Top 10 Freshmen woman Summer Stevens has a passion for fashion

Monday, November 7, 2016

Having grown up in a family who bled orange, Summer Stevens said she was always destined to be a Cowboy. 

“I chose to attend Oklahoma State University because it is much more than just a university,” Stevens said. “All of my immediate family attend OSU. It was a tradition.” 

Stevens, who is an apparel merchandising sophomore in the College of Human Sciences, said it was not until she began attending OSU she truly understood what it meant to be a Cowboy.

 “OSU is the support system we lean on,” she said. “OSU is our biggest cheerleader. This campus and this town will bring you lifelong friends. It shows you anything is possible. Oklahoma State gives you a Cowboy family. That is why I fell in love with OSU.”

While OSU may be the Perry, Oklahoma, native’s first love, the College of Human Sciences and fashion comes in a close second.

“I have loved fashion since I was a little girl,” she said. “I have always been creative when it comes to clothing. Growing up I had a fashion sketch books where I would design prom dresses, wedding gowns and clothes for my family. I loved it!”

Stevens said her family supported her love for fashion by asking her for advice on clothing and what was in style at that time.

“I would read and study fashion magazines like Vogue for hours and hours,” 
she said. “It is funny, though. When it came time for me to choose a major, 
fashion never came to my mind.” 

She sought the advice of her mother, Rhonda Stevens, who asked her what she was passionate about.

“Before I could even think, I said fashion,” Stevens said. “That is when I realized I 
could make a career out of my passion. After studying the programs in the design, housing and merchandising department in the College of Human Sciences, I
selected apparel merchandising, and I fell in love, again.” 

When it came time to apply for OSU’s Top 10 Freshmen Men and Women, she
decided she wanted to apply. 

“Growing up, I knew it was a dream to be a Cowboy,” Stevens said. “But being a Top
10 Freshmen also was a dream.”

On Oct. 8 at the halftime show of the Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State Cowboy’s football game, she was honored on the Boone Pickens Stadium field as a 2016 Top 10 Freshmen Woman. 

“I feel so blessed to be given this honor,” Stevens said. “It was a great moment for my family, my college and myself.”

Stevens said she learned many lessons from her experience, but the most memorable lesson she learned was to never give up on her goals.

“My freshman year I was very involved and busy,” Stevens said. “There were times I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. But I always reminded myself the reason I was doing this was to serve others, the College of Human Sciences and Oklahoma State.” 

After graduation, Steven plans to pursue a career in fashion. Eventually, she would like to own her own company that specializes in making clothes for children with physical disabilities and special needs.

“The College of Human Sciences and OSU has invested in me and have given me so much,” Stevens said. “I hope to one day give back to others the same way.”