By Emma Rowland, Gaylord College Class of 2026
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).
“Learning to compose at the typewriter and working hard to make daily deadlines prepared me more than anything to become a professional journalist,” said Sessions.
She went on to become a trailblazer not only in her own community, but also throughout various organizations she was involved in. After acquiring her bachelors, she spent three years at her alma mater teaching journalism to the students at Midwest City High School. Later, a move to New York City to work for a newsletter publisher in Manhattan sparked an interest in financial writing. Sessions worked with companies and trade unions to develop benefit plans into plain language, and this work advanced into her own communications business: Barbara W. Sessions Communications Consulting.
Additionally, Sessions worked with the United States Golf Association, explaining complex golf concepts in simple, digestible ways. Her passion for golf deepened at Turner’s Lodge Course, renowned for hosting the LPGA and PGA Tours upon its opening. This inspired her to collect the historic artifacts later included in the Turner’s Lodge Pro Golf Museum, which opened in 2023.
Sessions founded the Love County Community Coalition, a key community connector offering diverse services and news. The coalition was created in 1991 and was active until the COVID-19 pandemic. Presently, Sessions continues to consult, advise with advertising and newswriting, and contribute to the Marietta Monitor. Sessions and her husband, Don, have one son and are grandparents to three grandchildren.
While these milestones highlight Sessions’ remarkable journey, her enduring connection to her roots is most evident in her continued contributions to the university. In 1972, Barbara and Don Sessions established the Journalism Merit Scholarship, with the inaugural award presented the following year. They also played a pivotal role in founding the OU Club of Love County, granting 276 scholarships—up to $5,000 each—to over 100 recipients.
Barbara was kind enough to share some personal insight on why she finds it important to give back to Gaylord.
“I made it through undergraduate school thanks to journalism scholarships. But, no matter what an education costs or how it is financed, we get more than we pay for. Someone was there before us building the buildings, attracting the faculty, and establishing the institutional helps that made our journey easier. We are using our university education, all of us, daily. In my case, I just determined that as soon as I started work, I was going to pay back those scholarships every year,” said Sessions.
“Don was in agreement and so, in 1972, when my teaching job opened, we established the Journalism Merit Scholarship. The first award was made in 1973, and so in 2023, the 50th year of scholarship giving took place. Some years there have been multiple recipients. The best times have been when it was possible through awards events to meet the recipient and that student's parents. Regardless, giving back has kept me close to the H.H. Herbert School of Journalism and the Gaylord College of Journalism for 50 years.”
She continued to emphasize why it is important for the public to contribute.
“I am proud of the general public and especially college graduates for giving back to colleges and universities in large numbers. What we are doing is making up for the attrition of state dollars toward higher education,” Sessions said. “These are political decisions that are made and it is important to elect public servants who value investment in public education, in the "social safety net" of public services for individuals needing a temporary hand up to climb out of poverty or trauma, and to pay living wages. In all the ways we can publicly and privately create opportunity for lower- and middle-income people, we are being our best-educated Americans, in my opinion.”
Learn more about Barbara and her impact on Gaylord and the University of Oklahoma.
A legacy of giving, Love County Scholarship, established in 1991.
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 her Gaylord College experience. Her four years here have been shaped not only by the supportive community of peers and mentors but also the incredible opportunities that she took hold of. With the encouragement of others, Aniketh utilized the Student Experience Fund to elevate her 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.
