Southwestern College announced its Scholars of the College on Aug. 30, and a familiar Osage name made the list.
Raen Marguerite Holding, Hominy-native and former Kihekah Steh Princess, was one of three students to earn the highest grade-point average among full-time students enrolled in campus-based programs at the small private college based in Winfield, Kans. She also had to earn 85 or more credit hours to qualify for the honor.
Holding is a senior at the college and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences in May 2023. She plans to continue her education to receive her Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Outside of academics, she is a member of the Southwest College Moundbuilders softball team, the Student Athlete Leadership Team, Tri-Beta Biological Honor Society and Pre-Health Professionals, and she is currently interning at Advanced Physical Therapy in Winfield.
“Every year we have the remarkable honor of recognizing the Scholars of the College,” said Ross Peterson-Veatch, academic dean of Southwestern College in a news release. “We are proud of this group of Moundbuilders for their commitment to their academic pursuits. In addition to their achievements in the classroom, these three Scholars of the College are leaders in the true Builder Spirit. It is a great joy to celebrate their accomplishments.”
According to SC’s mission, the college provides a values-based learning experience that emphasizes intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth. Founded in 1885 by Kansas Methodists and now related to the Great Plains Conference of the United Methodist Church, the college offers bachelor’s and graduate degrees on-ground and online. According to college rankings in U.S. News & World Report, SC is ranked in the top 50 in Regional Colleges in the Midwest.
Her path in healthcare began at Hominy High School where in 2017 the Osage News reported she was selected to serve as an Oklahoma delegate for The Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston, Mass.
Holding is from the Sun Carrier Clan and her Osage name is Hu-Tha-To-Me. She is the daughter of Christian and Jennifer Holding, and the big sister to Augie, Izzy, and L J. She is the granddaughter of Homer Holding, Sherri and Dan Plummer, and the late Joyce Fields.