Mae Miracle’s Passion Pursuit Led to an OU Experience of Triumph
Students often arrive at the University of Oklahoma with set goals. Others enter their university life with an open mind, hoping to find inspiration and direction as they go. At OU, students – young, older and nontraditional -- are free to discover their own path, no matter what lane they take.
Marie Miracle embodies a diverse academic career path to which many students can relate. To their friends, they are known as Mae, a multitalented artist with skills that touch a wide range of industries and spaces.
As an Art, Technology and Culture major from the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, they’ve tried their hand at many different areas across campus. They’ve worked in videography in OU athletics, studied under sculptors like Paul Moore and found their innovative side at the Fab Lab, housed in the Tom Love Innovation Hub.
“This place has been instrumental in my experience and growth,” Miracle said. “It opened so many doors of what’s possible out there for me.”
Miracle grew up and was raised in Stillwater with a single mother and a younger brother. Their creative side was apparent early on in their life.
“I knew in fifth grade I wanted to be an artist. I was starting to become aware of the artistry around me and not just think of them as pictures or buildings that exist. I began to think that I could create things like that, too.”
Miracle was elected president of the Art Club during their senior year at Stillwater High School. Prior to this, they were accepted into the Rising Stars Program for the Savannah School of Art and Design in Georgia. Unfortunately, Mae was unable to attend due to finances at home. This disadvantage would do little to keep them from succeeding in college, however.
Miracle desired a change of pace. As the recipient of an Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship, Miracle began laying the groundwork for life outside Stillwater, which included choosing a university. One of their goals in pursuing a college degree, they say, was setting a positive role model for their younger brother. They then set their sights on Norman.
“I toured OU because I wanted to explore. I loved the art building and enjoyed the sculptures around campus. They were very inspiring.”
Miracle was intrigued by the Pastoral Dreamer sculpture, a triple life-size bronze sculpture by David Phelps, located between the Reynolds Performing Arts Center and the School of Visual Arts. Just to the northwest of the sculpture is the Fred Jones Art Center, home to the School of Visual Arts. This is where Miracle ultimately decided to pursue their degree.
College life came with its surprises and challenges. Miracle met friends in the program and allowed themselves to take chances. Their initial degree plan was to learn to become a cinematographer, a goal that required camera experience. Despite not being a sports fan, they did videography work for OU Athletics and found that they enjoyed it.
“The idea of the OU family was impactful for me,” they said. “I was searching for a sense of belonging and OU provided that for me. I changed my majors twice during my time here but now I feel like a more self-realized person.”
With the surprises of college life came matters that needed to be addressed. As always, Miracle showed a determination consistent with their life up to this point.
Diagnosed with both post-traumatic stress syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Miracle found help through Goddard Health Center’s Counseling Program. Now, equipped with the tools necessary to manage their life moving forward, they came out on the other side ready to focus on finishing their degree.
“They gave me vocabulary around symptoms I was experiencing, like anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and helped me develop tools to self- regulate and better care for myself in those moments; therefore, helping me lessen the frequency of those symptoms generally."
That alone is worthy of a success story for an out-of-town college student. But their growth continued.
Later during their fourth year, a friend recommended that they should explore the Fab Lab at the Tom Love Innovation Hub on the south campus. What they found was the space they needed to continue their evolution in art, technology and culture.
The Fab Lab is described as a space where any student with an idea can come and meet and work with other innovative students. Creatives from many different walks of life have come to the Fab Lab and joined forces with other peers to form the foundations of successful organizations and groups.
“I met people from business, engineering, electrical engineers, architects and so many others that I would have not otherwise met. It’s been so great working and creating with other people.”
Miracle thrived at the Fab Lab. They served as the manager of Hub Studios, where they worked on video projects and created an inventory system for their equipment. For their capstone project, Miracle has been working at the Fab Lab to prepare a fashion show to showcase their brand They Skate -- a nonbinary skate deck and apparel brand intended to help queer people envision themselves in predominantly male and hetero spaces they wish to enter.
A dream that started during elementary school is now culminating in two events: a fashion show and their OU degree.
“I've cherished my time here, and I'm so excited to explore my next endeavors armed with the knowledge and experience I've gained from this beautiful place; a place that has helped me become who I am, a place I will always call home.”
