CEAT Mentors Honored
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
STILLWATER, Okla. – Two OSU College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology students have been honored by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence through the Boren Mentoring Initiative for their work as mentors. Stacey Allen and Sam Lewallen were honored Jan. 19 in Norman as a part of Oklahoma Mentor Day. The initiative seeks to promote and celebrate mentoring in all its forms throughout Oklahoma.
Stacey Allen was honored as the outstanding mentor for Women Inspiring Successful Engineers (WISE), a program that matches successful upperclasswomen in engineering with incoming freshman women for academic and personal support.
“[Allen] is not only a wonderful and kind-hearted person, but she is also a great mentor,” said Hunter Zinke, co-coordinator of WISE. “She is the type of person that leaves a lasting impression. [Allen] has a bright personality and is always willing to lend a hand.”
The college approached Allen during her junior year as a mechanical engineering student, when they found a large number of incoming women in need of a mentor. Not only did she accept the invitation to be a WISE mentor, but she volunteered to mentor three students. She consistently met with her mentees and ensured that they were achieving their goals at OSU. She also helped plan meetings, including inviting a mechanical engineering expert to speak and organized the spring Graduate Panel. After serving as a mentor, Allen served on the WISE board as program coordinator. She graduated from OSU in December 2017 and is now employed as a research and development system project engineer.
Sam Lewallen is a sophomore industrial engineering and management student from Fort Worth, Texas. As an incoming freshman, he participated in the CEAT Summer Bridge program and had such a positive experience that he desired to give back to the program as a counselor for the 2017 program. Even when the student program ended, Lewallen continued to serve as a mentor and resource to younger students, answering questions and providing advice.
“On day one of the Summer Bridge Program, [Lewallen]’s passion to help the students feel comfortable in their new surroundings was evident,” said Lance Millis, director of Student Services for CEAT. “[Lewallen] greeted the students and their families with amazing energy and positivity, answering questions while helping them move into the dorms.”
In addition to his CEAT and Campus Tour Guide activities, Lewallen is active in an IFC Fraternity, Overflow Leadership team and Engineers Without Borders.
RELEASE CONTACT: Kylie Fanning | CEAT Marketing | 405-744-2745 | kyliecf@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant university that prepares students for success. OSU has more than 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, Oklahoma State has graduated more than 240,000 students who have been serving the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
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