Cowboy76
02-15-2009, 05:55 PM
I know everyone on these message boards are truly OSU fanatics(I use the full verbiose for a reason). I also know the most important thing is to win. A coach who turns out good students and citizens won't last very long if his on the field performance isn't at an acceptable level. But at the same time, we must be concerned with not only educating these young men and women but also developing them as citizens.
I was very fortunate last might to be invited to attend a very small gathering of donors to hear about the importance of giving to academics and the benefits that the students receive from this program. There were only 5 tables with 6 people to a table and several of those people were either speakers or OSU dignataries. The significance of this is that I was privileged to hear Dez Bryant's very first public speaking engagement. Marilyn Middlebrook and Dez were the dignataries at my table along with his facilitator, Nicki. I was able to visit at length with both of them. It was awesome. Marilyn talked about the background and lack of home life that so many of these kids come from. It makes it very special to her to be able to have a positive influence ontheir live's. She had asked Dez a couple of weeks ago if he would be willing to speak to this group. His answer was "if you think it would be good for me, Miss Marilyn, I will give it a try." His talk was about the Learning Center for the athletes and how important it is to them.
They prepared a short speech for him to give and rehearsed it over and over several times. Dez had never addressed an audience before. An hour before the event,Marilyn and Nicki were still not sure that Dez would show. He was obviously very nervous but showed up early for the event and was very cordial to everyone in attendance. As he started his presentation, he made a few mistakes but as he progressed through the talk he got more and more comfortable and by the end of the speech he was able to make eye contact with the audience on a couple of occasions. He recieved a standing ovation, which was deserved, but he was much more moved by the tears in Marilyn's eyes as he returned to our table. She was so PROUD!!! She knows he has a long way to go but this was a very good start and something to build on. This is what she lives for, helping young student athletes develop into productive citizens.
We then got to hear from Courtney Timmon's, a top 10 senior student and recently the recepient of the top Biosystems Engineering student in the country. Courtney's talk centered primarily on how scholarship money, endowments, and matching grant money enabled her to pursue her dreams in the biosystems field.
Afterward, we all attended the opera presented by the Oklahoma State department of Music. Dez got a kick when I told him not to be nervous about the opera because it was my first one, too. What a wonderful learning experience. This is just one of the many learning experiences that OSU(and other universities) present to their student athletes that they otherwise might never get an opportunity to do. I feel like I learned more than anyone.
I was very fortunate last might to be invited to attend a very small gathering of donors to hear about the importance of giving to academics and the benefits that the students receive from this program. There were only 5 tables with 6 people to a table and several of those people were either speakers or OSU dignataries. The significance of this is that I was privileged to hear Dez Bryant's very first public speaking engagement. Marilyn Middlebrook and Dez were the dignataries at my table along with his facilitator, Nicki. I was able to visit at length with both of them. It was awesome. Marilyn talked about the background and lack of home life that so many of these kids come from. It makes it very special to her to be able to have a positive influence ontheir live's. She had asked Dez a couple of weeks ago if he would be willing to speak to this group. His answer was "if you think it would be good for me, Miss Marilyn, I will give it a try." His talk was about the Learning Center for the athletes and how important it is to them.
They prepared a short speech for him to give and rehearsed it over and over several times. Dez had never addressed an audience before. An hour before the event,Marilyn and Nicki were still not sure that Dez would show. He was obviously very nervous but showed up early for the event and was very cordial to everyone in attendance. As he started his presentation, he made a few mistakes but as he progressed through the talk he got more and more comfortable and by the end of the speech he was able to make eye contact with the audience on a couple of occasions. He recieved a standing ovation, which was deserved, but he was much more moved by the tears in Marilyn's eyes as he returned to our table. She was so PROUD!!! She knows he has a long way to go but this was a very good start and something to build on. This is what she lives for, helping young student athletes develop into productive citizens.
We then got to hear from Courtney Timmon's, a top 10 senior student and recently the recepient of the top Biosystems Engineering student in the country. Courtney's talk centered primarily on how scholarship money, endowments, and matching grant money enabled her to pursue her dreams in the biosystems field.
Afterward, we all attended the opera presented by the Oklahoma State department of Music. Dez got a kick when I told him not to be nervous about the opera because it was my first one, too. What a wonderful learning experience. This is just one of the many learning experiences that OSU(and other universities) present to their student athletes that they otherwise might never get an opportunity to do. I feel like I learned more than anyone.