Warm Welcome Set Tone for Triplett’s Success

Lindsey Triplett was already on her way to Arkansas Tech University’s annual visit day for high school seniors on Feb. 7, 2013, when the phone rang.

Her grandmother Oleta Faye MeGee, who was a daily influence in Triplett’s life, had passed away following an illness.

“I decided I wasn’t going to come that day,” said Triplett. “I had decided it wasn’t worth it, and I needed to be there with my family. My mom told me to come anyway. She said my grandma would have really wanted me to come. She knew I’d been looking forward to that day, so my sister came with me. I just didn’t want to be here. I was excited, but I didn’t feel like it was where I was supposed to be.”

That was when fate intervened in the form of Arkansas Tech students Sara Hoover and Emily Kauffman.

“Then I met these two girls from the ag department, and they distracted me from everything else that was going on with my life,” said Triplett. “They took me under their wing, which was really cool for me. I didn’t know them from Adam, but they took this high schooler around and it made (Tech) feel like home. I knew the professors also cared a lot about me, so from that day there was no question where I was going.”

Four years later, Triplett is the winner of the 2017 Margaret Young Award as the most outstanding senior female student at Arkansas Tech. She was announced as the winner during a reception at Lake Point Conference Center on Tuesday, May 2, and she will receive her award during ATU spring commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 13.

Triplett earned the role of president of Baswell Residence Hall as a freshman. She pursued leadership positions in the ATU Department of Agriculture and the Future Farmers of America, including FFA state vice president during her freshman year at Tech. She was named Arkansas “Agvocate” of the year by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation in 2015 and was twice selected to serve as social media specialist at the National FFA Convention.

Triplett has held membership in Pre-Vet Club, Presidential Leadership Cabinet, Public Relations Student Society of America, Residence Hall Association, Wesley Foundation and Zeta Tau Alpha at ATU.

She was named to the 2016 Homecoming court at Arkansas Tech, participated in the Tech Idol singing competition, earned the Tradition Keeper distinction through the ATU Student Alumni Association, won the 2016-17 Kenneth Pippin Award for most outstanding ATU agriculture student and received the 2016-17 female Green and Gold Spirit Award from the ATU Division of Student Services.

Maintaining that kind of schedule and a 3.84 grade point average required Triplett to make some tough choices.

“I think I’ve matured a lot since I came to Tech,” said Triplett. “I’ve learned how to balance my time. I came into Tech wanting to do everything. One day, Dr. (Lucas) Maxwell made me make a list of everything I was involved with from what was most important to me to what wasn’t. I’ve matured in learning how to set my priorities, focus on what is important and try to be great at one thing rather than being good at a lot of things.”

Triplett will graduate on May 13 with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture business, public relations emphasis. She has accepted a full-time position as communication specialist with Farm Credit of Western Arkansas, an organization with which she has served an 18-month internship.

“Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Arkansas,” said Triplett. “It employs one in six Arkansans. It gives you your food. It clothes you. You can’t be without it. I hope I get to educate people so that they know where their food comes from and they understand what agriculture and farming is all about.”

For now, the farm girl who grew up helping raise cattle in Damascus said she is “blown away” by the honor of winning the Margaret Young Award.

“When I got the e-mail saying I was nominated for it, I never in a million years thought I’d be the one selected,” said Triplett. “Since freshman year I’ve been on the Presidential Leadership Cabinet, and every semester we work graduation. We hand out the programs, and I remember reading about each person that got it every year. I remember thinking from freshman year that it would never be me. I don’t feel like I belong on that list. It’s an extreme honor. This place has been my home for the last four years. I love Arkansas Tech with every fiber of my being. It’s pretty incredible to have this honor.”