Prioritizing creativity as a means for excellent and enduring service, senior Lacee Johnson has been named the 2026 recipient of The University of Tulsa’s Marcy Lawless Service Award. Each year at the undergraduate commencement ceremony, this prestigious honor and a $1,200 stipend are bestowed upon a graduating student who best embodies First Lady Emerita Marcy Lawless’ pursuit of excellence, generous spirit and dedication to serving others on campus and in the Tulsa community.
“I understand I must embody what makes me, me, and what made Marcy Lawless, her: generosity, creativity and intentional care through personalized, impactful, everyday behaviors,” he said.
His passion for helping others began in his first year at UTulsa as an out-of-state student from Austin, Texas. “Three elements – comfort, connection and inclusion – remain at the heart of my endeavors,” said Johnson. This led him to serve his campus community as a resident assistant and student leader, hosting more than 150 programs designed to foster unity, immersion and education. “What began as a personal longing for home quickly transformed into a sustained commitment to create that same sense of tenderness – first in residence halls and then throughout the broader Tulsa community,” he said.
Now, his service has spread beyond the UTulsa campus. From work with the Justice Arts Coalition as a D’Arcy intern to the George Kaiser Family Foundation Summer Impact Program, he now holds a role as the co-developer of PRISM, a free, art-based program connecting underserved queer youth in Northeast Oklahoma with creative outlets and mentorship.
After graduating from UTulsa with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and English & creative writing, Johnson plans to work with Tulsa Service Year toward a career in psychotherapy.
“I strive to reflect and carry forward the truly outstanding legacy Marcy Lawless paved by upholding her vision of service as a transformative and deeply personal duty to the world.”