something small, at the end of the day, I just want to know I helped bring a smile to someone’s face.”
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
“Doing what’s right is being kind to others. Sometimes that can be hard, especially when you’re having a rough day, but someone else might be having a rough day, too. If you can help make them feel a little better, it can go a long way.”
Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma
"Sometimes, decisions are about more than just yourself. Doing what’s right means looking out for everyone, not just you.”
Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma
“Doing what’s right in the OSU community means understanding that we’re all in the same place. We may not always know what we’re doing or how to do it, but we can lean on each other. As long as we face it with a smile, we can get through it together.”
Hometown: Piedmont, Oklahoma