By Allie Schwartz, Gaylord College Class of FA 2024
Will Cornelius, Gaylord graduate of 2018, eagerly embraced every opportunity during his undergraduate years.
Cornelius’s journey to Gaylord was unconventional. He secured a spot in the highly competitive Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship program, which fully funded his college education. The application process required eight essays. This proved an opportunity to tap into his newfound writing and creative skills. Starting as a Price College of Business student, Cornelius realized he wanted to pursue a career that better fit his skills and passions. Encouraged by a fraternity brother in Gaylord College, he decided to look into broadcast journalism.
Recapping his thought process during this transition, Cornelius remarked, "I'm really good at writing. I got my full college funding because of my writing. And I ended up figuring out I like journalism way better, just through my experiences.”
Cornelius found plenty of opportunities to fully immerse himself in the Gaylord College experience. Cornelius started at OU Nightly and quickly fell in love with the process. He still enjoys watching reruns of broadcasts featuring himself and his friends during get-togethers. To this day, Cornelius still enjoys tuning in to current Nightly episodes. “There's so much more support and all the students, they're just so hungry, and it's just so fun to watch everybody be so passionate and really enjoy that,” said Cornelius.
Cornelius adds, “They can't do any of that without donors, without the funds to be able to do that. So, I just love watching some of the recent episodes whenever I have a chance to tune in and just see the production value is just so much higher.”
Cornelius led the Gaylord College’s partnership with Griffin Media called [UNFILTERED], a segment where they covered the 2018 Oklahoma teachers strike. In the spring, Cornelius was able to get coverage all around the Capitol and able to explore the world of journalism. Following that experience, Cornelius found his first job from his close relationship with Griffin Media.
Of all the experiences Cornelius was able to partake in as a Gaylord student, he describes his internship in Salt Lake City Utah with KSL 5 as “an incredibly impactful experience for me because I got to see so much of the news world, the TV industry, local TV, how it goes.” [WS1] These experiences have honed his storytelling and content creation skills. He uses these skills every day in his current role as a Senior Marketing Specialist at Paycom.
“I wouldn't have gotten to learn anything without the donation from Catherine and Steve Hickman. They were essential in that program. They donate to enable students to be able to go and travel, go do this internship, and not have to worry about their finances.”
Cornelius directly benefited from scholarship funds, as do many Gaylord students today. He understands first-hand the value of real-world experiences for emerging journalists and storytellers. Because of this, he continues to give back to Gaylord College. Cornelius hopes his donation impacts Gaylord students, just as the scholarship he received impacted him.
These experiences have honed his storytelling and content creation skills. He uses these skills everyday in his current role as a Senior Marketing Specialist at Paycom. [WS1]
The word “accomplished” is an understatement when describing OU alumna Barbara Sessions. Graduating in 1968 with a B.A. in Public Relations, Sessions furthered her education with an M.A. in history of science and European history. Her deep connection to OU is rooted in the experiences that defined her time at the university, notably her role at the Oklahoma Daily (now OU Daily).
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree, with a focus on advertising, in 1970. I wanted to be the next Mary Wells Lawrence. She founded a highly successful advertising agency and served as the first female CEO of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Will Cornelius, Gaylord graduate of 2018, eagerly embraced every opportunity during his undergraduate years. Cornelius’s journey to Gaylord was unconventional. Starting as a Price College of Business student, Cornelius realized he wanted to pursue a career that better fit his skills and passions. Encouraged by a fraternity brother in Gaylord College, he decided to look into broadcast journalism.
Keith White found journalism at a young age -- or, rather, it found him. Raised in a newspaper publishing family in Grandfield, OK, White was immersed in journalism from an early age. There, he learned skills that would propel him into the ranks of Gaylord College, the OU Daily and a 47-year-long career in journalism, earning his way to editor positions at prestigious publications such as the National Journal Group, The Hill and Congressional Quarterly (CQ). For his past experiences, White attributes a significant part of his success to the opportunities granted to him by what would become the Student Experience Fund.
