Women for OSU Student Philanthropists of the Year Rachel Branch (left) and Sara Roberts (right) pose with Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, at the Women for OSU Spring Symposium in Stillwater on April 7.

Two Named OSU Student Philanthropists of Year

Women for OSU awards $2,000 scholarships to winners

Two Oklahoma State University students have been selected as Student Philanthropists of the Year by the Women for OSU Leadership and Philanthropy Council. Rachel Branch, biochemistry and molecular biology junior, and Sara Roberts, graphic design sophomore, were announced as winners on April 7 at the organization’s annual symposium. Each winner was awarded a $2,000 scholarship for the upcoming school year.

Branch was nominated by Dr. Mary Ann Harris of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources for her involvement with the Student Government Association’s Sustainability Committee where she serves as vice chair.

“It was a big honor to receive this award,” said Branch, who grew up in Rose Hill, Kan., but now lives in Guthrie. “I really didn’t think I was going to win. I was really, really shocked when they called my name. It was a humbling experience.”

Branch worked with Sustainability Committee programs such as Real Cowboys Recycle, where aluminum cans are recycled and the money is donated to Habitat for Humanity. The committee also organized Real Pokes Pass It On, where students’ old furniture and appliances can be donated and sold to students at a low cost. The money raised went to Stillwater Domestic Violence Services and this year it will go to the Payne County Youth Shelter. Outdoor Adventure has partnered with the committee to get Orange Bikes going. Orange Bikes allows students to ride a bike for free around campus and return it to a bike rack when finished.

Branch encourages everyone to participate in community service and believes anyone who tries it will be hooked. She learned from the symposium’s keynote speaker, Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, that it is a responsibility to be involved in community service.

“It makes me feel good to help teach the community and help charities,” Branch said. “Nancy Brinker stressed that we are to be good stewards of our communities and that it is not something to build our resume, but a responsibility as a citizen of this community.”

Roberts, a Weatherford native, was nominated for her involvement with the OSU Student Foundation. Although there are various opportunities to be recognized, Roberts said no other award would mean as much as being named a Student Philanthropist of the Year.

“I was truly humbled to just be a nominee,” Roberts said. “It was such a great honor to win the award.”

Since her freshman year, Roberts has participated in the OSU Student Foundation, a service organization created to educate the student body about philanthropy, and foster meaningful relationships between donors and students.

Through her involvement she has learned about herself, broadened her perspective and grown as an individual.

“The organization’s motives are where my heart is,” Roberts said. “It’s like it was made for me. Thanking the donors for everything they do and showing the student body how important donors are is the purpose of the Student Foundation. There couldn’t be a cooler organization.”

In high school, Roberts found her passion being involved in Key Club. She participates in Circle K International, which is the college branch of Key Club. Circle K participates in numerous activities to help children in America through charities like the Ronald McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and numerous others. Circle K participates in annual events and takes on smaller projects as they come up.

“The more service you do, the more you love it,” Roberts said.

At the symposium, Roberts was moved by Brinker’s view on the power of one and how anyone can make a difference.
 
“Service, big or small, is impacting someone’s life,” Roberts said. “I've always believed that anyone can make a difference, but Nancy Brinker's presentation on the power of one truly illustrated the impact one person can make.”

The mission of Women for OSU is to expand the critical impact of women as leaders and philanthropists in achieving OSU’s vision of becoming a premier land-grant university. Originally called Women in Philanthropy, the program was created within the College of Human Environmental Sciences in 1995 but was reorganized in 2008 to serve the entire university.  

The OSU Foundation serves as the private fundraising organization for OSU, as designated by the OSU Regents. Its mission is to unite donor and university passions and priorities to achieve excellence.

Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, Oklahoma State University is a five-campus, public land-grant educational system that improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 32,000 students across its system and nearly 21,000 on its Stillwater campus; with students from all 50 states and around 110 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 200,000 students who have made a lasting impact on Oklahoma and the world.

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