Natan Gomez named 2024 Wilson Award Winner at Arkansas State University

Natan Gomez, winner of the R.E. Lee Wilson Award, is congratulated by Perry Wilson, who made the presentation at the conclusion of a university dinner recognizing the 2023-24 winners of the Distinguished Service Awards.

JONESBORO - Natan Gomez, a senior from Irapuato, Mexico, received the R.E. Lee Wilson Award for 2024 at the Wilson Award Dinner tonight at Cooper Alumni Center.

This is the 91st year that the Wilson Award, Arkansas State University's highest award to a graduating student, has been presented.
Gomez will graduate from A-State in May with a degree in biotechnology from the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics. He was selected from a group of six Distinguished Service Award (DSA) winners honored at the ceremony.
Other DSA honorees included Bailey Blackmon of Perryville, Christopher L. Crutchfield of North Little Rock, Ann Long of Cape Girardeau, Mo., William "Garrett" Partain of Lepanto, and Khushi Singh of Bryant.
Perry Wilson of Little Rock, the award namesake's great-great-grandson, announced Gomez as the recipient.
With a cumulative grade point average of 4.0, Gomez has received numerous honors and awards including the Red Wolf Works Signature Experience Medal, Justin M. Humpreys Memorial Scholarship and A-State Achievement Scholarship. He was also on the Chancellor's List for each of his four years at A-State.

"I think being named the Wilson Award winner would be the most full circle moment that I have had in my life. It would be a portrayal of all the hardships, successes and failures that I have gone through in college," Gomez said in an introductory video.
Born in Oregon and raised in his family's home country of Mexico, Gomez is a dual citizen. He said when planning his future, he wanted to take advantage of the opportunities available to him. He considered attending several universities but found A-State to be his best match.
"Arkansas State really provided exactly the major that I was seeking, and they also provided me with the most financial aid and opportunities that I needed to go to college," he added.

He said deciding to attend college in the U.S. was the first step in his journey of independence.

"College is not as difficult as it seems. It might seem like a big place, but it really then turns into your home," continued Gomez.
When he arrived at A-State, he was seeking a sense of belonging. Gomez joined Hermana y Hermano following an information session.
He said being involved with that organization is what helped him get through college. He has served as a mentee, a mentor, as vice president and now as president of the organization.

"There I found a family of friends that helped me push through really difficult situations. And not only that, but they helped me navigate through college as it is a mentorship program," he added.

Gomez said he started his leadership journey at A-State.
"Leadership for me is inspiring others and sharing your growth with others in full transparency. It's creating deep connections with these members and helping them grow in their own skills and their own objectives and getting to know them to see how you can help them," he said.
He served as arts and culture director for the Student Activities Board and that position really led him to visualize what being a leader meant to him and the impact he could have on campus and other students.

"A big purpose we have here on campus is to share and enjoy our culture with others. A lot of people think that we should cluster in our own ethnicity or race, but really the whole point of being in college or just life itself is really to share the particularities that each one of us has and the beauty behind it," he continued.
Gomez already speaks four languages and strives to one day speak seven. He said he wants to pursue a master's degree in biomedical engineering or drug design. After completing that degree, he is considering seeking a doctoral degree.

He said being named a DSA winner was a very surreal experience and something that has made all of his hard work worthwhile.

"The most important thing that I got out of college was the people. That is what made Arkansas State University my home," he added. "I am very, extremely grateful for everybody who was a part of my journey."

R.E. Lee Wilson, a Mississippi County planter and businessman, served on the institution's Board of Trustees from 1917 until his death in 1933. The annual Wilson Award presentation began the following year, more than eight decades ago.
The names of Wilson Award winners are permanently listed in a prominent display outside Centennial Hall in the Carl R. Reng Student Union. Previous Wilson Award recipients formed a Wilson Fellows Chapter of the A-State Alumni Association that has funded a scholarship program. Wilson Award winners receive a post-graduate scholarship from the chapter to be used for additional education after graduation from A-State.

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