Portrait of Emily Clair Brunson.
APRIL 14, 2022 | BY NATE PROCTOR
Emily Claire Brunson truly found a home with President’s Community Scholars throughout her time as a student at the University of Oklahoma. She was the first student to serve as Damphousse intern for PCS and helped pave the way for future generations of PCS student leaders. Emily graduated from OU in 2015 with her bachelor’s in non-profit management and went on to serve as the creative director for Mercy House Global. She is now the mom of two little ones and a pastor’s wife in Conroe, Texas. Read more about what Emily has been up to since PCS below.
Q: How did PCS impact your undergraduate experience?
Emily: Coming to OU from Houston, Texas I felt super far from home. PCS gave me the family I was looking for. We would have family dinners every Thursday, meetings where we grew together as community leaders and mentors that poured into us constantly. I didn’t just learn what it looks like to be a servant leader — it was always on display in each of the people leading PCS.
Q: What were some unique or exciting experiences you had in PCS?
Emily: The most special moments of my college career were with PCS. Traveling to Arezzo, Italy and studying abroad allowed me to grow more than I could imagine. Painting the train station and loving on the Arezzo community with fellow PCS students was a dream.
Q: How did your experience in PCS and education at OU prepare you for life after you graduated?
Emily: I was honored to serve as the first PCS intern my senior year of college. That experience gave me so much insight into the time, care and devotion that PCS and the OU Staff give to each student in the program. I learned what it looks like to collaborate with others, take ownership of tasks I was given and learn how to serve others around me. Moments like that are not often taught; they are learned by the people we surround ourselves with. When I left OU, I walked away learning what it looked like to work hard, take leaps of faith and the beauty of serving.
Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to the current and incoming PCS classes?
Emily: It was a joy to connect with the students in my PCS class, but the PCS Staff have been the most influential people in my life. They spoke into my life in so many ways. They helped guide and encourage me throughout my time in college. I’m so glad I took advantage of PCS office hours and reached out to the advisors when I was struggling.
Q: What inspires you most about your work?
Emily: I’ve always felt most fulfilled in my work when I can be creative and serve others. At Mercy House Global, I had the opportunity to work directly with artisan groups in 15 different countries to collaborate and create product lines as the Creative Director. By giving artisans work, they were able to provide for their families and create beautiful products. I never imagined that my creative designs would come to life and be made by countless hands around the world — it’s truly a gift!
Q: How have you continued to give back to your community as an adult?
Emily: We experience so many seasons in life. Right now, I’ve found myself in a season of motherhood with 2 little ones at home. I’ve learned to stop spreading myself thin trying to give and just devote myself to one thing. Right now, that looks like being a reliable helper in our church kid’s ministry. They know they can count on me each week to teach our kids. Right now, I’m learning it’s not about how much you are doing, but how well you are doing one thing.
Q: What are some words you live by?
Emily: “God first, others second, I’m third.”
Q: What would you say to your fellow PCS alumni and parents that would encourage them to give on Giving Day?
Emily: I can’t express the lasting impact PCS is making in so many students’ lives right now. I often find myself thinking about the memories and the lessons I have learned by being a part of the PCS family—even after 10 years. So many little moments made all the difference in my life. Learning how to shake someone’s hand from Quy correctly or how to make small moments magical from the Dean of Fine Arts. I read the “Giving Tree” to my son often and imagine Susan Sasso reading it to our PCS class, teaching us always to be quick to give and serve. My world was changed because PCS invested in my life, emotionally and financially, and I can’t wait to do the same for the next generation of PCS students.
President’s Community Scholars is composed of students who want to make a difference in their community. President Joseph Harroz Jr. recognizes the community service efforts of our high school's best and brightest scholars through the President's Community Scholars scholarship. Administered by the Office of Leadership and Volunteerism from the Division of Student Affairs, PCS provides high-achieving high school students with the best possible freshman experience through service to local, state, and global communities.
