Nearly 30,000 students are enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, and every one of those students has their own, unique story to tell.
Tatum Mabes, a Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences student graduating in December, is one of the many thousands before her who came to OU with an open mind.
“When I came here, I didn’t have an idea of exactly what I wanted to do,” Mabes admitted. “But I felt the freedom to explore here. OU has an environment where students and student organizations are able to thrive.”
While attending Booker T. Washington High School, Mabes found purpose and positivity at the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice, a Tulsa-based nonprofit whose mission is to inspire and equip Oklahomans to overcome bias, bigotry and oppression.
Mabes’ academic prowess in high school earned her a spot as a member of the President’s Leadership Class during her first year at OU. Through this involvement, she was able to forge connections and find a support network to ease her transition into college life. The PLC would also be a platform for Mabes to hone her skills in communication and leadership.
With her father’s encouragement, Mabes initially declared business as her major. As she acclimated to college life and began to finetune her skills, however, Mabes came to realize that business was not her call in life and changed her major to communication.
By chance during her initial year at OU, Mabes came across a mass email seeking student help at the call center, Crimson Callers. She answered the call, figuratively and literally – a decision that would significantly influence her path moving forward.
“It (Crimson Callers) appealed to me because I wanted to improve my communication skills,” Mabes said. “I found out you get paid to do it, so I thought, ‘Heck, yeah!’”
As a communication major, Mabes saw the benefit of getting real-world experience in the field as well as classroom instruction. Her work with Crimson Callers gave Mabes the opportunity to grow and work toward leadership positions on campus.
Ultimately, Mabes’ experience with Crimson Callers opened her eyes to her true passion: helping others.
She shifted her major a final time to public and nonprofit administration. By marrying her business interests with her passions for social justice and communicating with diverse publics, she was able to truly flourish as an OU student.
As she set her sights on her junior year, Mabes held strong to her goal of helping others. This led her on a full-circle journey back to the OCCJ – this time as an intern focused on providing help and resources to her hometown community of Tulsa.
At the OCCJ, Mabes worked a summer program that helps high school students gain and develop skills needed to combat racism, bias, bigotry and oppression. She also took part in the George Kaiser Family Foundation Summer Intern Impact Program, which places interns at nonprofits within the Tulsa community.
"The experience as a whole showed me what an inclusive, genuine and hardworking workplace looks like,” Mabes said. “OCCJ prepared me for the end of my OU career and beyond because it helped me find my connection and passion for advocacy and learning how to be an ally to all.”
In August of 2022, she joined the student organization Grant Writers Association of Oklahoma. Her education was put to real use as she worked with a team to draft a full grant proposal for a nonprofit.
Mabes’ growing confidence helped her explore the many multicultural offerings found on campus. This led her to joining Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Inc.
Now the December graduate is looking forward to receiving her diploma and the opportunity to use the skillsets learned in college to continue helping others.
“Everyone says this, but college is about what you make of it,” Mabes said. “Through different organizations, I was able to find my passion. I’m grateful to have found it.”
