Meredith Pierson with her children, Shaun and Liam.

Scholarships help OSU-Tulsa student achieve dream of a college degree

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Meredith Pierson, an OSU-Tulsa student and recipient of endowed scholarships, is already changing the world around her through her actions and determination.

“My passion is helping others in my community,” she said. “I organize a prayer walk, The Freedom Walk, every year to raise awareness for the Nowata community’s drug epidemic.”

Meredith knew she wanted to make a better life for her children, Shaun and Liam, by pursuing higher education.

“I knew I wanted to do something different. I didn’t want to be stuck,” she explained.

Scholarships — and the accessibility of online courses — helped the single mother of two navigate her educational journey.

“One of my biggest fears is proudly earning a college degree only to have a mountain of debt after graduation,” she said. “I just broke down and cried when I got the Mary Jo Webb scholarship in the middle of this semester. It made such a difference for me.”

In addition to the Mary Jo Webb scholarship, Meredith also received the Hunter Stone scholarship and the J. Roy Thompson Endowed scholarship — both of which were created utilizing a charitable bequest. A charitable bequest is when the OSU Foundation is designated the beneficiary of a will, living trust or other estate plan document.

Meredith Pierson, endowed scholarships recipient with her children, Shaun and Liam. — Meredith Pierson, endowed scholarships recipient, poses with her children, Shaun and Liam.

The families worked closely with their financial planners and the Gift Planning team at the OSU Foundation to ensure their giving created a lasting impact by supporting students like Meredith.

“These scholarships are just the biggest blessings,” Meredith said.

She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies in spring 2020. But her time at OSU provided more than a degree — it also gave her the opportunity to learn about herself.

“Because of the financial help I received, I was able to home-school my kids. Through that process, I’ve discovered I really like teaching,” she said. Meredith plans to continue her academic journey and obtain a master’s degree in online teaching so she can help others access education and the freedom that a degree brings.

You can help support students like Meredith through the Brighter Orange, Brighter Future campaign.