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Oreon E. Scott Legacy Award
Oreon E. Scott was a former Drake governing board member who turned his success as a St. Louis real estate businessman into a lifetime of philanthropy for the Disciples of Christ Church, which founded Drake in 1881.
Given annually since 1949, the Oreon E. Scott Legacy Award recipient is considered to be the most exemplary graduating senior at Drake University. Excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, and involvement are hallmarks of the Oreon E. Scott Award winner. As part of their honor, the recipient will have the opportunity to speak at commencement in May.
Each student nominated for this award must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at Drake University graduating in 2025, and must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
NOMINATOR: Please compile the materials listed below in one email and send them to Kristin Economos at kristin.economos@drake.edu by April 13, 2025.
Submission Requirements:
- A minimum of three letters of nomination from faculty, staff, and/or students. Nomination letters should highlight the senior’s achievements in four areas: scholarship, leadership, involvement, and service
- A copy of the nominee’s current resumé
- A 250-word statement from the nominee describing evidence of their leadership values and impact as a student leader at Drake University.
2024 Recipient:
Ruwayda Egal
We were pleased to award Ruwayda Egal as the 2024 Oreon E. Scott Outstanding Senior Award on May 4th at the Adams Leadership Award ceremony. Ruwayda received an unprecedented ten letters of support, all indicating her contributions to our campus community.
One nominee writes, “Since enrolling at Drake University, Ruwayda has intentionally and consistently engaged in co-curricular initiatives that have led to personal growth and a deeper understanding of the student experience at Drake University. Having an opportunity to witness her emergence into a highly competent and value-based leader has been one of the highlights of my tenure at Drake.”
Another nominee writes “Ruwayda has been exemplary, achieving a 3.7 GPA during their undergraduate career with two majors and two minors, all while serving in a number of roles ranging from Drake Student Senator to Congressional Intern for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.”
Finally, "Ruwayda effectively and consistently uses her platform to represent the needs and interests of others who may feel uncomfortable sharing their opinions and concerns with Drake administration. Monthly meetings with President Martin, attending the Faculty Senate, hosting office hours, communicating with students via monthly email, and attending innumerable programs as the student body president have offered her a position to learn about the diverse experiences on campus while advocating for change, when applicable, on behalf of her peers."
As you can see, Ruwayda excels in all categories of scholarship, leadership, service, and involvement, not only at Drake University, but also within her surrounding community. She truly represents everything that defined Oreon E. Scott.
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