CEO's Letter

Dear Friends,

I feel fortunate to work in an organization that fuels learning and growth. It seems the older I become, the easier it would be to stop learning new stuff and just stick with what I think I know. Many of us become overly comfortable with the “status quo” in too many parts in our lives. I have this tendency in what I eat and what I wear. I have been recently informed by my daughters that some of the clothing I have been wearing for years is now back in style and called “retro”. I have mixed feelings about that information.

My team and I recently read a book by Adam Grant called “Think Again”. For me, this book reinforced the belief that we, as humans, need to be more open-minded. This is not a foreign concept for me. I know I have been wrong many times about something when I was convinced I was right. Even with that knowledge, the book was incredibly enlightening and educational.

I know my eagerness to research and learn new things was extraordinarily enhanced while attending college. When I was attending Northwestern in the 80s, I distinctly remember one of my professors challenging us to form our own opinions rather than simply adopt the opinions of our parents. That personal challenge significantly changed my mind and life for the better.

Similar personal growth events regularly occur on Northwestern’s campuses, such as when an individual discovers something they didn’t know. Just as beneficial is when a student learns something they believe to be true is inaccurate. These are two examples of life lessons that can occur in higher education to permanently and positively shape a mind. I believe if we could revisit our college experience, we would realize how many of our positive life changing perspectives happened on a collegiate campus. This is not an accident; rather, it is part of the deliberately-created culture.

When you make an investment in the students of Northwestern Oklahoma State University, you help create a life of learning and growth for which we will never see the full impact. The life changing difference that a college educated teacher, nurse, farmer or doctor creates for our world is impossible to measure. However, I believe we can agree that their collective effect is monumental. Every one of us has personally seen or felt their influence.

Thank you for creating the opportunity of a collegiate experience for so many with your investment. As you read our Annual Report and learn the stories of just a few of our students, please take a moment to celebrate your impact.

Allen E. "Skeeter" Bird CEO, Northwestern Foundation & Alumni Association Class of 1985