Ouachita Student Foundation named district Outstanding Student Advancement Organization, Selby Tucker named Outstanding Student Leader

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March 08, 2019 - Tiffany Lee

Ouachita Baptist University’s Ouachita Student Foundation (OSF) recently was recognized as the Outstanding Student Advancement Organization for District 4 by the national Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Affiliated Student Advancement Programs (ASAP). OSF’s vice president, Selby Tucker, also was recognized as Outstanding Student Leader for the district.

Selby Tucker, OSF vice president, was named Outstanding Student Leader by CASE ASAP in District 4.

Winning the District 4 awards qualifies both OSF and Tucker for the CASE ASAP national conference and competition, which will be held in Baltimore, Md., Aug. 1-3. CASE is an international association that serves educational institutions and professionals who work on their behalf in communications, marketing, alumni relations and development. ASAP is an organization within CASE that helps organizations like OSF elevate their programs and learn best practices.

“Celebrating 45 years of students helping students this year, this award affirms the countless hours the 100 members of the Ouachita Student Foundation spend raising money for student scholarships and serving their fellow students,” said Jon Merryman, director of the Ouachita Student Foundation and alumni relations. “There are some outstanding student foundations out there – like Baylor, whose members were pivotal in helping OSF get started, Oklahoma State and UCLA. We are in great company in CASE ASAP where we can learn from each other and also share what works for our respective schools.”

CASE ASAP judges organizations by their ability to develop membership with strong internal programs and to enhance the field of advancement through reputable external programs, effective engagement with university constituents, prosperous philanthropic efforts and notable outreach to prospective students.

“Selby has been the driving force behind member engagement and creating smoother processes for the organization,” Merryman said. “She is a great leader and is always looking for ways to make things better for all involved.”

“Being named the Outstanding Student Leader for District 4 of CASE ASAP was a true honor,” said Tucker, a senior accounting and political science double major from Hamburg, Ark. “First of all, I am honored that Jon Merryman, OSF sponsor and a true mentor of mine, nominated me. By receiving this honor, I am overjoyed that others believe I am leading well. I take this as a challenge to continue to lead OSF well.”

With the motto “students helping students,” the Ouachita Student Foundation serves Ouachita students as well as the broader Ouachita community in the areas of student recruitment, special events, fundraising and philanthropy. OSF provides campus tours, attends recruiting events, plans and hosts Tiger Tunes and Tiger Traks to raise money for student scholarships and encourages philanthropic activities and donor awareness.

“OSF members volunteered almost 7,500 hours last year alone – serving in the concession stands to earn a portion of the proceeds, putting on Tiger Tunes and Tiger Traks, giving tours and calling alumni to ask for donations or businesses to ask for scholarships,” Merryman said. “Since OSF is student-led, none of this would be possible without the dedicated members of the organization!”

Ouachita’s Tiger Tunes competition, which is coordinated by OSF, was named the 2018 Outstanding Student Advancement Program in the nation following its regional win for District 4; this was only one year after OSF joined ASAP.

Merryman, Tucker and members of OSF’s leadership team plan to attend the CASE ASAP national conference in Baltimore this fall.

For more information, contact Jon Merryman at (870) 245-5111 or merrymanj@obu.edu. Visit www.obu.edu/osf to learn more about the Ouachita Student Foundation.

Group photo by Andy Henderson. The Ouachita Student Foundation was recognized as the Outstanding Student Advancement Organization for District 4 by the national Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Affiliated Student Advancement Programs (ASAP). The award qualifies OSF for the CASE ASAP national conference and competition, which will be held in Baltimore, Md., Aug. 1-3.