Randy Brogdon

Deciding what college to attend is an important decision. It can be daunting to think that a decision you make now may define the field of work you enter, where you live, the types of people you meet, and even the colors you wear for the rest of your life. For me, it was especially daunting -- as the first person in my entire extended family to attend college at any level, I didn’t know the first thing about majors, dorms, fraternities/sororities, syllabi, social organizations, and the overall college experience. But after a lot of consideration, I chose the University of Oklahoma. And it was a great choice.

After receiving my B.A. and law degree from OU, I started my legal career as an environmental attorney at a firm in Phoenix, Arizona. My wife and I did not know anyone in Arizona, but one of the first things we did was to look up the local OU Alumni Chapter. We met tons of great OU fans in Arizona and we keep in touch with many of them to this day. In 2000, we moved to Atlanta to join Troutman Sanders, an international law firm with over 650 attorneys. I now serve as Leader of the Environmental Section for the firm and work with teams of attorneys representing renewable power companies, nuclear facilities, major airlines, manufacturing companies, and retail operations across the globe. It’s a great practice that’s taken me a long way from Oklahoma, but my experience at OU has been a great guide to me throughout those travels.

My education at OU was top notch – I’ve spent my whole career negotiating with attorneys/executives from elite universities on some of the biggest energy deals in the U.S., and frankly, several of them should have saved the money and gone to OU. Perhaps it has something to do with the history of the state and its culture, but OU provides an educational experience that is grounded in practical learning; that attribute is invaluable in business, but is in short supply in the real world.

So that’s the bottom line – OU put me in a position to compete and excel in law and business. I met life-long friends at OU that I still talk to every week about life, kids, philosophy, religion, politics, music, and yes . . . sometimes football. I have to admit that when I walked on to the campus at OU for the first time I didn’t have a clue as to what I was getting myself into, but in hindsight, I made the right decision.

Good luck on your own decision. I know it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the college rankings, reviews, blogs, and anecdotal stories from friends and family, but I’ll leave you with this: I have no doubt that attending the University of Oklahoma will have a very long-lasting – and positive – impact on your life. It’s a great choice to have in front of you.

Boomer Sooner!