Outcomes 2020

WHAT CAN YOU ACCOMPLISH WITH A DEGREE FROM OCU?

OUTCOMES 2020

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A

CAREER Alex Enterline: Jimmy Winter: national tour of “Nice Work if You Can Get It”

YOU’RE

Ashleigh Sorrell Rose: Director of Campaign Operations for United Way of Central Oklahoma

PASSIONATE ABOUT

Jay Wadley: His soundtrack to “Indignation” premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival

Jessica Palu: Radio City Rockette

An Oklahoma City University education is just the beginning.

Having a career you’re passionate about is the result. Whether it’s on Broadway or Wall Street, in a hospital or boardroom, behind a pulpit or a camera, OCU graduates excel. They are leaders in their professions and enrich their communities.

DeEtta Cravens: Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. Department of State

Anna Nguyen: Content Production Representative at Universal Music Group

2Madi Alexander: Data Journalist for Bloomberg Government in Washington, D.C.

Kristen Bailey-Mills: Family Nurse Practitioner for FusionMD

Carsen Moon: Financial Analyst at MidFirst Bank

Rick McKee: composer/arranger for major theme parks

CAREER

services THAT GOES

B E YO N D THE

BASICS If you want to go beyond the basics in your search for the right internship or career opportunity, the OCU Career Services staff is ready and willing to assist. Career Services provides a wide range of resources including individual career advising, resume and cover letter development, personal statement critiques, career-development-workshops and seminars, on-campus interviewing, employer information sessions, and career and internship fairs.

OCU students and alumni can register for the online database where you can search for jobs, internships, alumni mentors, as well as on-campus and workstudy positions.

Learn More: okcu.edu/careers

INTERNSHIPS THAT P RE P A RE Y O U

for success OCU students take advantage of hundreds of internships and partnerships with a variety of companies and organizations.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW: • National Institute for Health

• Walt Disney World

• Canterbury Choral Society

• Ernst & Young

• Jacob’s Pillow Dance

• National Science Foundation

• Devon Energy

• Oklahoma City Ballet

• Chesapeake Energy

• KWTV News 9

• KFOR News 4

• Creative Arts Agency

• Oklahoma City Energy

• Integris Health

• Bridges Advertising Agency

• Oklahoma City Children’s Theatre

• Skyline Urban Ministries

• Oklahoma City Boathouse

• Federal Aviation Administration

• The Tony Awards

• Critical Mass Productions

• Oklahoma City Police Department

• Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma

• Austin City Limits

• Target Corporation

• Ackerman McQueen

• Kennedy Center

• Oklahoma City Civic Center

• Utah Festival Opera Co.

• Family Builders

• Oklahoma City Thunder

• Oklahoma State Senate

• Oklahoma Gazette

• The Oklahoman

• Sandy Hillman Communications

• Oklahoma House of Representatives

• Brides of Oklahoma

• El Sistema Oklahoma

• Farmers Insurance

• Respect Diversity Foundation

• University of Oklahoma Health

• Mental Health Association Oklahoma

• OKC All Sports Association

Sciences Center

• Tulsa Ballet

• Arts Council of Oklahoma City

• Disney Entertainment

• Box Talent

• Oklahoma City Public Schools

• Staplegun Advertising

• Airbus DS Communications

• Court Appointed Special Advocates

• Manhattan Construction Co.

• Oklahoma Historical Society

• Oklahoma Youth Orchestras

• Sunbeam Family Services

• Sonic Corporation • Amazon

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internship spotlight with sydney A Theatrical Design and Production Student

“Over the summer, I had the privilege of spending two months working as a scenic painter for the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas.

I was given the opportunity to work with some pretty incredible people- my supervisor was actually a freelance scenic artist from New York City, where I hope to work one day! Our team of four was in charge of doing all the paint work for four shows all opening within a few weeks of each other, so we had to work pretty quickly. The first show that opened was a production of “The Winter’s Tale.” This show was unique because it took place on the lawn of UCA, so we had to paint every piece of lumber with a waterproof base coat before we could add the paint treatment, since it would sit outside day and night during the run of the show. Our biggest challenge was the two shows that ran in the main indoor space, “Henry IV Part One,” and Lerner and Lowe’s “My Fair Lady.” These shows ran in reparatory, meaning that they occupied the same stage on different nights. Some of the scenery was shared, so we had to make sure things like wood tones matched so that they wouldn’t be out of place in either show. We had to do a lot of complicated techniques for both shows, including wood graining, stone texturing, and faux wallpapering. Because a lot of the scenery had to be moved from the scene shop and put together in the space, we had to wait and paint a lot of things the week before the show opened, necessitating a few overnight works calls so that we could paint without the cast being in the way. It was a lot of work, but we pulled it off! Our final show we had to paint was a small touring production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” This show was thankfully much smaller than the other three, as it had to be packed up and moved around the state. Painting only took a few days, thanks to the relatively simple paint treatment and the willingness of the designer to pitch in and help us paint when we got close to the deadline.

Photo Credit: Eric White

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Being in Arkansas last summer was a wonderful experience. I got to make some wonderful new friends, many of whom I hope I’ll get to work with again one day. I was also glad I had enough time to get to see some of the great parts of the state- I had enough time off that my mom drove up and went sightseeing with me in Little Rock and Hot Springs. Sometimes I would just get in my car and drive around the hills and mountains, just taking in the beauty of Arkansas. I learned a lot while I was there: I learned many new paint techniques that I hope to use in my future show designs and the shows I paint here at OCU. I learned how to make friends and get to know people in a place where I knew absolutely no one, which was a new experience for me. I also learned how to buckle down and work long hours to reach a deadline- we run a pretty tight schedule here at OCU, but this was even tighter, and I was thankful I was used to the rigorous pace of OCU theatre to prepare me for this job. I am so blessed that I was able to spend my summer with Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, and I hope that all of my future jobs are as fun and informative as this one!”

study abroad spotlight with elizabeth A BUSINESS ECONOMICs student

“When I first came to OCU, I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to study abroad because I had too many commitments, but somehow, I found myself signed up for nearly a full calendar year out of the country!

My first study abroad experience, done with the Doers Program in Taiwan, only lasted a month. It was a very busy month though; I spent two weeks in Taipei getting used to Taiwanese culture and taking language courses before going out to the coast of Hualien and working as a counselor at the International Education Alliance camp. Over the two weeks of camp, I worked with university students from both OCU and Taiwan to expand the campers’ worldview on a variety of subjects, and in turn, the campers expanded my worldview every time I spoke to them outside of their lessons.

The entire trip was one of the best months of my life, and I did so many things I never thought I’d do - like hiking up a mountain, river climbing, and going on a cable car in the middle of a typhoon!

My second study abroad experience is one I’m currently experiencing! Right now, I’m in Great Britain studying at the London School of Economics and Political Science for the full academic year, which was a bit daunting at first because I’ve never been so far away from my family for so long.

Despite that, it’s been fun to settle into such an exciting and challenging learning environment. Also, living in London has allowed me to visit popular tourist destinations almost every weekend. From Stonehenge to Caerphilly Castle, to the simple fact that I can see Big Ben from my window, there is rarely a dull moment.

Studying abroad is a truly invaluable experience, and I’ve definitely come to be a better person because of it.”

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SASHA HUTCHINGS

Performing WITH

PURPOSE

by Terry Phelps

Sasha Hutchings

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Performing in five shows on Broadway and other shows off Broadway has given alumna Sasha Hutchings, BPA ’11, opportunities to epitomize Oklahoma City University’s mission to develop graduates who “use their knowledge and talents to make a local and global impact.” As she said in a Dance Magazine interview, “Dance is how I fulfill a greater calling to communicate, heal, teach, and effect change in society.”

While at OCU, Hutchings added singing and acting to her dancing skills and performed in Oklahoma City Lyric Theatre shows including “Oliver,” “Ragtime,” and “Chorus Line.” Completing her degree, she moved to New York City and began auditioning “for anything and everything—union, non-union, regional, Broadway, offBroadway.” After a few months, she went to an open call audition for “Memphis” and landed her Broadway debut as a swing. That meant covering eight different parts, being ready to go on at a moment’s notice if another actor was sick or injured.

“There are swings in every department,” Hutchings says, “cast, crew, stage management, wardrobe, hair, etc., because the show must quite literally go on. As a swing I was backstage a lot, so I saw that in action. It was humbling in that I saw how easily it can be to replace someone who is out of the show that night, but it is also

a huge lesson in respecting the work of your cast mates and everyone’s unique contribution to the show as you all work together to maintain the integrity and magic of the theater.”

Since “Memphis,” her Broadway shows have included “Rocky” (in ensemble and Apollo Girl roles), “Motown the Musical” (as Claudette Robinson, Billie Jean Brown, and Marvelette), “Hamilton” (ensemble and understudy as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds), and “My Fair Lady” (ensemble). She admits that in college she was focused on “making it to Broadway and not being a starving artist. Conversely, as my career began to accelerate, especially with ‘Hamilton,’ I started to realize that ‘all the world’s a stage,’ and when you are given a platform, you can use that to share your point of view, or better yet, give voice to someone else in need or spotlight issues or people that would otherwise be lost in the shuffle, both on stage and off.

“On stage as an actor, I get to experience characters, worlds, and ideas that may be unfamiliar.

‘Rocky’ sheds light on the hopes and struggles of a working-class community in Philadelphia. ‘Motown’ tells the story of African-American neighborhood kids from Detroit becoming international superstars. ‘Memphis’ centers on race relations in 1950s Memphis. ‘My Fair Lady’ investigates the conflicts and implications of language, gender, and class in Edwardian England, which in turn exposes a lot about how we think and relate to gender and class issues today. With ‘Hamilton,’ to quote the show, ‘the world turned upside down’ by casting people of color to play the founding mothers and fathers of this nation, calling to question the face of ownership and identity of what it means to be American.

“Off stage, theater can be a way to process what is happening in the world around us. In ‘Motown,’ we were on stage when we heard George Zimmerman was acquitted after killing Trayvon Martin. I watched the 2016 election results while performing off-Broadway in ‘Sweet Charity’ with many castmates of different races, gender, faith, and sexual preference who were unsure of what the next

four years would be after such a divided and often hurtful campaign season. We used our story about a bunch of misfit characters in 1960s New York fighting to find acceptance to process feelings of alienation.

“Hopefully seeing ourselves onstage through one character or another teaches us to overcome prejudice with empathy, to learn from our mistakes as well as celebrate our virtues. Theater is useful and is an essential component of our humanity. If something makes you uncomfortable in life, you can try to work it out on stage, and if something makes you uncomfortable on stage, it may teach you something about yourself and who you are in the world.”

Hutchings’ favorite OCU classes included history professor Larry Cobb’s two world history survey courses because he connected history with current social and economic circumstances and encouraged students to see how today’s events will affect the future. Cobb says Hutchings is one of his dozen favorite all-around students in his 38 years at OCU, and he kept an exceptional essay she wrote. She helped him get a seventh-row center seat for “Hamilton” and took him backstage after the show at the same time filmmaker George Lucas was there.

Hutchings enjoyed professor Tiffany Van der Merwe’s jazz dance classes, which she found “both physically and intellectually stimulating in that she explained the root and technique of every challenging exercise.” As a choreographer for the American Spirit Dance Company’s holiday and spring shows, “Professor Van der Merwe often began with a story and a world of characters, encouraging us to explore how that context informs movement. That process is not unlike what happens in the creative development of a Broadway show. We are in the business of storytelling, and beyond perfect execution of a pirouette is the higher goal of communicating shared human experience. Studying with her, you might achieve both.”

Van der Merwe says: “Sasha had a unique ability to submerge herself into a created moment and become the tone, the feel, the shape, and the character of that moment with an authentic and soulful perspective. It was a given that she had a high level of skill and technique, but more importantly,

she could ‘become’ anything asked by her choreographer— thrilling, heartbreaking, enigmatic, dramatic, whimsical, charming, joyful—it was intuitive to her. … She was a muse to so many of her choreographers because of her range, adaptability, and boldness.”

Hutchings played an important role in Van der Merwe’s choreography of “Crippled Bird” sung by Dolly Parton, a favorite vocal artist from Van de Merwe’s childhood.

“The sorrow in Dolly Parton’s voice and the seasoned pain that pulled at the end of each note haunted me for years,” says Van der Merwe. “I really chewed on this song for a while, wondering what story could possibly do this song justice.

I needed dancers in the room to help uncover the layers of the song as well as bring the story alive to an audience who may or may not have loved the song the way I did. Finding a young collegiate artist who had the ability to bring visceral weight and believability to the piece was important. Sasha and a handful of dancers worked together with me to create something that was genuine and honest and emotionally accessible. The process was inspired. Their work ethic, kindness, openness, and sense of cooperation truly embodied what we try to do here at OCU: provide an opportunity and space to inspire and encourage disciplined, kind, and savvy artists to embrace challenges with courage. Sasha inherently understood this on a profound level, and now we see her not only finding success as a sought-after performer, but actively striving to propel the craft and the industry forward.”

Hutchings served as a tutor in OCU’s Learning Enhancement Center for four years, helping students communicate their ideas and get a better grasp of English grammar. “In turn,” she says, “I experienced firsthand that individuals from disparate backgrounds and unfamiliar languages shared the same ardent ambition for higher education as I did. We often shared similar ideals and values as well. In a time when our news headlines and presidential speeches are overrun with xenophobia, I am so glad for this experience. It is a reminder of how simply working together with your neighbor toward a common goal prevents walls of fear, prejudice, and hate.”

Asked in an interview for the OCU website how the university prepared her for her career, Hutchings said, “I acquired tremendous performance ability and education during my time at OCU, but the most valuable skill I gained was the ability to learn, adapt, and create opportunities for myself to excel. Jo Rowan incorporates a quote by the Roman philosopher Seneca into the curriculum and culture of the OCU dance program: ‘Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.’ As a performer, there are many factors over which I have no control. However, I can always be responsible for my own preparation so that when the challenge of a new opportunity for success arrives, I am more than ready to meet that challenge.”

Hutchings was recently made a member of the Master Artist Council of the Arthur Miller Foundation, which provides resources for public school theater programs and teachers. She says this is “a growing part of my advocacy for arts education, particularly for those who may not have financial access. I believe quality theater education is a right, not a privilege, and participation in the arts is integral to our cultural identity. By giving public school students access to quality theater education, we create opportunities for more diverse stories, voices, audiences, and ultimately, a more integrated and engaged society.”

“

Beyond perfect execution of a pirouette is the higher goal of communicating shared human experience.

”

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Where are they now?

CHECK OUT THE SUCCESS OF

WHEREVER

T H E Y

O U R R EC E N T G R AD UAT ES !

G O

OCU GRADS F I N D

success

Sarah McKenzie - BFA Film Production ‘11 McKenzie is an assistant production coordinator at Warner Bros. Entertainment. She has received credit for her work on projects such as “The Red Line,” “Shameless,” and “Chicago Fire.”

Madi Alexander - BA Political Science, Mass Communications ‘14 Alexander is a multimedia journalist whose works have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, CNN, and more. She is currently a data journalist for Bloomberg Government in Washington, D.C. Ashton Glover-Gatewood – BS Cell & Molecular Biology ‘11, BA Spanish ‘11, BSN ‘15 During her time at OCU, Glover-Gatewood earned three different bachelor’s degrees, as well as won Miss Native American OKCU. She is now the public health director for the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic.

Paty Lopez McFatridge - BFA Design & Production ‘17 McFatridge serves as the production coordinator for the Dallas Theater Center.

Elizabeth Larsen - BFA Design & Production ‘17 After graduating in 2017, Larsen moved to Chicago and is working as a freelance stage manager.

Tony-Award winners Kelli O'Hara (Vocal Performance '98) and Kristin 8 Chenoweth (Music Theater '91, Master of Music '93) have each been staples on Broadway for more than a decade.

Kristen Bailey-Mills - BSN ‘13 In 2014, Bailey was recognized as an Outstanding Nursing Alumnus by the Kramer School of Nursing for implementing a new fall risk program at the Oklahoma City hospital where she worked. The program was based on a project she had completed during her last semester of school. She now works as a Family Nurse Practitioner for FusionMD in Oklahoma City.

Chance Johnson - BA Political Science ‘15 Johnson, OCU’s Student Government Association President from 2015-2016, is now in his 3rd year of studying law at Ohio State University. He also works as a legal intern at the Ohio Board of Nursing Elliott Mattox - BM Music Theater ‘14 Mattox recently made his debut in the ensemble for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

DeEtta Cravens - BA Political Science, BA Philosophy, BA Spanish ‘12 Cravens was a triple major in political science, philosophy, and Spanish at OCU. She earned a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to teach English in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She then received the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship to attend the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She now works as a foreign service officer (diplomat) for the U.S. Department of State.

Alicia Newcom - BPA Dance Performance ‘13 Jessica Palu - BPA Dance Performance ‘12 Palu and Newcom are Radio City Rockettes. The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment has produced 48 Rockettes.

Kate Moore - BM Music Theater ‘13 Moore can currently be seen in the ensemble of the North American tour of “Les Miserables.” Previous credits include Fiasco Theater’s “Into The Woods,” “CATS,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and “Spring Awakening.”

Joshua Cassella - BFA Studio Art ‘13 Cassella is a painter, illustrator, and photographer who resides in Oklahoma City. Formerly serving as the outreach coordinator at the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, Cassella is currently a fine art consultant at Porch School & Art Supply.

Adam Call - BFA Design & Production ‘16 Call is a business office manager at DCF Concerts, which is an Oklahoma City-based concert production, management, and special events company that produces live events with artists at venues all across Oklahoma and Kansas.

Charlie Ludden - BS Marketing ‘09 Ludden works as a development manager for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children of Oklahoma County, whose mission it is to provide trained volunteers to be a champion for the individualized best interests of children in foster care.

Sarah Cardillo - BS Dance Management ‘08 Cardillo is a senior development officer for Broadway Cares, a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City. It is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis and raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the country.

Jake Miller - BS English ‘10 Miller is an English major who found his way to a career in video game design, working for Blizzard Entertainment on games such as “World of Warcraft” and “Heroes of the Storm.”

Emily Sanders-Chen - BS Cell & Molecular Biology ‘13 Sanders-Chen was a recipient of the Undergraduate Research for Growth and Experience scholarship in 2009, going on to conduct research at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. She won the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship in 2012 and attended medical school at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She is now a resident physician at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR. Meredith Ziegler - BM Vocal Music Education ‘10 Ziegler currently teaches music at Roosevelt Elementary in Norman, OK. Additionally, she also directs the Apprentice Choir as part of the Canterbury Youth Choruses. Ziegler was named 2014 Teacher of the Year by the Oklahoma City Public Schools District.

Adam Jones - BFA Studio Art ‘09 Jones is a local artist and owner/operator of Paint N’ Cheers in Oklahoma City.

Jeremy Littlefield - BFA Design & Production ‘15 Littlefield has previously worked as a technical director at Opera Saratoga, as technical director at Music Theatre Wichita, and is now pursuing an MFA at Carnegie Mellon University.

Mary Jo Silsby - BS Entertainment Business ‘06, MA Non-Profit Leadership ‘15 Silsby is the associate director of venue operations for the National Basketball Association (NBA). She previously worked as the event manager for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kristen Wisniewski - BS Entertainment Business ‘14 Wisniewski lives in Houston working as a development project specialist for Houston Methodist hospitals.

Ronnie Hood, PHR - BSB Business Administration ‘11 Building an impressive resume as a human resources professional, Hood works as an HR business partner for Nextep in central Oklahoma, after previously working as an HR director at Collision Works LLC, an HR generalist of Citizen Potowatomi Nation, and an HR generalist for Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma.

Ryan Beach - BM Music ‘10 Beach is currently principal trumpet in the Alabama Symphony.

Alexis Garcia - BFA Design & Production ‘14 Garcia is the company manager and artistic administrator at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Kelsey Dolphin - BS Dance Management ‘13 Dolphin, previously the national events coordinator at the OKC Boathouse Foundation, is now the national events coordinator of USA Triathlon in Colorado Springs, CO. Ariel Richardson - BFA Acting ‘16 Richardson is a Chicago-based actress who recently appeared on FOX’s “Empire” and Showtime’s “The Chi.”

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Brade Bradshaw - BFA Acting ‘17 Bradshaw recently completed the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Emerging Professional Residency program. He also has credits performing with Children’s Theatre of Madison and Third Avenue Playhouse in Wisconsin, as well as a recent short film in Chicago.

Jack Malone – BA Mass Communications ‘13 Malone works as an executive at McGarryBowen advertising agency in San Francisco. McGarryBowen’s clients include Maserati, Staples, Intel, American Express, Marriott International, Chevron, Crayola, and Disney, just to name a few.

Olivia Cinquepalmi - BFA Acting ‘17 Cinquepalmi, an actress from Plano, Texas, is slated to play Somebody in an upcoming performance of “Everybody” at Stage West Theatre.

Maleyia Vaughn – BA Mass Communications ‘16 Vaughn, who has a background in journalism, recently made the move over to corporate communications and is now working as a marketing & communications specialist for Norman Regional Health System in Norman, OK.

Sarah Hinrichsen - BFA Acting ‘16 Originally from Los Angeles, Hinrichsen now performs in “Imbible: Day Drinking” at New World Stages in New York City.

Robert Postotnik - BS Entertainment Business ‘11 Postotnik works for the awardwinning global entertainment agency AKA NYC as an art director. Working cross-platform,

he oversees campaigns from

concept to production executions

in print and digital. Current clients include: “Harry Potter & Caleb Howard – BA Mass Communications ‘14 Howard began his career while in college working at KOCO the Cursed Child,” “Anastasia: The Musical,” “Big Apple Circus,” “Groundhog Day: The Musical,” “A Bronx Tale,” News Channel 5 as a Technical Operator, and now applies “New York Botanical Garden,” “Significant Other,” and skills he learned at OCU as a System Engineer for AVL “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Systems Design.

Jay Wadley - BM Music Composition ‘05 A composer, former president of Project 21: Music for the Twenty First Century, and co-founder of Found Objects Music Productions, Wadley received the firm’s first national CLIO Awards win for original score at an awards ceremony in Lincoln Center.

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Dr. Joshua Grube - BS Biochemistry ‘10 Dr. Grube graduated Magna Cum Laude from OCU, first in his class with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. He then obtained his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. Throughout medical school he often volunteered at an Oklahoma

City free clinic and participated in an interprofessional collaboration of students to form a fully functioning student-run clinic. Dr. Grube is now a medical resident at Halifax Health in Daytona Beach, FL. Amanda Lee - BS Entertainment Business ‘12 Lee attended the University of Oklahoma College of Law and now works as a deputy attorney general in Indiana.

Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General in Indiana, Lee served in the AmeriCorps, where she worked with low income and at-risk children.

Rick McKee - BM Music Composition ‘09 McKee works as a music producer out of Orlando, FL. His works range from television specials to theme parks, firework shows, parades, commercials, jingles, ride soundtracks, and cruise lines. He served as an arranger on both an Emmy-nominated song in 2009, and an Emmy Awardwinning song in 2011. His music can be found on over 30 Walt Disney Record releases.

Emily Webster - BS Chemistry ‘15 During her time at OCU, Webster was a four-time national title holder in women’s wrestling. Webster is now an energy technician for Honeywell in Kansas City.

Erik Thacker - BFA Film Production ‘15 Thacker, a former staff sergeant in the United States Air Force, works as a post-production engineer at Ark Media and as a producer/cinematographer for Eyeshock Studios.

Brent Jackson - BSN ‘09 Jackson works as a rapid-response registered nurse, where his role includes identifying patients that may require

more care or escalation of care, as well as serves as clinical resource for nurses in all units, at Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.

Wes Hart - BM Music Theater ‘06 After spending some time on the national tour of “Jersey Boys,” Hart returned to New York City to join the original Broadway cast of “Anastasia,” where he was joined by fellow OCU alum Molly Rushing.

Jeff Riles - BS Justice Studies and Political Science ‘09 Riles is a manager of government and regulatory affairs at Enel Green Power North America, Inc. in Washington, D.C.

Mollie Reid - BA Early Childhood Education & Elementary Education ‘12 Reid taught for three years in Oklahoma City Public Schools, with two years of that being at an arts integration school. In 2015, Reid applied for and was offered the position of outreach education director at the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre. In the two years she has held this position, she has written successful grants, managed the after-school programs, helped coordinate the summer theatre camps, and directed the “Page-to-Stage” literacy program. She has increased the participation in “Pageto-Stage” more than 30%, so more than 1,000 elementary children from low-income schools get the benefit of the integration of theatre and literacy.

Keslie Ward - BM Music Theater ‘15 Ward is currently playing Liesel in the national tour of “The Sound of Music.” She has previously worked with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, and Disney Cruise Lines.

Alexandria Johnson - BS Entertainment Business ‘15 Johnson works in visual effects in the film industry in Hollywood. Some of her recent projects include “The Solutrean,” “Baywatch,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II.” Honey Wenninger-Davidge - BS Elementary Education ‘09 In 2017, Wenninger-Davidge sold her house and everything but the necessities to move permanently to Maputo, Mozambique to teach in a day center and school. She is developing curriculum, teaching literacy in English and Portuguese, and continually raising money, all with the intention of supporting boys who live on the streets.

Jacob Leighton Burns - BFA Film Production ‘09 Burns is a cinematographer and film director. He wrote and directed “Electric Nostalgia,” which won Best Oklahoma Feature Film at the 2016 deadCenter Film Festival.

Elizabeth Roewe - BS Entertainment Business ‘15 Roewe works as a member engagement manager for the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, which is located in the heart of the downtown Arts District in Oklahoma City.

Savannah Owen - BS Kinesiology and Exercise ‘12 Owen is the director of health and physical education at the Oklahoma State Department of Education. She works to organize the planning and direction of the state physical education, health, and safety education programs for Oklahoma public schools.

Phillip Oliver - BS Entertainment Business ‘17 Oliver, a President’s Leadership Class Scholar at OCU, now works as the event coordinator of the Mabee Center, which is an 11,300-seat arena on the campus of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK.

Hannah Lefler - BM Instrumental Performance ‘09 Lefler is a co-founder of WoodWired Duo, a Dallasbased electroacoustic group that uses live-looping software and electronics with original arrangements. She is also a winner of the National Flute Association’s Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition, and a winner at the Myrna Brown Artist Competition, the Atlanta Young Artist Competition, the Crescendo Music Awards, and the Couer d’Alene Young Artist Competition.

Douglas Coulson - BA English, BA Philosophy ‘94, MLA ‘96 After attending OKCU, Coulson later earned his Ph.D. at the University of Texas and is now an assistant professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He recently published a book titled “Race, Nation, and Refuge.”

Nathan Gardocki - BFA Film Production ‘11 Gardocki is a filmmaker and founder of Nathan Gardocki Productions in Oklahoma City.

Brittany Sky - BA Relgious Education ‘09 Sky is the editor of Children’s Resources at the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, TN.

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Brandon Blacksten - BA Religion ‘08 Following graduation from OCU, Blacksten attended Vanderbilt University Divinity School and received his MDiv in 2011. He now serves as an associate pastor at Acts 2 - United Methodist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Sarah Neely - BME Instrumental Education ’06, MM Conducting ’08 Neely is director of bands at Edmond Santa Fe High School in Edmond, OK. She’s also a frequent percussionist with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Frontier Brass Band, and was named Oklahoma Music Educators Association’s 2014 Outstanding Young Music Educator and the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Bandmaster.

Brandon Hobson - BA English ‘92 After attending OCU, Hobson later earned his Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University and now teaches at Northern Oklahoma College. He has published three novels, with another soon to be published, and has published numerous short stories in magazines and online publications.

Sarah Nichols Lofton - BS Political Science, Justice Studies ‘10 Lofton is the director of development and communications at Teach for America in Oklahoma City.

Mary Beth Nelson - BM Vocal Performance ’14 Nelson is a 2017-18 Young Artist at the Florida Grand Opera.

Previously, Nelson was featured as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Derrick Wang’s comedic opera “Scalia/Ginsburg.” Most recently,

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Nelson debuted with Opera Las Vegas as Angelina in “La Cenerentola.” She is currently slated to make her debut with the Bronx Opera in Menotti’s “The Consul,” singing the role of the secretary. For the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons she was a resident artist at Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY, where she made her guest artist debut as Isabella in “L’italiana in Algeri.”

Brigette Zorn - BA Political Science ‘06 Making a career in healthcare philanthropy, Zorn worked in political fundraising in Washington, D.C. for several years after college before moving back to Oklahoma City and beginning work as a senior development program manager at Mercy Health Foundation.

Emily Skinner - BS Biomedical Science ‘10 A volleyball player here at OCU, Skinner is now a faculty member in the OU Family Medicine Physician Associate program in Oklahoma City.

Bailey Perkins - BA Political Science & History ‘12 Perkins works as the outreach and legislative liaison at the Oklahoma Policy Institute, where she is responsible for representing the Oklahoma Policy Institute at the Oklahoma State Capitol during legislative sessions, as well as working closely with advocacy groups and coalitions in the Oklahoma City area.

Ashleigh Sorrell Rose - BS Sociology & Criminal Justice ‘07 Sorrell Rose currently is the director of campaign operations for United Way of Central Oklahoma, where she has worked since 2010.

Daniel Hurst - BSN ‘13 Hurst felt the call to nursing later in life, deciding to pursue a career in nursing in his mid-30s. He now works as a staff RN for INTEGRIS Health in Oklahoma.

Bryan Bauer - BFA Design & Production ‘16 Bauer is an assistant stage manager at New York Theatre Workshop in New York City.

Tracey Bewley - BFA Studio Art ‘94 Bewley and her husband own Art Fusion Studio in Oklahoma City. The pair also created a glass and art installation for the Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery at OCU in 2018.

Steven Powell - BSN ‘14 Powell is a FEMA Certified Instructor on CBRNE DECON and went to grad school at Duke University. Since 2014, Powell has worked full time at Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston as a charge nurse.

Erick Worrell - BA Mass Communications ‘07 Worrell is now the Vice President of client services and creative strategy at Ghost, an Oklahoma City-based creative agency.

Allison Barta Bailey - BS Finance & Economics ‘06 After graduating from OCU, Barta Bailey spent several years working for Chesapeake Energy and blogging about local retail in her personal time. Barta Bailey now has a career in her passions, working as an urban retail specialist for Price Edwards & Company and as a producer of Holiday Pop-Up Shops and Industry Flea in Oklahoma City.

Anna Nguyen - BBA Marketing ‘17 Nguyen works as a content production representative at Universal Music Group in New York City.

Trevor Strahan - BFA Acting ‘16 Strahan, an Oklahoma Shakespeare in the park regular, now works as an actor at Shakespeare Dallas and a fight director/choreographer at Cypress Woods Theatre Company.

Kirsten Holder - BA Mass Communications ‘11 Formerly a senior marketing manager at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Holder is now the director of marketing for the Hal Smith Restaurant Group, whose restaurants include Mahogany, Charleston’s, and The Garage.

Eryn LeCroy - BM Vocal Performance ‘14 Since graduating from OKCU in 2014, LeCroy has performed in off-Broadway productions of “Camelot,” “Susannah,” Side

by Side by Sondheim,” “West Side Story,” “Jeckyll and Hyde,” “Scott & Zelda,” “Soustazka,” and “Sweeney Todd.” She is currently making her Broadway debut as Christine in “Phantom of the Opera.”

Matt Redmond - BFA Acting ‘16 Redmond works as an agent associate at DGRW Talent in New York City.

Robert Watson - BM Vocal Performance ‘11 Tenor Robert Watson is a member of the ensemble of Deutsche Oper Berlin where he has performed a multitude of roles including Ismaele in “Nabucco,” Grigori in “Boris Godunov,” and Bois-Rose in “Les Huguenots.” In 2019 Watson will make his Kennedy

Center debut with Washington National Opera as Cavaradossi in “Tosca.”

Cooper Baldwin - BM Composition ‘17 Baldwin is a composer, arranger, and performer currently residing in Burbank, California. During back-to-back internships with the DreamWorks Animation Music Department, Cooper assisted with multiple productions, including the animated feature film “Trolls” and the animated television series “VeggieTales in the House” and “The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show.”

Tommy Jones - BS Biology, BA Spanish ‘08 Jones works as an energy analyst/project monitor and federal contractor to the Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs in Golden, CO. He also holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resources Studies/ American Indian Studies, which he received from the University of Arizona in 2016.

Misael Martinez - BBA Finance, BBA Economics ‘17 An active member in the Investment Club at OCU, Martinez is now in the Officer Development program at MidFirst Bank in Oklahoma City.

Ayssette Munoz - BFA Acting ‘13 Munoz is an actress and company member at Teatro Vista and The Alliance of Latinx Theater Artists of Chicago. Television credits include “Chicago P.D.,” and she was featured as the Chicago Tribune’s “Top 10 New Faces of Chicago Theater” in 2015.

Raul Dominguez - BM Vocal Performance, BME Vocal Education ’12 Dominguez is an OCU Presser Scholar, first runner up in the nationwide 2013 ACDA Undergraduate Conducting Competition, and an alumnus fellow of the Yale-Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. He is currently a graduate student in choral conducting at Ithaca College.

MaryAnn Grover - BBA Marketing ‘16 While at OCU, Grover worked as a research assistant in the Office of the President. She is now studying law at the University of Richmond.

Cedric Bond - BA History ‘14, JD ‘17 Bond, who received both his undergraduate and juris doctorate from OCU, is now working as a staff attorney in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis, MO. Becca Koopferstock - BFA Design & Production ‘13 Koopferstock is a Magic Kingdom technician at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, where she works on shows and productions throughout the park.

Lena Khader - BS Psychology ‘13 Khader is a high school counselor for Oklahoma City Public Schools. She is also founder of Making HERstory, which is is a safe space for young women and allies in Oklahoma City to discuss feminism, social issues, and how their rich histories and personal narratives can be used as a form of empowerment to become socially and politically conscious beings of society.

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Miriam Ortega - BBA Marketing ‘16 Ortega works as a marketing coordinator & digital media specialist at Calle Dos Cinco in the Historic Capitol Hill District in Oklahoma City.

Kate Ocker - BFA Design & Production ‘15 Ocker works as the assistant stage manager for Northlight Theatre in Chicago. She has previously worked behind the scenes for theatres in Chicago, Minnesota, and Delaware.

Carsen Moon - BBA Economics ‘17 While an economics major at OCU, Moon worked as a senior research assistant for the Steven C. Agee Economic Research and Policy Institute within the Meinders School of Business - working with Ph.D. economists conducting research, and issuing reports.

Moon is now a financial analyst at MidFirst Bank in Oklahoma City.

Laura Collins - BFA Design & Production ‘15 Previously an application support specialist for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Collins now works as a production manager for Compassion Christian Church in Colleyville, Texas.

Jason Stewart - BFA Design & Production ‘15 Previously an automation technician for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, Stewart now works as an automation technician for Chris Angel Mindfreak.

Colin Anderson - BM Music Theater‘13 Anderson made his Broadway debut in 2018 as a member of the ensemble for the revival of Rodgers &

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Hammerstein’s “Carousel.”

Chet Burns - BFA Film Production ‘12 Burns is a story producer based out of Santa Monica, CA, whose work includes shows such as “Pawn Stars,” “American Grit,” “Alone,” and “Counting Cars,” just to name a few.

Jonah Johnson - BS Psychology ‘12 Johnson works as the benefit director at Core Initiatives PBC, which is a Public Benefit Corporation based in Oklahoma City that develops initiatives to create impact investing opportunities for investors.

Alejandra Wilson - BBA Marketing ‘13 Wilson is an HRIS analyst at American Fidelity in Oklahoma City, where she has worked since June 2013.

Patrick Hylton - BS Physics & Math ‘14 Following his undergraduate education at OCU, Hylton received his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and now works as a weapon response analyst for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM. Hylton previously worked as a mechanical design engineer for the NASA Ames Research Center and Berkeley BEST Labs.

Colton Hines - BM Instrumental Performance, BME Instrumental Education ‘12 Hines is an award-winning sound reinforcement consultant in the marching arts, serving as an audio

and electronics specialist for ensembles across the nation.

He’s an in-demand creator of Winter Guard Soundtracks, and he leads university-level workshops on music education, electronic music and audio engineering.

Kelsey Ricks - BS Political Science ‘14, MLA Nonprofit Leadership ‘16 Ricks works as the executive director for Project Transformation Oklahoma, whose mission is to engage young adults in purposeful leadership and ministry, support children in holistic development, and connect churches with communities.

Darius Wright - BM Music Theater ‘14 Formerly of national and international tours of “Matilda The Musical,” and Broadway’s “A Bronx Tale,” Wright is now an ensemble member of “Pretty Woman The Musical” at the Nederlander Theatre.

Taylor Herzer - BS Biomedical Science ‘15, MPAS ‘18 Herzer received both her undergraduate degree and her physician assistant training at OCU. She currently works as an emergency medicine physician assistant at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.

PROFESSORS

W H O

COUNT Y O U R

success

AS THEIR OWN

“A few weeks ago, one of our alumni who is in pharmacy school reached out to me to say thank you for not only teaching her chemistry, but for forcing her to really understand all of the concepts at a deep level. She told me that her deep understanding is what has made her successful in pharmacy school. Our goal here is not merely to teach our students so they can get another “A” on their transcript and then forget everything, but we teach in ways that change how they think and how they reason, to help them be not just good at one thing, but to be great in whatever they choose to do.

It’s such a great feeling when alumni see that connection between their OCU education and their later success.”

Dr. Stephen Prilliman Associate Professor of Chemistry

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2501 N Blackwelder Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73106

WHERE WILL YOUR

DEGREE F R O M

oklahoma CITY UNIVERSIT Y

TAKE YOU?