A Cowboy, Without Question
A champion for children’s health.
Meet Clay Edwards. None of his family members attended college, and he wasn’t sure if it was the route for him. At Oklahoma State University, he found the support he needed to succeed, discovered his true potential and laid the foundation to pursue his passion: Advancing psychological research to help children suffering from chronic disease.
“OSU feels like a family,” he said. “Even when I meet people from other colleges, they really love the experience here and how everyone’s so connected, even during a pandemic.”
After transferring to OSU through the Gateway Program at Northern Oklahoma College in Stillwater, Clay’s advisor met with him weekly, grad students became thoughtful mentors and the unrivaled undergrad research opportunities at OSU paved the way for scholarly publication and national conference presentations.
“They give undergraduates a chance to do those things,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been ready for the Ph.D. program if it wasn’t for those research opportunities.”
As a Native American student, the Center for Sovereign Nations also played a role in his success and the American Indians Into Psychology program exposed him to a world of post-graduate possibilities.
Now, on the verge of earning his master’s degree and in pursuit of a doctorate in clinical psychology, he offers a message of inspiration to those wondering about their future: “Don’t be afraid to give it a shot. Don’t let where you came from, or what you come from get in the way of what you want to do.”
That’s how we build Cowboys.
WE ARE ALL COWBOYSHailing from all 50 states and 98 countries, we are united by the Cowboy Code.
- We end the day knowing we gave it everything we had
- We dream only as big as the sky
- We know challenges come with pain, but pain will not win
- We have a passion to do what's right, even when it's hard
- We stand for what matters, even if we stand alone
- We finish what we start
- Being a Cowboy isn't in our clothes, it's in our character