Kingfisher High School 2018 honor graduate Cricket Kaya added a new accolade to her resume this spring when she was named one of only 15 recipients of the President’s Award for Outstanding Freshman at the University of Oklahoma.

The award was the pinnacle of a successful freshman year for the international development major, who is the daughter of Kurt Kaya and Shel Wagner of Kingfisher.

She started the year as one of 125 members of the OU President’s Leadership Class, selected from more than 12,000 applicants from across the country.

The honor also included a scholarship and a summer trip to Italy to study on the OU campus in Arezzo. Kaya leaves Sunday for the three-week trip.

Kaya also was named an OU Distinguished Scholar and was selected as a Global Engagement Fellow through the David Boren College of International Studies, which includes two study abroad experiences. She will spend the spring 2020 semester studying in Ecuador.

Kaya was the only freshman selected to serve in the executive cabinet of OU’s student government after a competitive interview process.

She is an officer in charge of the Department of Inclusivity for the campus, focusing on initiatives to provide accessibility and inclusivity for all students.

Kaya traveled to Washington, D.C., as Oklahoma’s sole representative in a program called “Population Connection Capitol Hill Days,” where she met with federal lawmakers to discuss reproductive rights.

That trip followed Kaya’s involvement in Higher Education Day at the State Capitol, where she met with state lawmakers to discuss current issues facing state colleges and universities.

Kaya also won an OU PACE Award, which honors the top 1 percent of freshmen, based on campus’ participation, academic achievement, community involvement and leadership.

She maintained a 4.0 GPA and was accepted into the Honors College, allowing her to enroll in honors classes.

While pursuing minors in Spanish and entrepreneurship, Kaya also is involved in OU’s Spanish Club, Asian American Student Association, was a Norman Day of the Dead Festival Volunteer and began studying Taekwondo, advancing to an orange belt so far.

When she returns from Italy, Kaya will serve as an intern with Norman entrepreneur and philanthropist Jula Chew while continuing Spanish language studies at OU through the summer.