Being here at OU has changed my outlook on volunteerism and changed my definition of community. As a freshman, I received the President’s Community Scholars scholarship and it has changed my college experience dramatically! When I first came to OU, I thought that you had to be an upperclassman in order to get involved. However, that is definitely not the case at the University of Oklahoma. President David Boren has pressed the importance of creating leaders at OU and allowing the school and its projects to be led by students. So many organizations and events are run by my fellow classmates, and I have also had the opportunity to be in leadership positions.

The Big Event, for example, is a day of community service throughout the Norman/Oklahoma City area. We had around 5,000 students volunteer to work on projects for churches, schools and whoever wanted our help. The Big Event is run and organized by current students at OU, which is a HUGE undertaking but an even more amazing feat as well. My freshman year, I was in charge of a group of students that volunteered in Oklahoma City at an assisted living center. I felt like I was making a difference and that I was helping to lead OU. Nothing felt better!

It is not like being lost in a sea of faces; everyone can make a difference. The best decision I’ve ever made was to join the Sooner Family. I have never felt like I was not a part of the University. As students at OU, we extend the spirit of the Sooner Nation to the Norman community and the state of Oklahoma as a whole. We are all Sooners and that is a bond that cannot be rivaled. Boomer Sooner and come to OU, all are welcomed!