NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– The Stephen F. Austin State University Division of Student Affairs named Garrett Bates of Frisco, Kate Middleton of Mansfield, Kently Northcutt of Crandall, and Olivia Wintz of Killeen as recipients of the 2025 Best of SFA Award.
“Our SFA student leaders all deserve recognition for the incredible impact they have on the university,” said Dr. Lacey Folsom, director of Student Engagement. “Out of all our wonderful students, the committee selected these four recipients for consistently demonstrating the spirit of the Best of SFA Award through their enthusiasm, commitment and hard work.”
The awards are presented annually to honor students who excel in the areas of scholarship, participation and leadership in academic and cocurricular activities as well as service and loyalty to the university. These students are recognized during the Lumberjack Achievement Awards Banquet held each spring semester and go on to represent SFA throughout the following academic year.
Garrett Bates
Bates is an accounting major and a graduate of Frisco Independence High School. He is the son of Stephanie Gilkey and Jeremy Bates.
At SFA, Bates served as president of Omega Delta Phi fraternity from spring 2023 to fall 2024 and accumulated over 60 hours of service each semester while participating in the organization’s initiatives. One of those was the OD5K, which is held every semester with all proceeds benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. In 2023, Bates was named Order of Omega Greek Man of the Year.
In addition to leadership roles in his fraternity, Bates served as an SFA Orientation leader, an Orientation student coordinator, an Orientation business intern, a Jack Camp counselor and a Weeks of Welcome leader. He was named Orientation Leader of the Year in 2023.
Off campus, Bates works as the assistant manager at the Nacogdoches Whataburger.
Bates plans to graduate next month and move back to the Dallas area to begin a career as an accountant. He intends to pursue a master’s degree in accounting with the long-term goal of managing the financial operation of his family’s landscaping business.
