THE ENDEAVOR SPRING 2022

The

ENDEAVOR Newsletter of the Oklahoma City University Honors Program

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Director’s Corner

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Honors Senior Dinner

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Undergraduate Research Day

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Honors Student Council 22-23

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Honors Graduates Profiles

Pictured: Gold Star Building, home of the OCU Honors Program

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SPRING TWENTY-TWENTY-TWO | 2022

DIRECTOR’S CORNER Thank you for taking the time to visit this spring 2022 edition of the Endeavor, the OCU Honors Program newsletter. After a brief delay returning to in-person classes in January, the spring semester has been full of activities and special events. We are so pleased to congratulate our 31 cum honore graduates whose profiles and pictures you’ll see in the pages ahead along with a feature on our graduation dinner and awards ceremony, held at a favorite local restaurant in OKC’s Plaza District, The Press. The semester also saw the return of in-person Undergraduate Research Day, featuring student posters and presentations in a variety of disciplines along with two performance pieces. Late spring is also the time that the honors student body elects its new Honors Student Council members. You can meet them too in this issue.

Thanks to all of you, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the program for your continued support.

Karen Youmans, Ph.D. Honors Program Director

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@ocuhonors

HONORS SENIOR DINNER Annually, the Honors Seniors are celebrated at a group dinner at The Press OKC. Students receive a certificate of completion as well as their stole for graduation. This year, Elizabeth Gwartney was awarded Outstanding Senior, Kristen Olmstead was awarded the Distinguished Service recognition, and Dr. Tracy Floreani was awarded the Distinguished Faculty recognition. This dinner is a fabulous way for students to have one last gathering with their entire cohort before each leaving on a unique path!

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UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH DAY

This year was the first post-quarantine reprise of the in-person format of undergraduate research day, a day for students to share work from a collection of disciplines that they have completed to a panel of judges. Congrats and thank you to all students who submitted posters, presentations, and performances!

This year’s grand prize was awarded to Ally Spear for her presentation on “North American River Otters: Enclosure Usage at the OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.”

2022 Undergraduate Research Day Winners Posters

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Category

Student(s)

Title

Supervising Faculty

Posters

Jamie Welsh and Austin Worley

The Mechanisms of Stress and the Body’s Response

Dr. Adam Ryburn

Presentations Category

Student(s)

Title

Interdisciplinary Humanities

Jacob Harrell

Expanding Conversations Around Fowler’s Stage of Faith

Science

Ally Spear

North American River Otters: Enclosure Usage at the OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden

Fine and Performing Arts

Tie: Glory Curda & Casey Kassal

Glory – Dynamite! The Soft Power of K-Pop in the Face of Global Powers Casey – Thought and Free Will: The Characterization of Hamlet in Free Will

Supervising Faculty Dr. Lisa Wolfe

Dr. Laurie Kauffman

Glory – Dr. Christa Bentley Casey – Dr. Erik Heine

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HONORS STUDENT COUNCIL 22-23 Congratulations to the newly elected Honors Student Council!

PRESIDENT: GABRIELLE YOUNG Gabrielle Young is a Dance Management major with a minor in Business Entrepreneurship from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Gabrielle is a returning member of HSC and says “I love the honors community and see the great possibility of what this community of like-minded individuals could become. As president, I hope to strengthen the bonds of our community to increase both on and off campus activity.”

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION: LAUREN HAIZLIP Lauren Haizlip is a PPE major from OKC. She says “I became interested in HSC because I wanted to get more involved on campus and more involved in the Honors program. I want to be able to make the Honors Program as fun and inclusive as possible for all the students involved!”

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING: KATY MANDERFELD Katy Manderfeld has a double major in Musical Theatre and Vocal Performance and is from Minneapolis. Katy is a returning member of HSC and says, “I was interested in VP of programming because I really wanted to strengthen the sense of community in the Honors Program and get honors students together through engaging events.

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING: SADIE KOOPMAN Sadie Koopman, a Music Theater and Vocal Performance major from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a returning member of HSC. Sadie Says, “I want to be able to provide the honors students with a community they can count on!”

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DIRECTOR OF FINANCE: JAMIE WELSH Jamie Welsh is a Cell and Molecular Biology major from Coppell, Texas. Jamie says “I am excited to be awarded the position of director of finance. I love the Honors Program and I am excited to keep everything organized. I’m so ready to work with the rest of exec. Looking forward to a great year.”

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING: FRANCESCA SAVONE Francesca Savone is a Dance Performance major from Commerce, Michigan.

Francesca says, “I became interested in HSC’s director of marketing position because I am a marketing assistant for the Ann Lacy School, where I have been working on social media, brand content, and creative videos and graphics for the @okcudance Instagram, so I thought this was a great opportunity to carry over my skills to my Honors community and create fun, engaging content for the Honors Program and prospective students.”

SECRETARY: HANNAH JACOBS Hannah Jacobs is a Political Science major from Oklahoma City. Hannah says “I was interested in becoming the secretary for the Honors Student Council because I love to take notes, I enjoy organizing meetings, and I wanted to assist the Honors Program and my peers with helpful detailed information from said meetings. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m very excited to serve as the secretary for the Honors Student Council!”

HONORS STUDENT PROFESSIONAL: CARLY PONTIUS Carly Pontius is a Dance Performance major from Colorado Springs, Colorado. As the student professional, she serves on the Honors Student Council as a sitting member. Carly says, “I love that part of my job is being able to connect with some of the most passionate and dedicated honors students. I love seeing them work together to make the Honors Hall home to many and look forward to working with the new crew!”

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HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES

OCU Honors Program Graduates 2022

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ALISHA ASIF, from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry.

She has been actively involved in student research since her first year at OCU. Her research conducted at the Stephenson Cancer Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center led to her poster presentation, “Role of KRCC1 in X-Irradiation Induced Damage,” which won the grand prize at the OUHSC Summer Undergraduate Research Day. She made some of her best honors memories over the two years she served as a peer mentor for new honors students. Alisha will begin medical school at Oklahoma State University in the fall.

SABRINA BARTLEY, from Shawnee, Oklahoma, is completing her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in child advocacy studies. She presented her research project, “Social Attitudes toward LGBTQ+ students in Greek Organizations” at the first ever virtual conference of the National Collegiate Honors Council in the fall of 2020. This past year she presented her senior capstone project on the connections between COVID-19, isolation, and depression symptoms, in older adults. She has also been active in her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, where she has served as vice president of risk management for two consecutive years. Her favorite honors memory was getting to know her honors classmates in the pouring rain during orientation. After graduation, Sabrina will begin the PsyD Clinical Psychology program at Kansas City University.

FABIUS BACSON, from New Braunfels, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting with a minor in film. In addition to performing in multiple School of Theatre shows over the past four years, Fabius has been a member of OCU Pom, receiving All-American Honorable Mention in 2022 and National Runner-up in 2021. When not performing on the theatre stage or with pom, Fabius has spent countless hours welcoming and caring for students as an RA and NSO leader. Their favorite honors memory is taking Honors LAS with Dr. Starkey and the incredible discussion and bright and welcoming environment of the class. After traveling to Rome this summer to study and perform in a production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Fabius plans to move to NYC to pursue a career in stage and screen acting and production.

ALEXA BEATHARD, from Fletcher, Oklahoma, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry. She has been actively involved in research projects throughout her years at OCU, including a National Science Foundation—funded REU experience at Texas A&M, in which she conducted impactful research focused on SARS-CoV-2. She also presented at OCU’s Undergraduate Research Day, along with her classmate Alisha Asif, on increasing the quality of education surrounding le Chatlier’s Principle. The thing she loves most about the honors program is the strong group of friends made during orientation and freshman year who have remained her strongest support system through college. This fall, Alexa will begin a graduate program in biomedical studies at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

BLAKE BULGER, from Fort Smith, Arkansas, is a December 2021 honors graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. During his years at OCU, Blake served on the Honors Student Council, attended the OSLEP Seminar “This Land is Herland,” and was awarded the “Heart of Nursing Award” by the Kramer School of Nursing. He will never forget his EscapeOKC experience during honors orientation and the “room of many chains.” Blake has been working as an RN at Oakwood Behavioral Health since his graduation in December. This fall he will begin the Master of Science in Nursing program at Vanderbilt University specializing in psychiatry and mental health.

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HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.) VLADIA CORTEST, from Norman, Oklahoma, is completing her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting. During her years at OCU, Vladia had her research on the barriers women in business face in attaining top management positions published in the student journal Stellar; she was selected as a Junior Marshal from the Meinders School of Business; and she became a member of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society for students in the fields of accounting and finance.

Her favorite honors memory is taking Honors World Religions with Dr. Starkey and the way he inspired her to trust her academic abilities and grow in confidence. This fall, Vladia will begin the Master of Accountancy program at the University of Oklahoma.

HAILEY FREELAND, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is completing her Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in dance performance. She has performed with the American Spirit Dance Company throughout her time at OCU, including Home for the Holidays and Broadway Revue. Her original choreography was featured in last fall’s student choreography showcase. Hailey has also been an active member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, serving last year as vice president for recruitment. Her favorite honors memory is the escape room challenge with her small group at honors orientation.

She will begin employment with Norwegian Cruise Lines in May. NICHOLE GOULD, from Glen Allen, Virginia, is completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in music.

She has been an active member of the music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota, and has held leadership positions as both membership director and rose chair. She has also been actively involved in her sorority, Phi Mu, where she has served as sisterhood chairperson. She will never forget working with her dear friend Dione Horne on their LAS support project on fairytale archetypes in “Into the Woods.” This fall, Nichole heads to Disney World to complete the Disney College Program, proving her sorority sisters right when they voted her “Most Likely to Become A Disney Princess.”

HANNAH GUNDERMANN, from Hershey, Pennsylvania, is completing a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in dance performance. Throughout her time at OCU, she has been on the President’s Honor Roll and has been a member of the American Spirit Dance Company, where she has also served as deputy. Her original choreography was part of the Senior Choreography Showcase. Her favorite honors memory is presenting her LAS support project on Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” along with classmates Kristin Tagg and Hailey Freeland. After graduation, Hannah will begin her performing arts career as a New York City-based artist.

ELIZABETH GWARTNEY, from Oklahoma City, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science with a minor in child advocacy studies. During her time at OCU, Elizabeth has served on the Better Together Interfaith Student Organization leadership team and as an honors peer mentor for two consecutive years. Her research poster, “Novel Antibiotics from Oklahoma Soil” won the grand prize at OCU’s Undergraduate Research Day in the spring of 2021 and then went on that fall to win first place in the natural sciences division at the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference in Orlando, Florida. Her favorite honors memory is going to EPCOT with Kristen Olmsted, Ashley Nguyen, and Dr. Youmans after the poster contest and celebrating her award.

In June, Elizabeth will begin the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center with the goal of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist.

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REILLEY HEDRICK, From Moore, Oklahoma, is completing a double degree (BA/BS) in music and biology. Considering her time at OCU, she is most proud of her placement on the President’s Honor Roll, her senior bassoon recital, and graduating debt free. Her favorite honors experience included all the classes that allowed her to learn with her music and biology peers at the same time. This fall, Reilley will begin her Master of Public Health degree at St. Louis University where she will pursue a joint specialty in biosecurity and disaster preparedness and epidemiology.

JOANNE HOLDEMAN, from San Diego, California, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance management. Joanne has been actively involved in OCU dance productions over the past four years. Last fall, she served as first assistant stage manager for the Ann Lacy School’s Home for the Holidays. This spring she was stage manager for Project 21’s Fusion, a musical and dance collaboration between students from the Bass School of Music and the Ann Lacy School. She is also currently serving as assistant production manager for the Ann Lacy School’s Broadway Revue.

Her favorite honors program memory is seeing Hannah, Kristin, and Hailey roll into LAS one day in a shopping cart for their support project presentation on Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” After graduation, Joanne will begin working with the Utah Shakespeare Festival as company management assistant.

CASEY KASSAL, from Flower Mound, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting with a minor in directing. Casey has been very active in OCU Theatre over the past four years, performing in three Mainstage shows: “Arcadia,” “Black Girl, Interrupted,” and “Roe.” This spring he directed the Stage II show “The Normal Heart.” He has also served as president of Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre honor society, for the past two years. His favorite honors memory is meeting his Honors roomie and forever friend Fabius on move-in day. Casey will be moving to Los Angeles this summer to begin his career as an actor and director of stage and screen.

GRACE KNIGHT, from St. Louis, Missouri, is completing her Bachelor of Music degree with a double major in musical theater and vocal performance. Grace has served as both an honors peer mentor and as secretary of Honors Student Council. She has also been very active in OCU Care, founding its Body Empowerment division. In addition to performing in numerous School of Music productions over the past years, this spring she was artistic director for the OCU Stripped production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Her favorite honors memory is meeting all the other honors musical theater students on the first day of orientation and beginning life-long friendships with them. After spending this summer as education intern at the Muny Theatre in St. Louis, she will move to New York City to pursue her career in musical theatre.

RACHEL MARR, from St. Charles, Illinois, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry. Rachel has been actively engaged in undergraduate research through her years at OCU and is a member of Tri-Beta, an honors society for the biological sciences. She is also a member of Blue Key Honor Society and is the current president of the OCU chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Her favorite honors memory is instantly becoming friends with Blake Bulger during the escape room experience at honors orientation. This fall, Rachel will begin the DMD program at Roseman University College of Dentistry in Utah, after which she will be commissioned into the U.S. Navy Dental Corp.

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HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.) NATHAN MAY, from Richardson, Texas, is completing his Bachelor of Music degree in musical theater.

This past fall, Nathan performed the role of Adam in the School of Music’s mainstage production of “Children of Eden.” In addition to his performance experience, he has devoted his time to helping build the Sunrise Movement, a youth organization working to solve the climate crisis through activism and education. His work with that organization over the summer led in part to a Salon Series presentation with Dr. Christa Bentley on music and environmental activism. His favorite honors memory is reading all the books for a Jr-Sr Seminar that he wasn’t able to enroll in (Dr. Davies’s “Global Ecological Challenges”). After graduation, Nathan will spend the summer performing musical theater in Texas and will continue his dual life as performer and environmental activist.

SARA MASSOUDI, from Plano, Texas, is completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting. Sara has been involved in numerous School of Theatre and Bass School of Music productions during her years at OCU, including playing Marisol in “Marisol” and Anne in “A Little Night Music.” She has also been active on Honors Student Council, serving this past year as vice president of programming. Her favorite honors memory is the hot chocolate bar and community building at last year’s Honors Holiday party.

Sara will spend her summer as a teaching artist at Oklahoma Children’s Theatre before moving to New York City next fall to pursue her performing arts career.

ERIN MCMANUS, from Rochester, New York, is completing her Bachelor of Music degree in music theater. She has been involved in numerous productions in the Bass School of Music, including playing Elle Woods in this spring’s production of “Legally Blonde” and co-choreographing last fall’s Stripped production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Her favorite honors memory is Honors LAS with Dr. Starkey.

After graduation, Erin will perform in OCU’s NYC music theater showcase before moving to NYC full time to pursue her career in the music theater industry.

ALLIE MCMURRY, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, is completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in religious education and philosophy with a minor in interfaith studies. She has been actively involved in scholarship and research over the past few years, presenting a paper, originally written for her Biblical Exegesis class, on Queen Vashti at the Southwestern Conference on Religious Studies, and co-writing, with Dr. Lisa Wolfe, an article on the Witch of Endor for Bible Odyssey. She has also been an active member of her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, serving as the vice president for education. Her favorite honors memory is all the times Dr. Starkey called on her in Honors World Religions when she was too timid to speak up, helping her become the confident speaker she is today. Next fall, Allie will begin studying for her Master of Theological Studies.

KATE MORTON, from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, is completing her Bachelor of Music degree with a double major in musical theater and vocal performance. She has performed in numerous Bass School of Music productions, including her leading role as Jo March in this spring’s mainstage opera, “Little Women.”

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Kate coordinated and hosted the first Native American Heritage Month music assembly that featured a panel of Native American leaders and professionals in the music industry. Through her involvement with speech and debate, she was named Oklahoma state champion in persuasive speaking in 2018 and represented Oklahoma at the national convention in Philadelphia.

One of her favorite honors memories includes talking with Dr. Starkey after class one day and getting introduced to his favorite tree on campus. This next year, Kate will be workshopping new operas and performing in several opera festivals before beginning graduate study the following year.

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MADDIE MOSS, from Conway, Arkansas, is completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and design/education. She has been a member of the President’s Honor Roll throughout her time at OCU. This past year she served as the intern for the OCU Visual Arts Department and presented her visual art senior capstone, “Earth to Earth.” Her favorite honors memory is meeting her first OCU friend at honors orientation, fellow Arkansan Blake Bulger. Maddie will be certified to teach visual art in K-12 schools in the state of New York and plans to teach in the Rochester area.

LEAH MOSSMAN, from Cincinnati, Ohio, is a December 2021 honors graduate with a Bachelor of Music degree in music theater. She performed in numerous School of Music productions, including her role as Fraulein Schneider in last fall’s Spotlight production of “Cabaret.” Leah has moved to New York City to begin pursuing her musical theatre career.

DIANA NGUYEN, from Oklahoma City, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical science. She has been on the President’s or Dean’s Roll for all semesters she’s been enrolled at OCU and has had her research published in the student journal Stellar. She’s also been very active in Tri Beta, a national honor society for students in the biological sciences, serving as historian, student engagement chair, and social media chair. Her favorite honors memory is studying in the Honors Hall freshman year, the perfect place to relax between classes or dive into a deep study session. Diana will be taking a gap year to gain more experience in healthcare through shadowing and volunteering before applying to PA school next year.

KRISTEN OLMSTED, from Richardson, Texas, is completing her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance with a minor in economics. She served as executive producer of OPERAtions, the student-run opera series, this past year and successfully produced two operas, “Dido and Aeneas,” and the world-premiere of a new opera, “A Friend of Dolly.” She has been a leader in the honors program for the past three years, serving as Honors Student Council president, a three-time honors peer mentor and head peer mentor, and attending two National Collegiate Honors Council conferences, in New Orleans and Orlando. That second trip includes her favorite honors memory: celebrating Elizabeth Gwartney’s poster win and having a blast at EPCOT. After graduation, Kristen will begin the MBA program in the Meinders School of Business and continue her work as marketing associate for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

SAM POTTINGER, from St. Louis, Missouri, is completing his Bachelor of Music degree in musical theater. He has performed in numerous School of Music productions, including lead roles in “Spring Awakening” and “Legally Blonde.” Sam has also been very involved in service within the School of Music, serving as the student coordinator for national auditions and as community engagement officer for OCU Cares. His favorite honors memory is making it out of the escape room freshman year with new friends that have been uplifting him ever since. This fall, Sam will move to New York City to begin his creative/performance career.

REID SAARI, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is completing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting.

Reid has performed in multiple School of Theatre and Bass School of Music shows during his time at OCU, including mainstage, spotlight, and stripped productions, the highlight of which was his performance in “A Bright Room Called Day.” His favorite honors memory is taking Honors World Religions with Dr. Starkey. After a summer spend back home, Reid will move to New York City in the fall to pursue his acting career.

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HONORS GRADUATES PROFILES (CONT.) CHRISTINA SALIGA, from Sligo, Kentucky, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance pedagogy with a minor in social media. In addition to all of her work with the Ann Lacy School, including her recognition with the Cobalt Award for outstanding dance pedagogy student, Christina has also been an active member of Alpha Pi sorority and served as director of community service for the organization. Her favorite honors memories are all of the 8 a.m. honors classes she took with her dance classmates. Immediately following graduation, Christina will perform with the Alabama Theatre in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and continue teaching dance on the side. In the near future, she plans to move to New York City to further pursue her passion for the arts and education.

ANNA SCHMIDT, from Waco, Texas, is completing a Bachelor of Science degree in dance management. She has been on the President’s Honor Roll and a member of the American Spirit Dance Company since her first semester at OCU. This past year she has also served as managing editor for MediaOCU. Her favorite honors experience was taking Honors Comp II with Dr. Karen Schiler, where she gained the confidence “to welcome the challenges of learning.” This fall Anna will begin Baylor Law School.

VICTORIA SMITH, from Edmond, Oklahoma, is completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with minors in French and international studies. She has been very active in leadership roles both on campus and in the OKC community, including serving as chief of staff for OCU’s Student Government Association, working as an organizer for a local congressional campaign, and recently becoming director of the fellowship program for Build Oklahoma! Her favorite honors memory is getting to know life-long friends during orientation. After graduation, Victoria will continue as fellowship director for Build Oklahoma while she studies for the LSAT and prepares to apply to law school.

LAUREN SNARE, from Warrensburg, Missouri, is completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a double major in finance and economics and a minor in mathematics. During her time at OCU, Lauren led a business analytics team from the Meinders School of Business to win an international competition for their study of Covid-19 and housing statistics. She was also one of only 500 students from across the globe chosen to attend the Princeton University and Forbes Magazine’s Business Today international conference. As a leader on campus, Lauren is a founding member of the Meinders Fellows student organization. Her favorite honors experience was her Jr/Sr Seminar where she was able to witness the growth in personal development, confidence, and reasoning among herself and her peers over their four years learning together. After graduation, Lauren will begin employment with BancFirst in commercial lending for credit and risk analysis.

KRISTIN TAGG, from Carlton, Massachusetts, is completing her Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in dance performance. Throughout her time at OCU Kristin has performed with the American Spirit Dance Company, and has served as a dance captain. Her original choreography has appeared in the Student Choreography Showcase. She has also been actively involved in the Panhellenic community at OCU, serving as the Panhellenic delegate from Phi Mu, 2020-21. Her favorite honors experience was her Jr/Sr Seminar with Dr. Meyers and the collaborative feel of each and every discussion. After graduation, Kristin will pursue her performance career as a New York-based artist. .

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