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Prestigious Scholarship Allows First-Generation Oklahoma Student Attend OU Debt-Free

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Lexy Poyner.

Prestigious Scholarship Allows First-Generation Oklahoma Student Attend OU Debt-Free


By

Josh DeLozier

joshdelozier@ou.edu

Date

Sept. 25, 2024

NORMAN, OKLA. – Lexy Poyner, a freshman at the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, has received the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. This scholarship aims to help students who have demonstrated exceptional academic ability, leadership and persistence attend top universities and avoid student debt.

Poyner, who graduated from Davis High School and is a first-generation college student, is one of only 60 recipients nationwide. She is also the only winner from Oklahoma. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration of Accounting degree, she plans to eventually earn a Master of Science of Finance degree from the Price College of Business and hopes to work in the assurance accounting and auditing industry after graduation.

“This scholarship is a constant reminder of how hard I have worked to get to OU, and it instills a substantial amount of confidence into me. I can now focus on myself, my education and all the activities I am involved in,” she said.

This competitive scholarship provides recipients with up to $55,000 per year to complete a bachelor’s degree. In addition to the financial aid, Poyner will receive ongoing academic coaching and advising, graduate school and career advising, and will connect with a network of peers in the Cooke Scholar community. She will also have access to internships and study abroad opportunities and can apply for graduate school funding.

“Receiving this scholarship means more than not having to worry about how to pay for college. It means I have a community of various scholars and alumni standing behind me and waiting to come to my aid when I need them the most,” she said.

Poyner is a member of the finance executive committee for Campus Activities Council’s High School Leadership Conference HSLC, a family leader for Miracle Mindset and participates in Big Brothers Big Sisters in Norman. She is also a member of the 64th Presidents Leadership Class, Women in Finance at OU and the Taylor Swift Fan Club.

Read the full list of 2024 Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship recipients.

About the University of Oklahoma

Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.


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