By Maria Nairn - Gaylord College Media Practicum
For many students, the path to higher education is linear. For others, it is winding. For Artra Nelson, a soon-to-be graduate of Gaylord College, this path included a stint in the Navy, a degree in political science, and a growing passion for public relations.
Artra’s connection to Gaylord College began unexpectedly during high school when she attended a summer camp hosted by the Native American Journalism Association. Though she initially hadn’t envisioned herself at the University of Oklahoma, she walked through Gaylord’s doors a decade later.
"I’m from the north side of Tulsa, and if you know anything about the north side of Tulsa, it is not the wealthiest place to come from," she shared. "So I was like, there is no way a young lady like myself will end up at OU and then Gaylord. But here I am."
After serving in the Navy and earning an associate’s degree in political science from Rose State College, she decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Public relations wasn’t her first love—initially, she was drawn to journalism—but a class on public relations changed her perspective.
"I love being behind the scenes and making things come together," she said. "It’s magical to me. So, PR made more sense."
Artra has worked to make the most of her time at Gaylord College. One of the most impactful experiences was a public relations-focused trip to New York, an experience made possible through the Student Experience Fund.
"It's one thing to study PR in college, but the New York trip showed me what it actually looked like," she explained. "I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the help of the student fund, and I’m very grateful for that."
In addition to the trip, she participated in national public relations competitions, including the Arthur W. Page Society’s case study competition and the Bateman competition with EveryLibrary, an organization advocating for public library funding.
"For the Arthur Page competition, we did a case study on Ozempic—the benefits, the drawbacks, the way people perceive it,” she said. “For the Bateman competition, we put together a package to bring awareness to [EveryLibrary], and we competed with about 60 other teams. There are so many things that libraries do that people just don't know about."
With graduation just a month away, she is preparing for her next big move: Los Angeles. Her career aspirations include crisis communications, entertainment PR, lifestyle branding or government-related public relations.
"I don’t have a job lined up yet,” she said. “But I’m moving to LA to pursue my career, and I have family there; so, it makes sense."
Through the support of the Student Experience Fund, Artra has been able to take full advantage of the opportunities at Gaylord. These experiences have not only expanded her skills but have also given her the confidence to step into the world of public relations as a professional.
Joy Akande, like many other Gaylord College students, has taken initiative during her time so far at the University of Oklahoma. Joy is a current senior studying advertising and is a current co-team lead for Gaylord College Media’s marketing team. She also is a creative lead in Gaylord’s Lindsey + Asp, a student-led advertisement and public relations team that focuses on youth culture. Joy utilizes these organizations to express her love for creating content and showing others what it’s like to be a student at OU.
For many students, the path to higher education is linear. For others, it is winding. For Artra Nelson, a soon-to-be graduate of Gaylord College, this path included a stint in the Navy, a degree in political science, and a growing passion for public relations.
As graduation approaches, Aniketh Koneru, a senior Public Relations major, reflects on his Gaylord College experience. His four years here have been shaped not only by the supportive community of peers and mentors but also the incredible opportunities that he took hold of. With the encouragement of others, Aniketh utilized the Student Experience Fund to elevate his voice to a national level.
Renteria is a junior majoring in public relations and minoring in Spanish and human relations, and is very involved on campus– she’s a resident advisor, a Henderson Scholar, in the President’s Community Scholars, in Crimson Club and will be a Gaylord ambassador this upcoming year. She has also received a slew of awards during her time at OU so far, including the Regents Award for Outstanding Juniors.
