The Cameron University Alumni Association has named seniors Natalie Martin, Marshall Sadler and Saige Schmidt as its Outstanding Aggies of Tomorrow. They will be honored during the annual CUAA awards banquet during Cameron’s annual Homecoming celebration. The banquet, which will also honor Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Young Alumni and Faculty Hall of Fame, takes place on Saturday, February 24.
The award recognizes well-rounded and successful students who epitomize the values of a true Cameron Aggie. Selection of candidates is based on three areas: academic achievement/honors, career-related experience and extracurricular activities.
Natalie Martin
When Natalie Martin enrolled at Cameron University as a concurrent student at MacArthur High School in Fall 2018, she was following in the footsteps of her grandparents, A.W. and Theresa Braddy, and her parents, Dustin and Mary Clare Martin – all Cameron graduates. Her tenure at CU has been stellar, as she consistently earned placement on the President’s Honor Roll. She earned an Associate in Science in business degree in May 2023 and graduated magna cum laude in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Accounting degree.
Martin has been inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Delta Mu Delta and is a student member of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, the Association of Government Accountants (AGA), and the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants (OSCPA).
In September 2023, Martin was one of 50 students nationwide selected to receive the inaugural Pioneer Award from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, recognizing academic achievement, honors and awards, relevant research experience, service and leadership experience both on and off campus, a personal statement and letter of recommendation.
Martin was a member of the winning team at the 2022 Undergraduate Government Finance Case Challenge, a national competition sponsored by AGA. She is also one of the 15 nationwide recipients of AGA’s 2023 National Collegiate Leadership Scholarship Program, which enabled her to attend the organization’s National Leadership Training in Washington, D.C. Martin also received a scholarship from OSCPA and was honored with CU’s President’s Distinguished Scholarship in 2023-24.
Through her Governmental Accounting course, Martin was part of a team that created the top-ranked Citizen-Centric Report for the City of Lawton that helps provide transparency between the government and its citizens in a visually appealing way. She and her teammates were officially recognized by the Office of the Mayor for the project.
As an active member of CU’s Accounting Club, Martin has participated in numerous community service projects. She has also volunteered for the Lawton Kiwanis Club.
Marshall Sadler
Now in his second term as vice president of CU’s Student Government Association, Marshall Sadler is pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. A senior from Lawton, he is on track to complete his degree requirements and graduate magna cum laude in May. His academic performance has been recognized consistently with placement on either the President’s or Dean’s Honor Roll.
Sadler is the recipient of numerous academic merit awards, including the Regional University Baccalaureate Scholarship, the President’s Distinguished Scholarship and the James R. and Irene J. Lawrence Memorial Endowed Scholarship. In April 2023, he was honored as the Outstanding Associate in Science in Business student.
Sadler has served as a student member of the Department of Business Advisory Board for two years and was also appointed to the university’s Curriculum Committee. Sadler has also served as an accounting tutor for the Accounting Club. As a member of the university’s ethics team, he will be competing for the national championship in February.
Saige Schmidt
A 2021 graduate of Lawton’s Eisenhower High School, junior Saige Schmidt is one of CU’s PLUS scholars. Carrying an overall grade point average of 4.0, he has achievement placement on the President’s Honor Roll each semester. Schmidt is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology.
Since he first set foot on the CU campus, Schmidt has been actively involved in numerous student organizations and activities. He was elected president of the Student Government Association for 2023-24 after previously serving the organization as both treasurer and vice president. Additionally, he serves as president of the Psychology Club and has undertaken an internship at Marie Detty Youth and Family Services in Lawton. With a desire to facilitate a great collegiate experience for incoming students, Schmidt is active as a Cameron University orientation leader.
As an undergraduate research assistant, he has presented his research at a variety of state and international professional and educational conferences. Schmidt indicates that presenting his research at an international conference not only allowed him to showcase his findings with a global audience of experts in the field of social psychology, but enabled him to connect with people that will help him in his future Ph.D. program. “The presentation was a significant milestone for me as it represented the culmination of two years of rigorous work,” he says. “The experience was indeed rewarding and has been a driving force that propels me to strive for excellence in my future academic career.”
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