For over 130 years, students at the University of Oklahoma have found rich opportunities for personal growth while pursuing their varied academic careers.
The Henderson Scholars Program at OU provides its members with numerous tools and guidance to help them along their academic paths. One of the learning goals of the program is to have “awareness of methods for engaging with a community or social issues.” With societal challenges ever-present, the Henderson Scholars’ aim is to prepare its students with the tools necessary to tackle them head-on.
While engaging with the external community is important, engagement within this community of scholars is what sets the stage for the scholars.
Maya Wilson, a 21-year-old marketing and sports business student from Houston, initially selected her college based on several factors, including a desire to travel out of state, pursue a particular degree, and to be involved with a strong athletics tradition. As many know, OU easily checks all three of those boxes.
All University of Oklahoma students share many goals, among them finding their path in life. College is designed to help young scholars discover that path, but success does not come with a guarantee.
However, when those moments of awakening come during a student’s time at OU, it becomes even more special.
One of those moments occurred for former OU student J.D. Baker, who earned his bachelor’s degree from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2018. Baker is now a successful professional working as a platform manager for Cortado Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Oklahoma City. He is also a member of the Oklahoma City Black Chamber of Commerce and served as a special assistant to Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City from 2018 until 2022.
