Wes Bush
Director
OU Academic Advising Resource Center
Wes's Coaching Mindset: "I believe that coaching is a process in which a student and coach partner together to explore who the student is and how the student can take steps to achieve the goals they set for themselves, based on the premise that the student is the expert in their own life and has the skills and strengths that will support them on their path to finding success."
Higher Education Background:
- Bachelor's- History, Oklahoma State University.
- Master's- European History, Oklahoma State University.
- PhD Candidate- Medieval History, The Catholic University of America.
Interests and Hobbies:
- History.
- Traveling.
- Watching films.
- Playing competitive sports, especially basketball and soccer.
Top Life Defining Moments in Higher Education:
- Recognizing in my undergraduate experience that having a passion for my major was more important than having a clear idea of what profession I wanted to pursue after graduation.
- Understanding through the first Freshman Orientation course I taught the importance of students connecting to a campus community.
- Learning through my first advising position the positive impact advising (and later coaching) could have on a student's college experience.
While in college, I experienced:
- Balancing work and school.
- Being undecided on a major.
- Difficulty building and managing successful study systems.
- Academic motivation challenges.
Other: “Feeling disconnected as a Native American student whose tribal lands are located in a different state. Dealing with a sense of being an imposter, because I did not fit into the stereotypes of what Native Americans are ‘supposed’ to look like.”
