The perceived influences of winning the outstanding coeds-The Outstanding Young Men (TOC-TOYM) award : a study of TOC-TOYM awardees from 1985-1999.

The study determined the perceived influences of winning in the search for The Outstanding Coeds-The Outstanding Young Men (TOC-TOYM) by studying TOC-TOYM awardees from 1985-1999. There were 40 out of 69 contracted TOC-TOYM awardees who responded to the survey. This was done to get an overall view of them. From the 40, there were 10 awardees who were chosen through convenient and purposive sampling, to participate in the in-depth interview. The purpose of this was to verify and probe deeper to their responses in the survey, and gather new information. Results of the survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Data gathered from the in-depth interview were analyzed using data reduction. The results of the study revealed that winning the TOC-TOYM award had a positive influence in their self-esteem and achievement motivation as a form of recognition and affirmation, for who they are and they have achieved. In the areas of career entry and career development, winning the award helped increase their credibility and served as confidence booster. However, these were just one of the factors that helped them develop their career. Winning opened doors for them to be highly recognized within and outside the University. Overall, the study manifested the role award-giving bodies, such as TOC-TOYM, played in motivating talented individuals to strive to reach their fullest potentials.