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Student
receives national ODK leadership award Editor-in-Chief No
one is too busy to accept a national award. The
national leadership society, Omicron Delta Kappa, recently named Jeremy
Sturgell, senior biology/chemistry major, Province Leader of the Year.
Throughout the country, 16 ODK provinces exist. Missouri Southern is
included in province 14, which consists of Missouri, Kansas and
Oklahoma. Sturgell
is the first Southern student to receive the award. Each member
institution of ODK selects a circle leader who is then automatically up
for province leader. I
know the caliber of people in ODK, so it s a pretty prestigious
award, Sturgell said. I thought I had a shot, but I didn t think
I d get it. It was pretty amazing. In
addition to being named province leader, Sturgell received $100 to spend
on anything he wished on campus. He donated the money to Southern s
ODK circle to spend on its service projects. Dr.
Elaine Freeman, associate professor of teacher education and faculty
secretary and co-adviser of ODK, said Sturgell s leadership skills
earned him the honor. He
received this not only because of his depth of leadership, but also his
breadth of leadership, Freeman said. Jeremy s a rather
renaissance man. Sturgell
has been an orientation teacher, a Southern Ambassador, Student Senate
vice president and a football player. He also started the Current Issues
in Science Club. He
currently serves as interim president of the Campus Activities Board and
is in the honors program. I
used to tell my students [in orientation] to take action and get
involved, Sturgell said. It s even beneficial to get
over-involved. The benefits far outweigh the stress of being busy. To
become a member of ODK, students must have completed at least 60 hours,
have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and be nominated by a faculty
member or current member. After nominations, applications are mailed.
Once applications are received, a selection committee forms to organize
the applications. The entire ODK circle makes selections. This
year s nominations were due Sept. 6, and applications are currently
being mailed. The
criteria considered when selecting members includes scholarship,
athletics, campus or community service and campus government, social and
religious activities, journalism, speech and the mass media, and
creative and performing arts. The
selection process is designed to honor the most reputable campus
leaders, Freeman said. Southern
began a model ODK group in 1986 and received its ODK charter in April
1987. Lexington, Ky., is the home of the national office. Freeman
said as a member of ODK, students have the opportunity to be involved at
the national and regional level while in college and after graduation. Once
a member of ODK, always a member of ODK, she said. That s very
special. In addition to a high honor, it s a great networking tool. Locally,
Southern s ODK circle performs many services for the community,
including an angel tree at Christmas, Thanksgiving baskets, ushering at
the Sept. 11 memorial, high school leadership workshops targeting
freshmen and sophomores, assisting with Career Day, Toys for Tots, and
serving meals at the Salvation Army. A
lot of people have the misconception it s just something you get voted
into, Sturgell said. It s really an active and dynamic
organization. |