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Ashleigh Sorrell Rose: Director of Campaign Operations for United Way of Central Oklahoma
Alex Enterline: Jimmy Winter: national tour of “Nice Work if You Can Get It”
OKCU students take advantage of hundreds of internships and partnerships with a variety of companies and organizations.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW:
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, OKCU 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: Brand Manager at Blank Label Records in NYC
2Madi Alexander: Data Journalist for Bloomberg Government in Washington, D.C.
Kristen Bailey: Clinical Care Transition Specialist with OptionCare
Carsen Moon: Financial Analyst at MidFirst Bank
Rick McKee with Dr. Edward Knight in Orlando, where McKee is a composer/ arranger for major theme parks
If you want to go beyond the basics in your search for the right internship or career opportunity, the OKCU 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 readiness workshops and seminars, on-campus interviewing, employer information sessions, and career and internship fairs. OKCU 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.
• National Institute for Health
• Oklahoma Youth Orchestras
• Sunbeam Family Services
• Ernst & Young
• Walt Disney World
• Canterbury Choral Society
• Devon Energy
• Jacob’s Pillow Dance
• National Science Foundation
• KWTV News 9
• Oklahoma City Ballet
• Chesapeake Energy
• Oklahoma City Energy
• KFOR News 4
• Creative Arts Agency
• Oklahoma City Children’s Theatre
• Integris Health
• Bridges Advertising Agency
• Federal Aeronautics Administration
• Skyline Urban Ministries
• Oklahoma City Boathouse
• Oklahoma City Police Department
• The Tony Awards
• Critical Mass Productions
• Target Corporation
• Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
• Austin City Limits
• Oklahoma City Civic Center
• Ackerman McQueen
• Kennedy Center
• Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre
• 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
Learn More: okcu.edu/careers
• 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
• Sonic Corporation • Amazon
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“I’m originally from Mexico, but I’ve basically lived in Oklahoma City my whole life. I’ve only been to a handful of states, so I couldn’t believe it when I got the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for an internship. I found out about the internship via a flyer for the program on a bulletin board in the mass comm department and decided to apply. While I was doing so, two of my mass comm professors wrote letters of recommendation for me, and one of them helped me get my resume prepared. I was fortunate enough to receive the internship through the Television Academy Foundation, which awards about 50 internships each year in different categories. My category was broadcast news, so I got to work at KTTV Fox 11 for two months. My first flight ever was in mid-June when I made the journey to California. There, I found a place
“When I first came to OKCU, 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!
to live in an Airbnb and got around on trains, buses, and Ubers for two months.
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
It was an interesting change from what I’m used to here in Oklahoma, but the best part was getting to work with Fox LA. While at the station,
as a counselor at the International Education Alliance camp. Over the two weeks of camp, I worked with university students from both
I was exposed to everything that goes into putting together a newscast, which includes the story pitching, writing, filming, editing, and even producing. I helped the digital department with research and development and wrote a couple of stories that were published on their website.
two weeks in Taipei getting used to Taiwanese culture and taking language courses before going out to the coast of Hualien and working OKCU 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
My favorite part about this internship was when I got to go out with reporters, though.
I’d do - like hiking up a mountain, river climbing, and going on a cable car in the middle of a typhoon!
I attended a media day for a new movie with an entertainment reporter and I got to meet many of the stars of the movie. I also had
My second study abroad experience is one I’m currently experiencing! Right now, I’m in Great Britain studying at the London School of
the chance to create a mock news package to include in my reel for when I apply for future jobs. Additionally, I went to the Teen Choice Awards at The Forum in Inglewood. They told me I would just be observing, but once I was there I actually got to interview a lot of different celebrities, which was an incredible experience. I met people like Keke Palmer and John Stamos, and had the honor of interviewing them
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
along with some other celebrities. After the red carpet event, I was allowed in to watch the show live.
I can see Big Ben from my window, there is rarely a dull moment.
Another perk that the internship provided me with was getting the opportunity to meet people in different jobs and seeing the many different
Studying abroad is a truly invaluable experience, and I’ve definitely come to be a better person because of it.”
career possibilities for me in the future. It was a great experience being able to get to know people and receive advice from them. I made friends at the station and I got the chance to network. I spent time with the other interns from the Television Academy, most of which were in entertainment internships. The Foundation hosted a few events for all interns to attend, which helped us to get to know each other better and learn from one another. I hope I get to work with them again after I graduate. I’m grateful to Fox for making this the best summer of my life. I’m looking forward to continuing my relationship with them as an alumnus of their internship program.”
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by Ryan Barrett Gabrielle Ruiz graduated with a dance performance degree from the Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment in 2007. She has gone on to make a name for herself, performing in the Broadway productions of “In the Heights” and “If/Then,” as well as starring in the CW’s musical comedy show “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Just moments after finishing a Television Academy event rehearsal in Los Angeles, Gabrielle called the Ann Lacy School for an hour-long interview that covered advice for aspiring artists, lessons she learned while at OKCU, and characteristics that set Ann Lacy alumni Gabrielle Ruiz
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apart in the show business industry.
Growing up in Edinburg, TX and attending college in Oklahoma City, did you experience any culture shock shifting to life in New York City and Los Angeles?
Dance Company and numerous musicals both onstage and backstage. How closely did these productions mirror your Broadway productions and how did they help you when you reached Broadway?
I have to say that the culture shock that I received was a lot more prominent when I moved from South Texas to Oklahoma City, oddly enough. I say that because we don’t have snow in South Texas! I had no idea that the beanie on my head was created for warmth; I had thought it was just fashion!
I would have to say that everyone’s favorite class, and I say that extremely sarcastically, was stagecraft lab. I don’t know how many hours the dance majors have to take of it now, but when I was there, it felt like it was half of the week, just in stagecraft lab. It’s where we learned the behind the scenes of a show, the craftwork, how to build sets and help put up a production that is about to open. That definitely created a basic form of respect for how much of a team it takes to be successful in a production, and even in life. The amount of teamwork that I learned and was able to exercise at school definitely was helpful and similar to Broadway.
What I love about our dance program at OKCU is that our school is extremely national. All of the fellow students from Ohio and Denver and New York, they taught us southerners how to drive in the snow. Transferring from Oklahoma City to New York really wasn’t that terrible. I feel like I wore my dance clothing, my ballet tights, until 10 pm every night at OKCU. And you had to pack for the whole day and eat right the whole day not just eat three big meals. So the regimented routine that the dance school instills in your four years completely translated to New York. And I am very proud to say that. The etiquette and morals that Jo [Rowan, founder and chairman of the dance program] and the faculty teach at OKCU completely translate to a New York City lifestyle, without a doubt. While at OKCU, you were incredibly active. Among other things, you were a member of the American Spirit
The amount of hours that we would dance and rehearse, in addition to having to make grades and study, those hours are rather similar to the Broadway schedule. In what ways did OKCU prepare you for the business side of the industry? I’ll go back to the same mantra, “It’s show business, not show begging.” You can’t ask permission in this business, because as a passionate entrepreneur, both the objective and subjective matter. We will do anything for the art, but at the same time, we have rent to pay and dinner to make. I appreciate that I learned that and was prepared for that in college, that we as artists have a right in this world to have a successful business and to not be starving.
I feel that the program at OKCU is greatly opposed to the starving artist concept. We know that we are going to know our marks and be prompt, responsible adults. We want to be successful, re-hirable professionals, whether that is a Radio City Rockette, a stage manager of a Broadway show, or a television actor like myself.
be that girl with too much clothing, with three luggage bags for a weekend trip. Our careers take us on the road a lot, almost half of our life, whether you are married, have kids or not, you’re on the road, and one of the most demanding skills when it comes to traveling is to be a well-prepared traveler, and I give Dean Bedford all the credit for that.
In every episode of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” I don’t just dance. I had to take more acting classes and more singing classes. And then television acting classes outside of and after OKCU to keep learning and finessing my art. It’s because of the curriculum at OKCU that I knew that that’s what it takes. It takes a lot of hard work.
Other than that, just being a giver. Being a good human being as opposed to just being a dancer. As artists, we’re story tellers, and Jo Rowan and Tiffany van der Merwe [OKCU professor], and the rest of the faculty at OKCU have always demanded that we respect that, even at a young age, and never take it for granted.
How have the skills that you acquired at OKCU manifested themselves in your career?
I feel like whether it’s casting directors on Broadway or executives for “Crazy ExGirlfriend,” they see that in us. That we really care to respect what the choreographer wants, what we want as an individual artist, but also what the overall picture is and what the character wants and needs. And that, for me, started at OKCU.
To just point out a few, because there are many, the mental stability to be a professional performer, is not only strict, but it’s demanding. To love what you do and make a career out of it, those skills started as a freshman at Oklahoma City University. The skills to not just dance, but take regular collegiate classes and be responsible, those skills have helped me to have a balanced lifestyle as well. I had the privilege to be part of the international tours while I was at OKCU. We went to Taipei, Taiwan twice. And, because of John Bedford, the Dean of the Ann Lacy School, I am a very good packer. I remember that day my freshman year, he sat us down and had about an hour long lecture on how to pack and without that, I would probably still
To read the whole interview, visit okcu.edu/dance/q-a-gabrielle-ruiz.
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Sarah McKenzie - BFA Film Production ‘11 McKenzie is an assistant production coordinator at Universal Television. One notable credit she has received is for her work on “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 OKCU, 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. Patricia Lopez - BFA Design & Production ‘17 Lopez is currently a production management apprentice at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
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.
Chance Johnson - BA Political Science ‘15 Johnson, OKCU’s Student Government Association President from 2015-2016, is now in his 2nd year of studying law at Ohio State University. He also works as a legal intern at the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Kristen Bailey - 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. Bailey now works as a Clinical Care Transition Specialist with OptionCare in Oklahoma City. Elliott Mattox - BM Music Theater ‘14 This year, Mattox made his debut in the ensemble for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” Cody Wilson - BFA Film Production ‘17 Wilson, a recent OKCU graduate, will start attending the MFA program at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in spring of 2018. Elizabeth Larsen - BFA Design & Production ‘17 After graduating in 2017, Larsen moved to Chicago and is working as a stage management intern for Lookingglass Theatre Company. DeEtta Cravens - BA Political Science, BA Philosophy, BA Spanish ‘12 Cravens was a triple major in political science, philosophy, and Spanish at OKCU. 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. Emily Guthrie - BFA Studio Art ‘15 Guthrie lives in Oklahoma City and recently published her first novel, “The Last Run.”
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. Sasha Hutchings - BPA Dance Performance ‘11 Hutchings was a member of the original ensemble of the hit musical “Hamilton.” She is currently performing as Kathy Selden in Zach Theatre’s “Singin’ in the Rain” in Austin, Texas.
Sarah Cardillo - BS Dance Management ‘08 Cardillo is a development officer for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in New York City.
Jake Miller - BS English ‘10 Miller is an English major who found his way to a career in video game design. Miller previously worked as a level designer on “Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric” for the Wii U (released in 2014) and now works as a game designer at Blizzard Entertainment.
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.
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.
Kirsten Wisniewski - BS Entertainment Business ‘14 Wisniewski lives in Chicago and works as the manager for business development and partnerships for the Special Olympics of Illinois.
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.
Ronnie Hood, PHR - BSB Business Administration ‘11 Building an impressive resume as a human resources professional, Hood works as an HR generalist for Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, after previously working as an HR director at Collision Works LLC and an HR generalist of Citizen Potawatomi Nation. 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 for Lantern Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. While at OKCU, several of the shows that Garcia worked on include “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Triangle,” and “And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank.” 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.
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Brade Bradshaw - BFA Acting ‘17 Bradshaw is an acting resident with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. His previous credits include “Heathers,” “Clybourne Park,” “The Crucible,” and “The Secret Rapture.”
Ariel Richardson - BFA Acting ‘16 Richardson is a Chicago-based actress who recently appeared on FOX’s “Empire” and is slated to appear on Showtime’s “The Chi” in January 2018. Tori Schelling - BPA Dance Performance ‘10 Jessica Palu - BPA Dance Performance ‘12 Schelling and Palu are Radio City Rockettes. The Ann Lacy School of American Dance and Entertainment has produced 48 Rockettes. 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. Sarah Hinrichsen - BFA Acting ‘16 Originally from Los Angeles, Hinrichsen now performs in “Imbible: Day Drinking” at New World Stages in New York City. Caleb Howard – BA Mass Communications ‘14 Howard is a system engineer at AVL Systems Design, which is a national integration and design build firm that provides design and installation for audio, video and lighting in Oklahoma City.
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Olivia Cinquepalmi - BFA Acting ‘17 Cinquepalmi, an actress from Plano, Texas, in corporation with the Children’s Education Program at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, played Juliet in “Romeo & Juliet” in fall 2017. Mary Timaeus - BS Entertainment Business ‘10 Previously working professionally in Nashville, TN, Timaeus now holds the position of assistant manager of international advancement at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. 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. Ali Wonderly - BA Vocal Music, Theatre & Performance ‘17 Wonderly works as the creative content coordinator at Marathon Live Entertainment, which is a growing force in the social media space, representing prominent influencers and game-changing brands on Broadway and beyond in New York City. Current social media clients include “Hamilton: An American Musical,” “Miss Saigon,” “Escape to Margaritaville,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Curvy Widow,” touring productions of “Les Misérables,” “The Color Purple,” and BroadwayCon. 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. 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 & the Cursed Child,” “Anastasia: The Musical,” “Big Apple Circus,” “Groundhog Day: The Musical,” “A Bronx Tale,” “New York Botanical Garden,” “Significant Other,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Dr. Joshua Grube - BS Biochemistry ‘10 Dr. Grube graduated Magna Cum Laude from OKCU, 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 Award-winning song in 2011. His music can be found on over 30 Walt Disney Record releases. 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.
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 Molly Rushing - BM Music Theater ‘12 After spending some time on the national tour of “Jersey Boys,” Hart has returned to New York City and will be in the original Broadway cast of “Anastasia,” where he will be joined by fellow OKCU alum Molly Rushing. Emily Webster - BS Chemistry ‘15 During her time at OKCU, Webster was a four-time national title holder in women’s wrestling. Webster is now an energy technician for Honeywell in Kansas City.
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. Nathan Gardocki - BFA Film Production ‘11 Gardocki is a filmmaker and founder of Nathan Gardocki Productions in Oklahoma City. 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 street boys 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 ‘16 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. 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.
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Phillip Oliver - BS Entertainment Business ‘17 Oliver, a President’s Leadership Class Scholar at OKCU, 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. 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.” Brittany Sky - BA Relgious Education ‘09 Sky is the editor of Children’s Resources at the United Methodist Publishing House in Nashville, TN.
Brandon Blacksten - BA Religion ‘08 Following graduation from OKCU, Blacksten attended Vanderbilt University Divinity School and received his MDiv in 2011. He now serves as a pastor for the First United Methodist Church of Tuttle, OK. 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.
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Brandon Hobson - BA English ‘92 After attending OKCU, 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. 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.” For the 201516 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.” Emily Skinner - BS Biomedical Science ‘10 A volleyball player here at OKCU, Skinner is now a faculty member in the OU Family Medicine Physician Associate program in Oklahoma City. 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 the assistant stage manager at Vail Dance Festival in Vail, CO.
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. 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. 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 annual giving officer at Mercy Health Foundation. Erick Worrell - BA Mass Communications ‘07 Worrell is the senior director of business development at Saxum, which is a PR and advertising agency based out of Oklahoma City. Allison Barta Bailey - BS Finance & Economics ‘06 After graduating from OKCU, 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.
Trevor Strahan - BFA Acting ‘16 Strahan, an Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park regular, recently moved to Chicago and performed in “Romeo & Juliet” at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
Kristen 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 productions of “Camelot,” “Susannah,” “Side by Side by Sondheim,” “West Side Story,” “Jekyll and Hyde,” “Scott & Zelda,” and “Soustazka.” She is currently playing Johanna in the off-Broadway hit “Sweeney Todd.” Anna Nguyen - BBA Marketing ‘17 Nguyen works as a brand manager at Blank Label Records, a record company based out of New York City. Matt Redmond - BFA Acting ‘16 Redmond works as an agent assistant at DGRW Talent in New York City. Sarah Nichols - BS Political Science, Justice Studies ‘10 Nichols is the director of Project Transformation & Young Adult Mission & Service for the Oklahoma United
Methodist Church. Her work includes connecting with partners, fundraising through grant writing and special projects, and working with her staff to plan and develop for Project Transformation. Brett Holleman - BFA Acting ‘16 Holleman works as a casting assistant with Compass Casting in Chicago. 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.” Cooper Baldwin - BM Composition ‘17 Baldwin is a Los Angeles-based composer, arranger, and performer for show choirs, theatrical productions and a cappella groups; first-ever intern with the DreamWorks Animation Music Department; national winner of the 11th Biennial Young Composers’ Contest; and his “The Rest Is Silence” will receive its world premiere in January 2018 on the Cantate Chamber Singers’ acclaimed concert series. 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 OKCU, Martinez is now in the Officer Development program at MidFirst Bank in Oklahoma City.
Aysette Munoz - BFA Acting ‘13 Munoz is an actress who recently starred in “Ah, Wilderness” at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Television credits include “Chicago P.D.,” and she was featured as one of 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 OKCU 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 OKCU, Grover worked as a research assistant in the Office of the President. She is now a law school student at University of Richmond Law School.
Cedric Bond - BA History ‘14, JD ‘17 Bond, who received both his undergraduate and juris doctorate from OKCU, is now working as a staff attorney in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis, MO. Becca Koop - BFA Design & Production ‘13 Koop is a Magic Kingdom technician at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, where she works on shows and productions throughout the park.
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Tracey Bewley - BFA Studio Art ‘94 Bewley and her husband own Art Fusion Studio in Oklahoma City. The pair are slated to create a glass and art installation for the Nona Jean Hulsey Gallery at OKCU in 2018. 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. 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 stage manager for American Blues Theatre in Chicago. She has previously worked behind the scenes for theatres in Chicago, Minnesota, and Delaware. Benjamin Camenzuli - Music Theater ‘14 Camenzuli is a young actor from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. He is featured as Roger in the Canadian production of “Grease,” which opened November 2017 at Toronto’s Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres.
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Tamara Doherty - BS Psychology ‘17, BBA Economics ‘17 Doherty works as an educational leadership consultant for the Alpha Phi International Fraternity. Carsen Moon - BBA Economics ‘17 While an economics major at OKCU, 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 Jason Stewart - BFA Design & Production ‘15 Stewart and Collins both work for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, NV. Collins works as an application support specialist, while Stewart is a corporate automation technician. Colin Anderson - BM Music Theater‘13 Anderson will be making his Broadway debut as a member of the ensemble for the revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel,” which is scheduled to open April 2018. He is currently performing in the offBroadway hit “Sweeney Todd.” Chet Burns - BFA Film Production ‘12 Burns is a story producer in New York City for Leftfield Pictures, 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 OKCU, 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. Darius Wright - BM Music Theater ‘14 Formerly of international and national tours of “Matilda The Musical,” Wright is now performing in “A Bronx Tale” on Broadway.
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.
“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 OKCU education and their later success.” Dr. Stephen Prilliman Associate Professor of Chemistry
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2501 N Blackwelder Ave Oklahoma City, OK 73106