Hello and happy holidays to Gaylord College alumni around the world. My name is Ryan, and I started a term as alumni board president this summer.
A little bit about me: I graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1992 with a degree in journalism. My sequence was public relations, although I started as a radio / TV / film student. During my years in what was called the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism and Mass Communication, I also spent a couple of years as a reporter on The Oklahoma Daily, which is what the student newspaper was called then.
My current role is as the director of digital content for Griffin Media in Oklahoma City, overseeing digital content for News 9 and News On 6 as well as contributing in other parts of the business.
After three decades in the business world, I often think back to how well-prepared I was for the working world because of my time at OU. Working on The Daily was real-world experience, much like the OU Daily and OU Nightly and Lindsey + Asp and other Gaylord opportunities are today.
My mission here though is simple: to help the Gaylord College Alumni Association grow through membership and by connecting alumni and students to each other and mutually beneficial opportunities.
I am often asked, "What can I as an alum do to help GCAA?"
It's a terrific question, but it's a pretty easy one to answer. A very specific set of asks.
No. 1 Join the alumni association. Membership starts at $50 per year, although we certainly welcome more to help grow an endowed fund we've recently created. The purpose of that fund will be to help Gaylord students experiencing financial hardship.
For students recently graduating, the first year is free.
No. 2 Help us tell stories of Gaylord alumni doing great things. That could mean an article, a set of photos, a video, or a combination of them all. We will turn it into content that helps tell the story of Gaylord College.
No. 3 Let me help connect your business with the college. Gaylord College has a world-class Strategic Communication and Digital Strategy professional graduate program that is always on the lookout for partners and students.
No. 4 If none of the above are appealing or applicable, please at least sign up for emails from the Gaylord College Alumni Association so that we can connect with you one story, one opportunity, one moment at a time.
If you would like to reach out to me with questions, I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn.
Ryan Welton
GCAA President
