Caitlin Cotteleer is currently a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting with a minor in French. The Illinois native called Broussard, Louisiana, home for years before moving to Norman, Oklahoma, to begin her college journey.
Caitlin had not considered the University of Oklahoma a possibility for her undergraduate education until she became a National Merit Scholar and visited the OU campus. She set up an honors-specific campus tour through the Scholars' recruitment program. An Honors-specific campus tour includes a tour of the Honors College offices, classrooms, study areas, and meeting spaces, as well as meetings with faculty and/or academic advisors and program directors for campus activities. During the tour, students are introduced to various programs, student organizations, research, and scholarship opportunities that are available to members of the Honors College.
Throughout her college search, Caitlin had only been told about honors programs as a distinction on a diploma, but at OU it was presented as a community that she could take part in and thrive in. By the time her campus visit concluded, it was clear to Caitlin that OU was the right choice.
Since beginning her studies at OU, Caitlin has found her own slice of community not only at the Honors College but also on campus. In commenting on her Honors courses, she said, “Each class has pushed me to become a better student and a more well-rounded individual. In my experience, what makes Honors classes special isn’t just the material covered but the brilliant professors and students who make up the class.”
Caitlin has stayed in touch with her Honors College professors and classmates and has been able to turn these connections into jobs, research opportunities, and friendships.
One of the opportunities that Caitlin found out about through the Honors College is her current position as a student fellow in the DUET program at the Center for Faculty Excellence. The program paired her with a professor in another college at OU to help them meet their teaching goals. She attends their class once a week to observe and make notes on the class. She later meets with the professor to discuss the course as well as weekly meetings with the other student fellows. This semester she is working with Dr. Jude Okolie, an assistant professor in the Gallogly College of Engineering. The DUET program aims to help professors refine their course content and pedagogical methods through dialogue with the student fellow as well as the Center for Faculty Excellence. Caitlin said this about her work with the program: “I have really enjoyed working with such dedicated professors and seeing another perspective of the OU experience. I also love the opportunity to observe a class that I would have never gotten to take otherwise!”
Caitlin is also on staff as a consultant on the Energy team at the Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth, or I-CCEW. Her work consists of researching current regulations, value estimations, and market projections to determine their market transition viability. This work is also the basis of her Honors thesis.
This isn’t Caitlin’s first foray as a consultant. She has also been a part of The Oklahoma Group on campus. The Oklahoma Group is a student-led organization that provides pro-bono counseling to local non-profits. Both her work with The Oklahoma Group and I-CCEW have helped Caitlin build her professional skills for the future while also serving her community in and out of the University of Oklahoma. She has made important connections to a broad range of people with whom she still stays in contact.
Caitlin has continued to build community through OU Cousins, a program that pairs domestic students with international students. Of her experience she says, “It was nice to see OU and the US from a different perspective as I watched them navigate a new environment.” During her participation, she was paired with a few students from France and hopes to visit them one day in France.
Caitlin has already accomplished so much in the short time she has been at OU that it is hard to imagine what she’ll accomplish next. Whatever it is, we’re sure it’s going to be great, and we will be cheering her on from the sidelines.
