As Zack Lissau was finishing up his high school career in Tulsa, his eyes were looking east.
Zack had dreams of going to college in the nation’s capital and eventually working in politics. However, a trip just two hours from his hometown forced a change of plans.
Zack, now a public relations graduate from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, came to the University of Oklahoma with butterflies in his stomach, but has never looked back.
“I definitely made the right decision,” Zach said. “I met so many great people and there was just kind of this aha moment for me as far as like, ‘Oh, this place. This place is big, it's huge. But it's got this small-town feel,’ there's only one Oklahoma type of thing.”
He remembers walking around the involvement fair and learning about all the opportunities to help build aa sense of community on campus. Zack was also accepted into the President’s Leadership Class, where he was given his first leadership opportunity right away.
After going through University College, Zack enrolled in the Price College of Business. However, he later changed his major to public relations in Gaylord College, thinking that the major would better prepare him more for the workforce.
“I feel like Gaylord does such a good job at educating people on really what journalism really is,” Zack said. “Because I feel like the biggest things today are if you can write … to convey a message concisely, accurately — you know, those types of things. And so, I feel like the experiences I gained in Gaylord College led up to probably my most memorable experience, which is serving as (Student Government Association) president.”
Zack ran for SGA president in the fall of 2021, where he told the Oklahoma Daily his biggest priority was communicating student needs to the OU administration and amplifying the student voice.
He was elected on Nov. 3, 2021, he was elected, receiving 66.42% of the vote. Zack said getting the privilege to serve as SGA president was a “dream come true.”
“It was the hardest year of my life, for sure. I mean, there were challenges that I did not anticipate,” Zack said. “It was the classes and the faculty that allowed me and gave me the grace to be able to not only run for SGA president but also, they supported me in every step thereafter. And just being able to meet so many new faces from so many different communities (as president) really excited me.”
Zack credits this role for giving him the experience he needed before leaving for his new job: press assistant in the U.S. Senate. There, he hopes to eventually work into a senior role within the communications side of a political press office.
He said the time spent in Gaylord and as SGA president will allow him to walk into the high-stress environment with confidence and take things in stride.
Speaking prior to Commencement, Zack reflected with gratitude on his OU journey.
He credits the university with providing him with experiences, inside and outside the classroom, that helped open the doors of opportunity for him in his chosen career field.
“I didn't go throughout college trying to be somebody I wasn't,” he said. “I went into every space, or at least I tried, to be the only person I know how to be. If I'm remembered for one thing, I hope it's giving it my all, trying new things and really just being a friendly face.”
