Tony Henry knows a few things about operating businesses in Oklahoma. After all, the managing partner of Tulsa’s Full Moon Café and Wolfgang Puck Bistro has owned numerous restaurants in the state and has dealt with myriad challenges.
Henry, like many other business owners, believes that for all the accolades Oklahoma has received, there remain many potholes in the road to a good statewide business environment.
In the past few years, that environment has been lauded in magazines and in the reporting on national and regional surveys. However, small and mid-size business owners in Oklahoma find that there remain distinctive barriers to the success and expansion of homegrown businesses, and feel that the state could do more to foster a healthy private sector.
“One of the biggest issues for us is workers’ compensation – it is so expensive,” says Christine Booth, co-owner of Hawley Design Furnishings.
“We had a woodworker with an injury who went to a local emergency center. It cost $1,700 and the company paid only $300. And we have a good (provider). The bill every month is so high and the return is so little. It’s almost worthless.”
Tony Jordan, manager of Jordan and Sons homebuilders says that he hasn’t yet had to deal with a Workers’ Compensation claim.
“Thank God, I haven’t had to,” Jordan says. “I’ve got seven employees and workers’ comp is expensive in Oklahoma.”
In fact, workers’ comp rates in Oklahoma are higher than any other state in the region and have been escalating dramatically. According to a comparative study conducted by the State of Oregon, Oklahoma had the fourth highest rates in the country as of 2010, having risen from ninth nationally in just 2008, and from 15th in 2004. By comparison, Texas has seen its (already moderate) rates decline, and Arkansas and Colorado have some of the lowest rates in the nation.
“That’s wrong,” Jordan says. “We don’t like insurances as is – there is no benefit. There should be benefits for those of us who don’t have claims.”
Henry says that one likely cause of the state’s high rates is fraud.
“It’s the system that needs modification,” Henry says. “We need something that gets workers back to work quicker and which reduces fraud. Workers’ comp systems have a lot of fraud. Sometimes in Oklahoma, people sit at home and are happy to get paid for it.”
“Because we have such a huge deficit, government should look at itself and ask how it could make things easier.”
Henry says the state could address this business barrier.
“A lot of business owners would like to see more enforcement and penalties related to workers’ comp fraud,” he says.
Many feel that healthcare is another obstacle.
“There are things out there like Insure Oklahoma to supposedly help with health insurance rates, but you have to go through hoops for it and if you are even slightly successful in your business, it’s no help at all,” says web designer John Coffey of Bixby’s Hot Coffey Design. He adds that a group plan offered through his local chamber of commerce is also of no help – with the premiums being almost three times as high as a private policy.
Although Henry says he feels that Insure Oklahoma – a state program helping low-income workers acquire health insurance – is a good start, more needs to be done in the healthcare area.
“I’d like to see more programs like that,” Henry says. “I think a very high percentage of our employees are most likely uninsured. We’re very nervous about what’s proposed at the federal level because it won’t be affordable. It will drive some small businesses under.”
Booth says that Insure Oklahoma is still out of reach for her employees and that with the limited bargaining power of a small business, a company insurance plan is even further from reach.
Muskogee’s Alan Landry retired several years ago after operating numerous businesses around the state. He says he’s glad his days in business are over.
“It’s too expensive and too dangerous to be in business in Oklahoma today,” Landry says. “You never know when more regulations and fees are coming and it is outrageously expensive to even hire people. With payroll taxes, fees and whatever new mandates they cook up all the time, it’s impossible to plan long term and long-term planning is a key to success.”
Others certainly agree about the “cost” of hiring.
“Because of things like the worker’s comp rates, we’re looking at hiring more contractors than we are full-time employees,” Booth says.
Coffey says it is more cost-efficient to hire people overseas on a per-project basis even at up to $50 an hour than it is for him to hire employees.
“It works out better for me that way because there is no incentive for me to hire someone,” Coffey says. “I have never seen it worse for small businesses than it is today.”
“The bill every month is so high and the return is so little. It’s almost worthless.”
Amanda Duenner, president of Daniels Greer Properties, says that even Oklahoma’s much-praised quality of life advantages are matched by similarly themed shortcomings.
“When companies are considering relocating here, they look at things like that our school system is struggling, crime seems to be increasing and even that Oklahoma is one of the fattest states,” Duenner says. “All of these things relate to quality of life.”
Despite keen awareness of Oklahoma’s business pitfalls, small and mid-size business owners still believe there are things communities and government can do to improve the situation. Besides action in terms of Worker’s Compensation rates and health care, other suggestions abound.
Duenner, for example, believes the state would be better served by more direct flights from the international airports.
“I’ve heard a lot that Tulsa is very hard to get to,” she says.
Duenner says that additional incentives to attract and retain businesses could also be helpful.
Booth agrees.
“There are things the state could do to promote Oklahoma businesses,” she says. “For example, there are a lot of trade shows that are very expensive to attend. It would be helpful if the state sent a contingent to these shows to promote Oklahoma businesses.”
Henry says that dealing with state bureaucracy is a regular challenge but that it shouldn’t be.
“Because we have such a huge deficit, government should look at itself and ask how it could make things easier,” he says. “What’s good for us is good for them and that helps with their deficit.”
Coffey says that government should have the funds it needs for improvements.
“There was supposed to be all this money from (lottery) and from casinos, but I don’t see it.”
The small restaurant located across the street from TU’s Reynolds Center serves exactly what you would expect from an establishment with the word “grill” in the title: hefty burgers, hot sandwiches and tasty sides. Burgers are the favorite here, and Campus Grill is serving them smothered in chili and cheese, Southwest-style with bacon, guacamole, jalapenos and pepper jack cheese or grilled with sautéed mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese. Breakfasts are equally satisfying, with choices like pancakes, omelets and breakfast burritos containing chicken or sausage, green onion, cheddar and eggs wrapped in a jalapeno tortilla and served with breakfast potatoes. 3148 E. 11th St., Tulsa. 918.938.7043.
Flatire Burgers
Just across the street from the campus of UCO is a burger joint that’s a “great place to break down.” At least, that’s what the proprietors of Edmond’s Flatire Burgers would like you to believe. And why not? Burgers, nachos, fish tacos – this eatery offers them all. The first to try, of course, is the restaurant’s namesake: a dozen and a half burgers and sandwiches, ranging from a basic cheeseburger to The Flatire Blowout, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, bacon, fried egg and cheese. But Flatire has also gained a reputation for its fish tacos, which are served with either yellow fin tuna or tilapia – your choice. Don’t depart Flatire without ordering the s’mores. This DIY dessert is served with graham crackers, chocolate pieces and marshmallows you roast over a flame at your table. 318 E. Ayers St., Edmond. www.flatireburgers.com
Lulu’s Bake Shoppe & Cafe
It’s a quaint little bakery and lunching place in south Tulsa that thrives on its word-of-mouth reputation. Simplicity is the name of the game at Lulu’s, and it’s that simplicity that shapes a menu full of delicious sandwiches, satisfying soups and fresh salads. Try the tangy Genevieve, a sandwich comprised of Brie cheese with ginger chutney on ciabatta bread. Or opt for the Warm Spinach Salad, a bed of baby spinach with red onions and toasted pecans drizzled with warm bacon dressing. Part café and part coffee house, Lulu’s menu also includes an array of baked goods, from pastries and cookies to fruit pies and cakes. Mama’s Carrot Cake is jeweled with raisins and walnuts and topped with a thick, cream cheese icing, while the fruit pies can be filled with apple, peach, cherry or berry. 8162-C S. Lewis Ave., Tulsa. www.lulusbakeshop.com
It’s been strongly linked to cervical cancer. Eighty percent of American women will be diagnosed with it before the age of 50. It’s the most common sexually transmitted disease. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a problem that’s been seen, until now, as a female problem. New research, however, shows that 50 percent of American men are infected with HPV, and the virus can cause cancer in men, as well. The rising number of infected men, though, is no mystery, according to Dr. Mary-Ann Bowl-Witchey, an obstetrician and gynecologist with St. John Medical Center in Owasso.
“Gardasil, the first vaccine for HPV, when it originally came out, was limited to young women because we were the ones who got cancer. It’s now been approved by the FDA for young men, as well,” she says.
In fact, until vaccines were approved for use in men, HPV treatment was solely focused on women.
HPV is tougher to diagnose for men as well. While some of the less dangerous forms of the virus produce genital warts, most strains initially express no outward signs. Doctors can’t see it, their male patients are unaware of it and the problem goes unsolved – all while more and more women are being vaccinated every day. Now that vaccines have been approved for young males, doctors believe the number of men infected with HPV will begin to decline.
The vaccines aren’t foolproof, though. There are more than 40 strains of the virus. They’re constantly changing, making them difficult but definitely not impossible, to vaccinate against. HPV strains mutate in the same way as flu strains. Of the 40 known strains, though, only about 15 can lead to other health complications. And in almost 90 percent of cases, the body’s immune system cleans out HPV within two years. As it is with so many health issues, education is the key to locking down HPV.
“I think that public awareness of HPV is probably more common. Now that we have vaccines, they’re advertised and the public is more aware of HPV,” says Dr. Taneisha Buffin, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Integris Southwest Hospital.
“I think also that we’ve always focused on cervical cancer screening. Now we’re focused on getting the younger population vaccinated and catching some of those high-risk types of HPV that are associated with cervical cancer. I wouldn’t say that HPV is so dangerous. It’s just about making the public aware and getting people screened.
“If you find HPV early enough, there are things we can do to treat it and try to prevent it from progressing to a cancer.”
For Mama Sweet, it all began in 2002 with a gig at one of Norman’s most coveted venues: The Deli.
That’s when front man Aron Holt, along with band members Alan Orebaugh, Boyd Littell and John Carnuccio, joined forces to form an outfit that’s a little bit country, a little bit rock n’ roll and a whole lot of local flavor.
“When Mama Sweet started, it was just a matter of wrangling up the necessary ingredients to make a band,” Holt says. “I had written a bunch of songs and hadn’t been in a band in a while. Everyone was asking when I was going to start another one. So, I decided to give it a shot.”
It was a good call for both the band members and local audiences. Mama Sweet played their first show opening for Norman favorite Mike Hosty at the hottest spot on Campus Corner. They quickly established a loyal following among the locals and soon released two albums – 13 Tunes From Texas and Mama Mia – before Holt was lured to try his luck in New York City.
Now, nine years after that seminal show at The Deli, Holt is back from the big city and Mama Sweet is rocking local venues again. Touring has been put on hold indefinitely as the band focuses on recording a follow-up record to their 2008 studio re-release, Welcome to the Well, and their live album, Now. Here. This., recorded at The Deli and at Wormy Dog Saloon in Oklahoma City.
“All I can really tell you about the new material is that it is very representative of Mama Sweet and is a reflection of a band in constant evolution,” says Holt of their upcoming release. “There has always been diversity within the material and I don’t think that’s ever going to change.”
When asked about the band’s musical influences, Holt says each band member has been inspired by a wide variety of artists.
“I personally have always been drawn to very charismatic front men, but also appreciate the more folky storytelling stuff. So, that’s what I have tried to bring to the table: some sort of combination of those two,” he says.
After almost a decade in the local music scene, Mama Sweet is staying true to their musical roots, making regular appearances at The Deli and the bars of Bricktown.
When asked how they have changed musically since that first gig, Holt says, “We’ve always just done whatever we wanted to do. The music may have changed; that’s for the fans to decide. But I don’t think we have ever departed from how we do things.”
As a teenager, I worked at a local ice cream store. Almost everyone who frequented the store ordered a single scoop – five ounces – that cost 26 cents with tax. This amounted to approximately 110 to 130 calories, five grams of fat and 15 to 20 grams of sugar. The major ingredients in ice cream back then were simple: milk/cream, sugar, and vanilla, along with some minor ingredients to enhance the quality and storage of the ice cream.
Today, many ice creams have a long list of ingredients that may not be so healthy. For example, low carbohydrate varieties are loaded with sugar alcohols to cut the calorie content. Some contain up to 21 grams of sugar alcohol per serving. The problem is that with more than 10 grams per serving, sugar alcohols are known to cause cramps or diarrhea. I caution people to read the list of ingredients in processed food and to stay away from foods that contain a long list of ingredients.
It is best to keep the caloric content of ice cream lower by returning to the five-ounce portion, which is a little more than a half-cup, and buy ice cream that has been “slow churned.” Slow churned ice cream is lower in calories and fat without all the extra ingredients.
Place a heavy saucepan over medium heat and add all five ingredients. Cook the mixture, while stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the sauce is smooth. Serve warm, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Every first Friday of the month, families, musicians and arts appreciators make their way to Oklahoma City’s Paseo Arts District to enjoy a feeling of creative community. The First Friday Gallery Walk typically draws up to 2,000 visitors for one night along the vibrant stretch of Spanish-revival architecture housing a high concentration of galleries along with trendy restaurants, coffee houses and other businesses in the state. “They come in snow; they come in ice; they come in the heat. It’s amazing,” says Jo Wise, executive director of the Paseo Arts Association. Whether seeking good food (Sauced on Paseo), good theater (Ghostlight Theatre Club) or a great gallery (take your pick, there are many!), pedestrians will find it. And it helps that most businesses stay open late and galleries hold receptions for new exhibits on the first Friday of each month. Go ahead explore. www.thepaseo.com
“Our Mennonite church got chased out of Arkansas by the mosquitoes in 1911,” says Bill Chupp. “So it’s celebrating its 100-year anniversary here.”
Chupp, owner and operator of Chupp Implement Company, is a longtime resident of the Chouteau-Pryor area, which is home to one of Oklahoma’s scarce Amish and Mennonite settlements. Residents agree that he is the be-all, end-all of sources for local lore. Chupp’s family settled in Chouteau after leaving Kansas in 1929, and he is steeped in local history and culture.
Although Oklahoma has relatively small Amish and Mennonite populations, members of the religious cultures have been growing. In the past 20 years, the Amish church alone in the Chouteau area has expanded to encompass four separate houses, where services are held for some 20 families in each. Every other Sunday, “bench wagons” load up portable benches for church members and set up in delegated homes. On Sundays when there is not service between Easter and Thanksgiving, members share a single Sunday school location.
According to Chupp, the first members of the Amish church in Mayes County mostly traveled from Ohio and Indiana to settle in Mazie, Okla., before an epidemic forced them to move to nearby Chouteau. Farming was done by horse and steel-wheeled tractors only, although recent years have seen the advent of rubber tires locally.
When asking about town, one can still hear the family names of the original settlers: Yoder, Coblentz, Detweiler. Low German is still spoken by many members of the community, who learn such skills as carpentry, mechanics and furniture craftsmanship from older generations. While recent years have seen many younger generations of Amish convert to the Mennonite faith – in part due to the Mennonites’ more tolerant perspective on technology – members of the two cultures co-exist harmoniously here. They share religious roots in the Anabaptist movement, but small yet crucial differences separate the churches. In the Chouteau area, many families have members belonging to both sects.
Although members of these communities may live quietly separated from much of modern society, they often can be found lending a helping hand anywhere in the world. Each fall, the Mennonite Central Community meets in Enid for its Oklahoma Mennonite Relief Sale. Homemade ice cream, furniture, noodles, pies and more are sold to raise almost $100,000 in charitable funds. In addition, members of the church have canned some 17,000 pounds of meat for relief in disaster-stricken countries such as Haiti, and this past spring, several members of Chouteau’s Amish church traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to assist with tornado relief efforts.
“It’s a very benevolent group of people,” says Chupp, who himself has traveled to more than 40 countries, and has visited other Amish communities in such unlikely places as Brazil.
But while Amish and Mennonite communities may also be found across the globe, they have definitely become an indelible part of Oklahoma history and culture.
“These people are true citizens of this area,” says Chouteau Mayor Jerry Floyd. “They get involved in most town functions, such as the Black Buggy Days, with their concession stands and their rodeos. The Amish Cheese House and the Dutch Pantry bring in a lot of travelers and tour buses; they all stop by on their way through town. Some of the Amish cater dinners at their homes, which bring in out-of-towners.
“As a whole I feel that they are a great asset to the town and surrounding areas.”
It’s a little before 6:30 on a summer Sunday evening at Tulsa’s Full Moon Café. As they’ve done virtually every Sunday for the past five years, musicians Shelby Eicher and Mark Bruner are setting up on a stage so close to the diners that both could reach out and snatch a calamari ring off a dinner plate with little effort.
The two know that by the time their second set comes along – they always do two separate shows on Sunday evenings – the long table in front will be filled with people who’ve come down from the Jazz Hall of Fame’s early-evening Sunday show, and most if not all of them will be fans and friends of the duo. However, at this time the table is occupied by what looks like a large family group celebrating a birthday, and the members don’t seem to know the guys on the bandstand from Adam’s housecat.
At half past six on the dot, the music begins. It’s “City of New Orleans,” with Mark on guitar and lead vocals, Shelby on mandolin, performed in a way that’s both laid-back and sure handed. You could call it conversational, offered up by guys who have something very interesting to say, but would find it unseemly to shout it out.
The approach works, too. By the time they’ve followed up with a Taj Mahal blues song, a gypsy-jazz version of “Little Coquette” and an incredibly laid-back but technically adept reading of Eric Clapton’s “Layla,” the table in front, and the rest of the crowd, is right in their collective pocket.
It is, these veteran players will tell you, just an example of what they call their “music-service business.” That’s what they say they’ve been providing audiences with over the past 15 years, with the Full Moon Café a big part of that business for the last five.
“We can’t overstate the role of the ownership here,” says Bruner, when he and Eicher take a break. “(Owner) Tony Henry has been instrumental in giving us latitude, trusting our instincts and letting us do our job. We don’t work in the kitchen, and we don’t work behind the bar, but what we can do is get people in here and entertain ‘em while they’re here. That’s what we get hired for.”
“We don’t work in the kitchen, and we don’t work behind the bar, but what we can do is get people in here and entertain ‘em while they’re here. That’s what we get hired for.”
“We have a service that we provide,” adds Eicher. “We keep people engaged. They want to buy another drink. They want to come here to have dinner. That’s really the service that we have, no matter what music it is that we’re playing.”
And indeed, they play all kinds of music. Equally adept at everything from Western swing and cowboy tunes to straight-ahead jazz, jazz-pop, down-home blues and classic rock, the two never do two shows exactly alike. The only thread that runs through their repertoire, besides a high level of musicianship, is their acoustic approach – Bruner plays hollow-body guitar, Eicher, usually, mandolin or fiddle. Upon seeing them break out those instruments, some would immediately peg the two as bluegrass musicians. That assumption, however, would be wrong.
“I remember when we were across the street at (the former restaurant) Camerelli’s,” says Eicher with a grin, “and we were playing ‘It Had to be You.’ It was just beautiful. And when we’re done, this lady turns and says, ‘That’s the best bluegrass I ever heard.’”
Eicher laughs. “We just sort of went, ‘Uh-huh,’ because it’s so not bluegrass.”
The two prefer the term “acoustic variety,” which is as good a definition as any.
“It can be very eclectic,” Bruner points out.
“Right now, a real popular thing we do is an arrangement of ‘Norwegian Wood,’ with a section in the middle that’s totally free-form,” he adds. “We each take a solo there. We can be totally creative, and the audience has come to really like and expect that. Although they wouldn’t want to see it on every tune, they want to see how far we can push the envelope.
“And then, we come right back with ‘Take Me Back to Tulsa’ or a Robert Johnson blues.”
Eicher, from Ohio, and Bruner, from Oklahoma City, both got into music at an early age. Eicher started playing dances with his grandmother – “polkas, schottishes, lots of fiddle tunes for square dancing” – as a kid, while Bruner was making a living in a hotel band by his early 20s. They both eventually moved to Tulsa, where Eicher married popular local singer Janet Rutland.
In 1984, Eicher was a member of Roy Clark’s band and Bruner was with Tulsa’s Ronnie Dunn, who was several years away from pairing with fellow singer-songwriter Kix Brooks to become half of the biggest country-music duo of all time. Both Clark and Dunn were summoned to Washington, D.C., that year to perform in the Fourth of July celebration at the Capitol, and they brought their band members along.
“Mark and I met in the parking lot of the hotel,” recalls Eicher, “and it was like, ‘Are you from Tulsa too?’” It was the first meeting for the two. Clark and his group were averaging almost 250 days a year touring then. But when the country star decided to start spending a good portion of his time off the road and in his own theater in Branson, Mo. – making him the first major act to do so – Eicher found that he was a lot happier not having to travel so much.
“All the years I was on the road, I’d come home, and Janet would say, ‘Hey, do you want to go out and have dinner?’ and I’d say, ‘No, I want to stay at home,’” says Eicher, laughing. “She’d been home the whole time, and she wanted to go to a restaurant. I’d been eating every meal at a restaurant and I wanted to stay home and sit on my couch and watch my TV.”
Whenever he was back in town and off the road for a few days, Eicher would sometimes jam with Bruner, and the two had found that they had similar tastes and a like-minded approach to the business of music. Then, in the mid-‘90s, Clark decided to leave his theater and go back on tour. A disappointed Eicher gave Bruner a call.
“I said, ‘Oh, man, we’re getting ready to go out there and just burn down the road again,’” recalls Eicher. “And Mark said, ‘Well, did you ever think about getting off the road?’
“I said, ‘And do what?’ He said, ‘Well, I was thinking work with me.’ And that’s how it all came about.”
Although they’re both full-time musicians who also take gigs independently of one another – Eicher, most recently, began leading the Western swing group the Tulsa Playboys, while Bruner has longstanding regular engagements with Tulsa guitar hero Tommy Crook – they always reserve their weekends for Bruner-Eicher jobs, playing a dizzying number of different events in addition to their Sunday shows. They even return to the Full Moon on Wednesdays, with either Mary Cogan or Molly Colvard on vocals. Otherwise, they’re liable to pop up just about anywhere around Tulsa, in cowboy outfits playing for the Christmas Train at Camp Dry Gulch in Adair, for instance, or donning evening wear and performing at a private event, as they did for the wedding of former Tulsa mayor Kathy Taylor’s daughter.
To Bruner, that versatility simply illustrates what they’re about.
“It all goes right back to the music-service business,” he says. “If you need someone to fill a slot, and you’d like it to be quality – well, we’ll give it a go.”
Career plans: Teaching art while I work on piecing together my business plans and bringing them into fruition.
What has led you to pursue art? Art has always been so therapeutic for me and has taught me so many great life lessons that I want to share it with everyone in every way that I can find.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? I am self-taught in many things, such as knitting, sewing and photography, but the one thing that stands out to me is my large portfolio of artwork and the awards and shows that I have participated in.
What are you best known for? My red leather boots, ever-changing hair colors and my animal backpack; most often, however, people come to me seeking scissors, Band-Aids or hugs because those are things that I always seem to have.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? I had an art teacher, Mr. Bayer, who told me that the worst comment you can get about a piece of work is that it is “nice” because that means that it was in no way striking or controversial or anything beyond the ordinary. I’ve always kept that in mind while I’m creating my work.
Bruce Haiduk Broken Arrow Senior High School
College: Oklahoma State University
Intended major: Music performance for trombone
Career plans: I would like to play trombone in a major symphony, record solos and play a little jazz, too.
What has led you to pursue music? I have always been drawn to music, especially since starting piano in second grade. I enjoy listening to and playing classical music, especially with focused, first-rate musicians. I enjoy many subjects and work hard to succeed, but music is my main focus.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My mom has always pushed, encouraged and supported me. What do you feel is your biggest achievement? I had the privilege to play jazz and solo with Lenny Pickett (band leader for Saturday Night Live) at the Ovations Concert at the Broken Arrow PAC. What would people be surprised to learn about you? I have a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon-Do and was a National Spelling Bee semifinalist. If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Joseph Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic; his job is exactly what I want to do as a career. He is one of the most respected and influential musicians in the world and is very active in the musical community as a teacher, clinician, performer and solo artist.
Caleb Cook Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
College: Harvard University
Intended major: Physics
Career plans: Research physicist or electrical engineer
What has led you to pursue that field? When I was young, a pet dog mangled a cord connecting my video game console to our television set. Spurred on by a desire to continue my game, I independently repaired the cable with duct tape and wire from my bed frame. The experience taught me to always question how things work – whether it be a game console or the physical laws that govern the universe.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My grandmother for working tirelessly to give me educational opportunities not available in my hometown; without her selfless six-hour round-trips to and from Oklahoma City, I would not be able to attend OSSM.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? I repeated my junior year of high school in order to attend the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics; as a result, I am a fifth-year high school senior.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? My late father once told me that if I sought out a profession that I enjoyed, it would never seem like a job.
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? I would trade places with Drew Brees. I can’t image how incredible it would feel to throw an NFL pass while wearing black and gold.
Sarah Dagget Union High School
College: Johns Hopkins University
Intended major: Biomedical engineering and a minor in applied mathematics
Career plans: To design prosthetic limbs for those who have undergone amputations or to research and develop medications to alleviate the symptoms of debilitating diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
What are some characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of your graduating class? The characteristic that makes me stand out from the rest of my peers is my success as both a student and an athlete. I have been a cross-country, track and Academic All-Stater, which I believe shows my ability to effectively manage my time and reveals my devotion and passion in what I pursue.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? Personally, I am most proud of my winning the MVP award for my high school cross-country team. The fact that my own teammates voted for me for this honor makes me feel like I truly am an integral part of the team and looked upon with respect by my own peers.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? People would be surprised to learn that I am obsessed with mystery books, specifically by Agatha Christie. I have read all of her novels, and she has over 80.
Nancy Ha Bishop Kelley High School
College: Baylor University
Intended major: Biochemistry and business
Career plans: Enter medical school and study to become a physician.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? Mother Teresa has been my biggest influence and my biggest inspiration. She was so giving of her time – and life – to helping the most impoverished. She was so humble and her kindness was full of love for every human being.
What are some characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of your graduating class? One of the things that makes me very different from my classmates is that I commute as well as carpool every day from Muskogee to attend high school. I am the only student from Muskogee to graduate with the school’s Brother Bernardine Scholars program, and I am the first person in my family to graduate high school.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? My all-time biggest achievement was attaining the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Out of about 23,000 applicants, I was one of the thousand chosen. I did spend many late school nights working on the eight essays required, but every moment was worth it.
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Michelle Obama. She travels around the world making differences with her reputation and position of power. She’s an influential and active person.
Lincoln Howard Mitchell Holland Hall
College: Yale University
Intended major: Political science
Career plans: Lawyer, lobbyist or politician
What has led you to want to pursue that field? The 2004 and 2008 Presidential elections sparked my interest in politics. Also, controversial laws such as Proposition 8, Arizona’s immigration law and Oklahoma’s bill to end affirmative action gave me the desire to be able to have an impact on policies and laws.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My parents have been the biggest influence in my life. My mom has pushed me to seek out and capitalize on every opportunity available. She helped me understand that this leads to more opportunity. My dad taught me that hard work in academics, tennis and any other endeavor is what teaches one how to be successful. He also taught me that hard work does not guarantee success but inspires one to continue to strive for it.
What are you best known for? My willingness to express my opinions in classrooms and social settings.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? My 10th grade Humanities teacher, Mr. Greg Carey, told me that I viewed the world from extremes. He said that I had a “black and white” worldview and I needed to look at issues from multiple perspectives in order to see the “gray areas.” This mindset has changed the way I viewed politics, and various social encounters.
Kevin Daroga Riverfield Country Day School
College: Drury University
Intended major: Undecided
Career plans: Physical therapy
What has led you to want to pursue that field? I enjoy helping people and I also enjoy science. What do you feel is your biggest achievement? Becoming an Eagle Scout and being captain of my teams.
What are you best known for? Being athletic and funny.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? That I have been active in Scouts since first grade, soccer since I was 3, and basketball since second grade. I have only played football since eighth grade.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? To never give up and never let others affect the actions that you take because nobody can control you, you have the power as long as you believe in yourself.
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? I would say President Obama, because I would like to see what it’s like to be president for the day.
Kai Jones Booker T Washington High School
College: Washington University in St. Louis
Intended major: Major in biology with a pre-medicine professional track
Career plans: I want to pursue a career in cardiology.
What has led you to want to pursue that field? When I was 10, I was diagnosed with an innocent heart murmur. At the time, I was very paranoid. I researched the illness and found the field to be intriguing.
What are some characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of your graduating class? The members of my class are outstanding. We are all ambitious, determined and diligent. If there were one thing that makes me stand out, it would be the leadership skills I have gained through my extracurricular activities.
What is your biggest achievement? I felt an enormous sense of pride after qualifying for state in golf this year with a team. It has been at least 20 years since a team from Booker T. Washington has qualified. I was proud of this experience because my teammates and I had worked hard to qualify. As a senior, this experience has been bittersweet. However, I have faith that my team will make it for years to come.
What are you best known for? I could say my determination, but I am probably best known for my hair.
Joshua Thomas Jenks High School
College: University of Oklahoma
Intended major: Medical humanities scholar. I will major in mathematics.
Career plans: My goal is to become an oncologist. What has led you to pursue that field? Two days before Thanksgiving of 2009, I found out that my mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. One month later, I again received heartbreaking news. Doctors diagnosed my grandfather with a rare type of lung cancer, although he had never smoked. After witnessing the devastating effects of cancer on my mother, my grandfather, and my family, I now want to pursue a career in medicine and cancer related research. My desire is to give people hope by preventing such an illness from overwhelming other families as it did mine.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? When cancer hit my family, I wanted to give everything up and spend time with my mother and my grandfather. However, with the help and advice of others, including my mom and grandfather, I decided to do what I could despite extremely difficult circumstances. Although I struggled, I took a number of AP tests, the SAT and the ACT during this difficult time and did very well on all of them. The situation showed me what I was capable of doing even when my world was falling apart. What would people be surprised to learn about you? Having lived in England for seven years, I have a passionate love for soccer.
What do you hope to accomplish while in college? In addition to doing well academically, I want to touch my community by continuing to be active in community service, in particular, with Habitat for Humanity and the Good Samaritans Health Clinic.
Annie Hull Edison High School
College: Yale University
Intended major: Engineering
Career plans: To help develop technology that will improve living conditions in developing countries.
What has led you to want to pursue that field? My favorite subject is math, and I like solving problems using logic and working in a team environment.
What are you best known for? Being easygoing.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? I have never broken any bones.
What do you hope to accomplish while in college? I want to obtain a broader and deeper understanding of the world and learn how I can improve it.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Actions speak louder than words, but not nearly as often.” –Mark Twain
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? Barack Obama, because he gets to interact and collaborate with tons of interesting and diverse people every day.
Anne Pennington Cascia Hall
College: University of Texas
Intended major: Political science and English
Career plans: Practice law
What has led you to pursue that field? The want to write, travel and explore new cultures.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My close friends. Each one is unique in their talents and abilities. From those qualities, I model myself and am influenced to want and achieve more.
What do you hope to accomplish while in college? I hope to become enriched by new ideas and proficient in new languages.
If you could trade places with one person for a day, who would it be? It would be either Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir because of their accomplishments – politically and socially – as women and as world leaders.
Anson Hwang Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
College: The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania
Intended major: A double major in economics, with a concentration in finance, and computer science.
Career plans: In my early career, I want to go into the realm of investment banking. Ultimately, I want to try my hand in managing my own investment fund.
What has led you to want to pursue that field? From early on, I have been career-oriented, but I was not sure what I wanted to do. Through reading newspaper articles, news blogs, etc., I fell in love with the hectic, pressure cooker operations of Wall Street. I wanted to pursue a path with no limits, and I found it.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life? My parents have definitely influenced me more than anyone else. I can never thank them enough for the love and care they have put into my upbringing.
What are some characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of your graduating class? The Oklahoma School of Science and Math has produced numerous professors, researchers, doctors and engineers, but only a few have taken the path to apply their math and science education to business. My passion for business has made me unique in my class and has helped me to become the first ever OSSM student to have been directly accepted to Wharton Business School.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? My dad once told me that no matter how smart someone is, there is always someone smarter. Essentially, he has taught me the important lesson of humility.
Caroline Cameron Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School
College: University of Oklahoma
Intended major: Some sort of health major.
Career plans: I want to be either a pediatric physical therapist or physician assistant.
What has led you to pursue that field? I enjoy helping people, and the things both professions do interest me. I also love to work with kids. What are some characteristics that make you stand out from the rest of your graduating class? I feel that my leadership skills have helped me to stand out from my peers as well as a strong sense of independence and ability to stand up for what I believe in.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? Winning that state basketball tournament as a senior, after working for four years, to finally achieve the ultimate goal was one of the greatest feelings in the world.
What would people be surprised to learn about you? I like to fish.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? To never give up, good things will come out of every situation. You have to keep working through the hard times to find the positive that will come out of it.
Christina Crowder Metro Christian Academy
College: University of Arkansas
Intended major: Public relations with apparel studies emphasis, or pre-law
Career plans: My “dream job” would be to work for a couture designer in New York and travel all over the world for fashion shows.
What has led you to want to pursue that field? I am quite the “girly-girl;” I remember as early as 4 years old getting in trouble for ruining tubes of my mother’s lipstick while playing “beauty parlor.” I love fashion and beauty – every prom/formal dance at school I have gladly helped my friends get ready, and I enjoy making other people feel good about themselves. Inner beauty is so much more important than outer beauty, but a little lipstick always makes things a shade of pink better.
What do you feel is your biggest achievement? To date, the biggest achievement in my life has been managing and excelling in athletics, academics and the arts. All through high school I have excelled in rigorous AP courses, spending more than 20 hours a week at gymnastics practice and competitions and other extracurricular actives, such as orchestra and art. Truthfully, there have been times during this last year of high school where I was tempted to throw in the towel because of utter physical and mental exhaustion; but, the maxim I have lived by is proven true to me every day: “Hard work beats talent when talent won’t work hard.”
They say it’s never too soon to start planning for your future, and when it comes to higher education in this day and age and economy, that couldn’t be more true.
With many colleges and universities, both private and public, reporting record-breaking numbers of applicants and record-low rates of admission, getting an early edge on their admissions process is something that all students considering college might want to start thinking about long before their senior year.
Getting started goes above and beyond academics, however, with carefully planned timing playing a crucial role.
As early as their freshman and sophomore years in high school, simple efforts by students – like exploring their college options and getting an early start on tests in case they need to retest – help to make more competitive college applicants.
“We see far too many students who still aren’t sure where they want to apply to well into their senior years,” says Jason Jessie, assistant executive director of enrollment management at Northeastern State University.
“This will not only delay where they apply to, but ultimately, other important decisions will get made later. If a student waits until the last minute, universities may make admissions offers to those students who are more committed earlier on.”
“One thing we like to see from our students is an actual activities resume…”
Although successful grades in required coursework and good test scores are still the heaviest hitters when it comes to getting in, it never hurts to get involved in extracurricular activities for that extra edge.
“One thing we like to see from our students is an actual activities resume, this way we can see what all they’ve been involved in,” says Michelle Lockhart, senior director of admissions at Oklahoma City University.
“They should make sure that it’s in order and easy to understand how those activities can be applied to their college education.”
In the age of on-demand information, this newest batch of college recruits coming in – the Millennials – is more adept at research than any previous generation, and their parents can also be credited for more active participation in the college decision-making process than parents in the past.
In fact, it’s almost rare now that parents aren’t involved on some level.
“Parents are there to guide them through the process, but it’s important for them to remember to serve as guides and not as the people actually conducting the whole admissions process. Students really need to be the ones doing it themselves,” Lockhart says.
As part of this proactivity, students are advised not to be afraid to contact their admissions counselor on their own, and not to expect their parents to do it all for them.
“Parents play a huge role in the admission process,” Lockhart says. “With a lot of students, we talk to their parents more than we actually get to talk to them – and that can be ok, but it’s helpful for them to be the ones to start the conversation and be active along the way. We really want to hear directly from the students.”
Bruce Haiduk
Sarah Dagget
Lincoln Howard Mitchell
Kai Jones
Annie Hull
Anson Hwang
Christina Crowder