Recruiting the Next Generation

A group of Gaylord College graduates have a direct hand in recruiting the next generation of Sooners to the University of Oklahoma.

OU’s Office of Admissions and Recruitment (OAR), which is part of the Division of Enrollment Management, is responsible for working with high school students, their parents, prospective transfer students and high school counselors as they navigate the college admissions process. This office recruits future Sooners from not only the state of Oklahoma, but around the nation and the world.

Approximately 11 Gaylord alumni work in OAR in areas such as communications, Diversity Enrichment Programs and campus experience. Marissa Henderson and London Bulgarelli are just two of these former Gaylord students serving OU in this capacity.

Bulgarelli, a 2016 broadcast journalism graduate, was born in Denver and raised in Edmond, Okla. After earning his master’s degree in adult and higher education in 2018, Bulgarelli’s path took him back to Colorado where he serves as the Rocky Mountain admissions counselor for OU.

In this role, he oversees recruitment efforts in Colorado and four additional states throughout the Rockies, traveling to engage with students and their families at high schools, college fairs and community events.

Bulgarelli said he was drawn to this job because it seemed like an opportunity to represent the university on a national level. Now, he loves seeing how happy the students he recruits are once they arrive in Norman.

“Working with students in general is awesome, but there’s something about sharing my passion for OU with families outside of the state of Oklahoma that makes my job extra special,” Bulgarelli said.

As a student, Bulgarelli began working with OU Nightly as a teleprompter operator in 2013 and moved into other student leadership roles across campus. It didn’t take long for him to realize how much he enjoyed working in a higher education environment and with students, which influenced his career moves.

For Henderson, switching to Gaylord’s public relations major was an easy choice, partly because she knew the skills she would learn could be applied into any industry.

After her 2014 graduation from Gaylord, Henderson went on to earn a master’s degree in adult and higher education, during which she worked on the Office of Student Life Summer Programs team as a graduate assistant.

Through this role, she connected with different offices across campus, including OAR, where she started as an admissions counselor before transitioning into her current job as associate director of Oklahoma recruitment and campus experience. The Oklahoma City native oversees campus tour experiences, supervises the nearly 70 students who work as tour guides, serves as an admissions counselor to schools in central Oklahoma and plans events for prospective students.

Henderson has realized her passion and purpose in higher education is to help students not only get to college but also to help them succeed once they are at OU. Because of this, she also teaches a Gateway to College Learning course, which aids students with the transition from high school.

“I’ve actually been able to teach several students I recruited to OU in my Gateway class, so it’s been a beautiful thing to help them continue their journey at OU,” Henderson said. “It is completely fulfilling for me to welcome a student to OU as a prospective student and then to see them a few months later out and about on campus in-between classes. It is just the sweetest moment. I know the hard work of getting that student to OU was satisfying for me, but to see them completely satisfied in their OU experience as a student is even more fulfilling.”

Although Henderson does not work in a traditional media role, her public relations experiences come into play every day as she assists in guest relations and trains student workers to interact with the public. Additionally, she and her team have actively researched Generation Z to understand the best way to communicate with this group about events and tours.

“I’m so thankful for my educational background in public relations and how it has and continues to improve the work I get to do every day,” Henderson said. “I am a more proficient researcher, communicator, presenter and strategic creative because of my time in Gaylord College. It also doesn’t hurt that I am always ready to recruit students to OU interested in Gaylord College because of my experience there.”