OSU business school senior’s ‘legacy of leadership’ earns award

Tiffany Thurmond, a marketing and business management major at Oklahoma State University, received the 2017 Raymond D. Thomas Award, given annually to the top senior in the Spears School of Business. A faculty committee in the business school votes on who will receive the award and the lifetime membership to the OSU Alumni Association.

The honor will allow Thurmond to carry the Spears Business flag as part of the opening ceremony at spring commencement on Saturday. She will be the first business student to receive her diploma.

Thurmond is the daughter of Eric and Gayla Thurmond, of Edmond. She graduated from Destiny Christian School in 2013.

“Tiffany is a remarkable young woman who is indeed worthy of being named an OSU Outstanding Senior,” said Jason Kirksey, vice president and chief diversity officer at Oklahoma State University.

“In addition to her exceptional academic achievements at OSU, Tiffany leaves a lasting legacy of leadership that will continue to transform the institution. We are proud and honored to have watched her develop over the past four years, and eagerly anticipate the extraordinary things she is certain to achieve in the future.”

“When I look at this award, it brings tears to my eyes,” Thurmond said.

“Words could not express how thankful and honored I am to receive this award. For me, academic success and campus leadership are not the most important factors that this award signifies. The greatest factor that this award recognizes, a factor that is so precious to me, is the fact that it represents that I was blessed to have the opportunities to change people’s lives while attending OSU.”

Thurmond also was named a 2017 Outstanding Senior by the OSU Alumni Association, a Department of Marketing Orange Book Outstanding Senior, a Top 5 Senior in Marketing Department and an Outstanding Senior by the Spears School.

Thurmond is president of the African American Student Association and vice president of the Theta Mu Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Marketing Club and the African American Business Student Association.

After graduation, Thurmond will join the sales development team of Qualtrics, a private research software company, at its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Graduations set for Putnam City’s high schools

Seniors at all three Putnam City high schools soon will walk across the stage at graduation ceremonies, according to a news release

Putnam City High School will continue a decades-old tradition of holding graduation ceremonies outdoors in Putnam City Stadium. Putnam City High School’s commencement is set for 7:30 p.m. May 19. The school and stadium are at 5300 NW 50.

Graduation for Putnam City North High School seniors is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 20 in the Cox Convention Center at 1 Myriad Gardens.

Putnam City North seniors will be followed to the stage just four hours later by seniors from Putnam City West High School.

Putnam City West graduation ceremonies are set for 2 p.m. May 20 at the Cox Convention Center.

FROM STAFF REPORTS