Oklahoma State University will launch the Rise School of Stillwater, a preschool for special needs children, thanks in part to a $425,000 gift from Boone Pickens, the Mya Gonzales Foundation, in cooperation with OSU’s College of Human Environmental Sciences.

The Mya Gonzales Foundation was formed by OSU Director of Football Operations Jimmy Gonzales, and his wife, Mary, in March of 2006. Mya Gonzales is their 1-year-old daughter, who was born with Down Syndrome in July of 2005. The Gonzales family learned of The RISE School through Texas head football coach Mack Brown and his wife, Sally. They also visited the original RISE school in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and visited with former Alabama head coach Gene Stallings, whose support helped construct the current RISE School in Alabama. The RISE School of Stillwater will become the seventh of its kind in the United States.

“Anyone who has ever met Jimmy Gonzales and his family knows right off how extraordinary they are,” commented Boone Pickens. “We are pleased to join with Jimmy and Oklahoma State University to help establish a RISE school of Stillwater and a focused teaching program to equip students with the knowledge and abilities they need to become capable teachers of special needs children.”

School administrators will be employees of OSU’s College of Human Environmental Sciences and Dean Patricia Knaub said The RISE School will not only address a major need, but will provide an outstanding learning opportunity for students in the HES college. “When the Gonzales family presented the idea for The RISE School to us, we were pleased and thrilled to be a part of their vision,” Knaub said. “The RISE School will provide a welcome and complimentary program to our highly regarded early childhood education and child development programs.”

Knaub said The RISE School will be modeled after the nationally renowned early intervention program for preschoolers with disabilities at the original RISE School at the University of Alabama. The school will provide valuable hands-on training for OSU students majoring in early childhood education and child development.

“We talk a lot about family -- the OSU family -- in our program,” said Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy. “These coaches and players are family to me. I care deeply for each one of them. Our immediate families become extensions of the OSU football family because we are around each other so much. As coaches, we do not speak often enough about how much we appreciate our spouses and children. Boone’s gracious donation will meet a need in our community and will be invaluable to Jimmy and his family. Let me just say on behalf of everyone affiliated with this tremendous program, thank you Boone and thank you Dr. Knaub for responding in a remarkable way. You see one more reason today why I believe this program is indeed special and I am proud to be affiliated with it.”