2022 MWHS Valedictorian Getting Settled In Stillwater
By Amy Bearden Q&A with Emily Myrick
Emily Myrick, the MWHS Class of 2022 Valedictorian chose to head north to pursue a higher education at Oklahoma State University after graduating high school last spring. Myrick has settled in Stillwater and finding her way on campus and living her best life. Mineral Wells Area News caught up with Myrick for an update on her new collegiate adventure and asked her about college life.
Emily, How have you adjusted to college life? How is it different from High School?
College life is significantly different from high school. When people say you have a lot of freedom at college, they aren’t lying. Some events on campus don’t start until later in the day, so having the freedom and option to choose what I want to do with my time is nice.
College also varies in an educational standpoint with classes and studying methods in comparison to high school. Classes are longer than I expected, and I have had to learn a different way of studying because college classes aren’t teaching to a test. Each college class I am taking is based more on if you are understanding the content of the class and can apply it to the tests. Going to college in Oklahoma has been an adjustment because I live four and a half hours away from home, so I have only been back home once since school has started. Even though the moving process has been hard at times, I am so grateful to be at OSU because I am a part of an amazing scholarship program and have learned how to grow in a new community.
What activities/clubs are you involved with?
Before school started, I was able to go through sorority recruitment, and I am a member of Alpha Xi Delta now. I am a member of the Student Volunteer Center on campus where I work on the social media committee. Some activities I have done while on campus are volunteering at different local organizations in Stillwater such as the Coffee House, the Humane Society of Stillwater, and the Stillwater Pumpkin Patch. For Alpha Xi Delta, we work with Lions Meadows of Hope, a foster care agency in Payne County. I have also participated in soccer, basketball, and volleyball intramurals through my sorority.
What do you miss most about high school?
I miss playing sports and getting to see my friends every day. Having lunch with my friends at high school was the highlight of each day and provided a time to just hang out. College can get very hectic and having that time to wind down with friends during lunch is something I didn’t appreciate as much in high school. Even though I miss playing sports in high school, I have been able to play intramurals at OSU which are just as fun.
Any advice now for seniors looking at colleges?
Find a place where you feel most comfortable and feel that you could spend the next few
years of your life. I found that place at Oklahoma State University, and I hope you find that place as well. If you truly think you have a strong connection with a university, I would suggest you take a full weekend to spend there and follow your gut feeling on where you want to be. I truly did find a cowboy family at Oklahoma State University when I visited, and I hope on your journey you can find a college that you are just as passionate about. Another benefit I had in choosing OSU is all of my dual credit hours I took in high school transferred to OSU. If you plan on having an abundance of college credits going to a university, make sure they are all able to transfer for whatever university you choose. My last piece of advice is to enjoy your senior year and congratulations!
Oklahoma State University has one of the biggest homecoming celebrations in the country and that is pretty special, can you tell us about your homecoming experience?
My homecoming experience was great! I was able to be involved with homecoming in my sorority and being on the Homecoming Big Committee team. Homecoming was an immense experience because I managed to see all the preparation come together for this occasion and participate in many events surrounding homecoming. For the homecoming big committee, I helped with sign competition, setting up lights on Theta Pond, and Hester Street Painting. My sorority was paired up with another fraternity and took part in different activities in preparation for homecoming. I played in Bonanza, a basketball tournament that all Greek life participates in, and it is a time for all fraternities to come and support their teams and bring energy for the week ahead.
With my sorority, I have also been assisting with pomping for our homecoming deck. The deck is a large wall decoration that fits the theme for the year. Pomping is a technique used to make the deck that consists of rolling tissue paper into chicken wire, and I spent ten hours each week from the beginning of school until homecoming helping pomp the deck. It takes hundreds of hours of development by all involved. On the day before all homecoming decks are built and finished, I participated in an all night pomp. All night pomp is a tradition for all greek houses in homecoming to do final touches for the deck before it is required to be completed and ready for judging. Having the ability to participate in all of the events before Homecoming allowed me to feel even more of a connection to the OSU community because you can see how much effort has been put into making Homecoming special for everyone.
My family came down for the showing of the homecoming decks, the Sea of Orange Parade, and the football game that featured Texas vs. OSU. Spending time with my family was exciting because I got to show them what makes OSU Homecoming exceptional and unique to every person involved. I played a small part in this process, but homecoming is a time where you get to see all those hours and preparation come together to make art. I found a new love for this college and community through my experience in OSU Homecoming.
Myrick was a recipient of the distinguished McKnight Scholarship at OSU and was recently chosen among her peers to represent the group at the New York Philharmonic Symphony in Stillwater.
MWAN would like to thank Emily and her parents, Clint and Angela Myrick for taking the time to share with the community. Good luck Emily and keep up the continued success.
