Just Call Mary Ellen

Givens retires after three decades at OSU

Ask students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture to recall the people at Oklahoma State University who never failed to make their lives just a little easier because of their smiles and kind attitudes and many would name Mary Ellen Givens.

For nearly 32 years, Givens served OSU in a multitude of ways and has been a wealth of knowledge and wisdom for students, staff and faculty, said Sergio Abit, plant and soil sciences associate professor.

“If I had any type of question, whether it be advising, curriculum or how things were done in the past, I just called Mary Ellen,” Abit said. “I called her the ‘Oracle’ because she gave you the answer almost every time, and on the rare occasion of not knowing the answer, she always knew where to point you to find it.”

After starting in the accounting department in 1972, Givens soon transferred to work in extension finance, she said. In 1981, Givens left OSU to raise her two daughters, Amanda Wetzel and Kristal Couch.

After earning a word processing technician certificate from Meridian Technology Center in 1989, Givens returned to OSU to work in what was then the animal science department.

In 1994, Givens transferred to Agricultural Hall where she served in the associate dean’s office as an administrative support specialist for the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

Givens’ kind and helpful attitude make her special, said Dwayne Hunter, information and technology director for the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

“She always has a smile on her face,” Hunter said. “In my opinion, she was the perfect face for the college because if parents or incoming students came in and had questions, she was here long enough she knew the answers to almost any question.

“Her attitude was always just so joyful and bright that you walked away feeling like this was a place you belong if you were a prospective student,” Hunter added. “As a parent, having that kind of introduction to the college made you feel like your son or daughter was going to be taken care of.

“She personified what our college expresses,” he added.

Givens said she was at OSU for three college name changes, but even though the name changed, the family culture remained the same.

“I enjoyed talking to students,” Givens said. “I hope I made them feel like they could come in any time and say ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem’ because I would listen.”

Gretchen Skaja, a student support assistant and agribusiness sophomore who worked closely with Givens, said Givens valued students and did everything she could to help them get the most from their college experiences.

Skaja said Givens made her feel valued and appreciated.

“She told me, ‘You make my day whenever you are here,’” Skaja said. “I don’t work on Wednesdays, and she said Wednesdays were her longest day because I wasn’t there.”

One of Givens’ major roles was coordinating the college scholarship banquet. She said she loved the process of it, from notifying students they had a scholarship to handing out certificates at the banquet.

“She took a lot of pride in her job and doing it well,” said Cynda Clary, Ferguson College of Agriculture associate dean. “She viewed the scholarship process as students need money to go to school and we need to make sure every student has the opportunity to know about our scholarships and the opportunity to compete for them.”

Givens said she will miss the students the most.

“The students kept me young,” Givens said. “There’s one thing that might bother me when retiring. I am not sure how young I’ll stay without the kids.”

Givens said she loves to spend time outdoors competing in fishing derbies, hunting and camping. She said she and her husband, Donnie Curtis, attend fishing jackpot tournaments in the summer and have even won a few. In her retirement, she plans to spend most of her time at the lake, she said.

Givens said she and her husband agreed to spend Monday through Thursday fishing at the lake to avoid the weekend crowds and boaters.

“We plan to spend time at every lake in Oklahoma,” Givens said. “We would like to visit all of them.”

Givens’ last day in office was May 8, 2020, a day celebrated with a “drive- by” reception.

“She is the most genuine, caring person,” Clary said. “I will miss her as a person and not just as someone who worked in our office.”

BREE ELLIOTT

Story by Bree Elliott of Canadian County Oklahoma