NEWS
There was a lot on her plate — military spouse with three children and an OU degree journey. But this only fueled her, and her family’s, desire to leave a Sooner legacy together.
Jennifer Wynne held her University of Oklahoma class ring during the fall 2022 Ring Ceremony. The crowd in Holmberg Hall’s auditorium rose to give her and her husband, Jimmy, and youngest daughter Karissa – who were also receiving their class rings – a standing ovation.
As Jennifer stood between OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. and her family, decade-spanning memories of her academic and life journey coincided with a flood of euphoric feelings.
“It was an emotional day for me because I’d been waiting for so long, and I knew I wanted this,” Jennifer said. “It was also like a full circle of everything we’ve gone through as a family.”
As a mother of three, Jennifer wished to serve as an example to them by earning a degree. As a military spouse, she had to maintain the homestead while her husband served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard.
There was a lot on her plate. But this only fueled her, and her family’s, desire to leave a Sooner legacy together.
Jennifer’s OU journey began with her and her husband’s relocation from Indianapolis, Indiana to Bridge Creek, Oklahoma, in 2005, when she left the workforce to raise her children while her husband worked. While managing the home, Jennifer decided to pursue her college degree as time permitted.
“We kind of knew from the atmosphere of the military that my husband was going to deploy, so quitting my job and deciding to be at home for the kids was the best idea,” Jennifer recalled. “Going to school was the next crazy, but best, idea.”
Jennifer was accepted and enrolled into OU’s interior design program in 2011, at the same time Jimmy deployed to Afghanistan. She completed her degree in Administrative Leadership, minoring in Interior Design.
With additional time to focus on herself, her academic dreams became a reality, but it was not always a comfortable transition. As her husband served overseas in Afghanistan, the pressure to be a mother and to succeed in school increased. Jennifer had to remain optimistic, determined and strong for herself as well as her children.
The stress was constant. Days were filled with busy work, ranging from school homework to routine household duties, for everyone at home. Jennifer had to deal with the additional uncertainty of never truly knowing when she would be able to contact her husband overseas – often having to stay up all night just to have a quick 20-minute chat. The workload, responsibility and pressure Wynne endured would be the envy of very few.
Despite the hurdles, Jennifer’s optimism helped guide her and her family; together, they overcame tough times.
“It wasn’t a happy time, but it wasn’t a completely sad time,” Jennifer said.
At the time, their youngest child, Karrissa, didn’t fully grasp the situation her father was in. This was compounded by instances where her friends at school would share their fear that her dad may not return home from fighting.
“Her brother and I were like the springboard saying, ‘Oh, he’s not in the dangerous areas. He’s totally safe!’” Jennifer said.
Jimmy’s time in Afghanistan ended safely with his return stateside, and with it, his own desire to pursue an administrative leadership degree from OU Online. Jennifer graduated in 2016 while Jimmy followed in 2017, but they didn’t participate in the Ring Ceremony afterward.
With Jimmy’s retirement from the military in 2018 and the two older Wynne children pursuing their own academic dreams elsewhere, Karissa decided to follow in her parent’s footsteps.
Karissa enrolled at OU as a health and exercise science major in 2020. With her move, her parents also relocated to Norman in February of that year. The timing could not have been more fortuitous, as COVID would force Karissa out of her dorm and back home.
With fall 2019 beginning Karissa’s final year at OU, it seemed to be the time for the Wynnes to finally receive their rings together.
“I have been pressing my husband and daughter about the Ring Ceremony since we knew this was her final year,” Wynne said. “I was like – this is it! We’re finally getting our rings!”
The Wynne’s felt the ceremony was extremely special, given the support of the entire OU family, and Jennifer was thankful to President Harroz for his kind words on stage during the ceremony.
“We weren’t sure about all these other things, but we were sure that we could all be together, support each other, and we were sure we were able to get our degrees,” Wynne said. “Family and the OU Family is so important to us, and we’ve always relied upon it as our source of energy.”
