PHOTO / CHRIS LEWIS
is president of the OSU chapter of One in Four, an organization dedicated to the prevention of rape and sexual assault. He has also raised awareness of sweatshop conditions abroad and met with union leaders from the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In addition, he is president of the OSU Cultural Exchange and a member of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Student Council. “I feel like if I don’t give back I’m being selfish because I have been blessed to receive so much help from others in overcoming challenges,” Nibras says. “I feel it is now my responsibility to give back to the world.” Ralston is a marketing junior from Stillwater, Okla. She was family relations chair for Dance Marathon and fundraising coordinator for a Make-A-Wish Foundation event. She also volunteers with the Oklahoma Blood Institute, Kanakuk Kamps, Special Olympics, OU Children’s Hospital, Wings of Hope, Humane Society and K-Life Ministries. She is a Spears School of Business Scholar Leader and was a Mortar Board Top Ten Freshman Woman. “My motivation for being involved in so much is my dad,” Ralston says. “He never had schooling after high school, and now he is the general manager of a company. He’s motivation for me.” Schoeppel is an agribusiness and pre-law junior from Fairview, Okla. The Truman Scholar volunteers 20-30 hours weekly as stateside director for Ubuntu Youth, a South African after-school program. She also spends summers in South Africa, volunteering 40-60 hours per week. Schoeppel was a Top Ten Freshman, Top Three Sophomore Greek Woman, Top Three Freshman Greek Woman and the Student Alumni Board Campus Ambassador Member of the Year. “I enjoy being able to teach (South African) students small-scale agricultural operations,” Schoeppel says. “To be able to provide them a sense of stability and lay a foundation on which they can build and relieve the cost of food is really incredible.” Scott, an early childhood education junior, is from Owasso, Okla. Her passion for children has led her to teach 2-yearolds in OSU’s Child Development Lab and serve as an alternate caregiver for foster
Women for OSU presented $5,000 scholarships to, from left, Aubrey Scott, Nadir Nibras, Charlie Gibson, Nicole Ralston and Chacey Schoeppel.
children. She also volunteers with Early Head Start, Into the Streets, LifeKids, Read Across America, Make Promises Happen camp and numerous other organizations. She is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Phi Upsilon Omicron honor society and Academic Integrity Panel. “Having the chance to work with children and give them something they can’t give themselves is so enriching,” says Scott. “That is what makes me so joyful.” Remembering Ramona Paul Just before lunch, the group paused to remember Ramona Paul, a founding member of the organization who was chair of the Awards Committee until she died last June. Kirk Jewell, president of the OSU Foundation, announced that Paul’s husband, Homer, was honoring her by donating $250,000 to establish the Ramona Ware Emmons Paul Endowed Professorship in the College of Human Sciences (More coverage of Paul’s legacy and this gift are on Page 95). Other speakers Sharon Trojan, current chair of the awards committee, introduced Ellis and the five scholarship recipients. Earlier in the day, Ann Hargis, OSU’s first lady and a founding member of Women for OSU, provided an update on the university. Jennifer Zeppelin, chief meteorologist of Tulsa’s KTUL-TV, served as master of ceremonies.
The keynote speaker was Jean Chatzky, financial editor for NBC’s Today Show, an award-winning personal finance journalist, AARP’s personal finance ambassador and the host of Money Matters with Jean Chatzky on RLTV. She shared insights on philanthropy and investing wisely. “Givers aren’t born. They’re grown,” Chatzky says. “We raise givers by modeling giving for our children and grandchildren. ... They have to understand why we make time for philanthropy in our very busy lives if we’re going to expect them to make time for it in theirs.” She adds, “If we lift each other up and cheer each other on and stand in each other’s corners, then we really can change the world and not just for ourselves but for our daughters and granddaughters to come.” Looking ahead Zeppelin announced that the 2015 Symposium will be April 16. The keynote speaker will be Marlee Matlin, an Academy Awardwinning actress and emissary for the Marlee Matlin deaf community. She is also a spokeswoman for the American Red Cross and was the chairwoman for National Volunteer Week in 1995. JAC O B L O N G A N
For more information about Women for OSU or to view photos and a video highlighting the symposium, visit OSUgiving.com/women.
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