RSU Interim President Dr. Mark Rasor (right) congratulates 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees Trent Siever (from left), Rising Star Award recipient; Sara Wallace, Distinguished Hillcat Award recipient; and Steven Burrus, Hill Legacy Award recipient.
Rogers State University honored three former Hillcats of distinction over the weekend at the third annual RSU Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner.
Held April 26 in the Dr. Carolyn Taylor Center on RSU’s Claremore campus, the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner was an event co-hosted by the RSU Foundation and RSU Alumni Association to recognize alumni of note for their personal achievements and service, and for bringing regional, statewide and/or national distinction to themselves and their alma mater, Rogers State University and its predecessor institutions dating back to 1971 with the formation of Claremore Junior College. RSU’s earliest predecessor institution, the Oklahoma Military Academy, honors its alumni each September during the annual OMA Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Following opening remarks from Director of Alumni Engagement Travis Peck and RSU Interim President Dr. Mark Rasor, the Rising Star Award was presented to Trent Siever.
Siever graduated with honors from RSU in 2022. He is currently in law school at the University of Tulsa, where he has won several awards and has been selected for state and national placements in the legal world.
“Being recognized like this means a lot to me,” Siever said. “I’m so thankful for the many opportunities I’ve had on the Hill, for my fiancée, for my friends supporting me along the way. There are so many people here tonight who made a positive impact on my life. I’m so thankful for you all.
“I’d also like to talk about what Rogers State (University) means to me,” he continued. “RSU is a special place, and it’s helped change people’s lives for generations. RSU may not have a billion-dollar endowment, a nationally-recognized football team, or a new science building – but we’re on our way there – but what RSU does have more than anyplace else is people that care and people that want to make a difference in the lives of the students.”
“Many of RSU’s students, including myself, came from humble beginnings,” he said. “These humble beginnings can lead to extraordinary journeys. While keeping that humility, being a Hillcat is something we can all be proud of. Thank you.”
The next award recipient was Sara Wallace, who was honored with the Distinguished Hillcat Award.
Wallace graduated from RSU in 2014. She is an active citizen of Claremore, working to make positive changes through her Ethos yoga studio, located in downtown Claremore. Wallace’s husband, Justin, is also an RSU supporter. The pair has played in the Hillcat Hacker Golf Tournament fundraiser every year, and they support multiple RSU initiatives, serving on the Alumni Association board and serving as goodwill ambassadors for the university.
“It really is such an honor to be here – it’s amazing,” Wallace began. “There are so many amazing people who have studied here (at RSU). I’m so thankful to have been one of them, and I have many thank you’s for that – firstly and mostly, my grandmother who is here tonight. Without her, I would have never gone to college.
“Leading up to tonight, I’ve thought a lot about my journey that led me to RSU,” she continued. “The first time I remember an adult asking me what I wanted to do with my life, I was in high school, and I remember telling that person that I wanted to live with intention. I wanted to do things on purpose and with purpose.”
Wallace recounted the challenges she had approaching college, how she felt she could best live “on purpose,” ultimately earning her Bachelor of Arts, getting married, having her first child and launching her first business.
“I felt my mission became one to empower women to know and live their purpose,” she said. “Everything I do today is filtered through that lens – asking ‘Does this help empower women to know and live their purpose?’ Going to college – specifically, coming to Rogers State University – has empowered me. When I enrolled here, my world expanded – beyond my graduating class, beyond those years on campus – these opportunities that continue to connect me to an ever-growing diverse and beautiful community for which I am so grateful. I’m so proud to be a Hillcat and to support this university.”
The final award of the evening was presented to Steven Burrus, who was selected as the recipient of the Hill Legacy Award.
Burrus graduated from RSU (then Rogers State College) in 1988. He currently serves as the president of BancFirst in Claremore and is eager to tell his stories about Rogers State College to anyone. He credits his time on the Hill as putting his life on a successful track and is a huge supporter of the university.
Burrus paused briefly after stepping to the podium, taking in the crowd and the moment before crediting his wife and family with his successes.
“It was a summer day, back in 1976, I was 13 years old,” Burrus said. “I met a freckle-faced girl. We’ve been together on this great adventure ever since. Kay has supported me through all of my adventures – bricklaying, banking, cattle, even the oil business at one time.”
Burrus also acknowledged his children, grandchildren and his father, whom he described as his hero.
“Most people who know me know my passion for RSU,” he continued. “This university is one of the most important public assets in northeastern Oklahoma. RSU provides people with opportunity to get an education – education is the closest thing we have to magic in our society. There’s a strong correlation and quality of life. This is vital – that we preserve this university for us to ensure that our future is strong.
“The foundation of my professional career started right on this Hill,” he said. “I’ve taken this foundation to boards of the largest financial institutions in the world, helped to build billion dollar financial empires, and met some of the most brilliant people in the world. This university is second to none. RSU prepares its students for their future, just like it did for me.”
The RSU Alumni Association serves as the connection to the university and alumni across the nation. The Rogers State University Office of Development serves as the fundraising arm of the institution and works to maximize the university’s resources and leverage its effectiveness through obtaining the financial support of individuals, foundations, and corporations.