Age is just a number

Melanie Adams is an academic advisor in the Gaylord College of Journalism at the University of Oklahoma. In the past three years that she has worked there, she has advised over 1,200 graduate students. According to Adams, Tess Taylor will be the youngest student to graduate from Gaylord at the age of 19.

“Not only will she be the youngest,” Adams said. “She will have finished faster than anyone else I’ve advised.”

Adams has been Taylor’s advisor since 2009.

“She’s a hard worker,” Adams said. “She’s gotten very far very fast.”

Through dual enrollment, Taylor has been able to exceed the maximum number of hours allotted per semester in order to graduate sooner.

“She’s enrolled at the Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) and at OU,” Adams said. “This allowed her to take a 26 hour semester once; 18 hours at OU and an additional eight at OCCC.”

Taylor is currently 18 and scheduled to graduate in 2012.

“I’m only in my second year of college,” Taylor said. “But I’m already considered a junior.”

Taylor graduated high school when she was 17.

“I’ve kind of always known that I wanted to graduate high school early,” Taylor said. “And then I got to college.”

Taylor said college was a great way for her to get work done at her own pace. “While a lot of my friends wanted to take fewer hours and stretch out their college career, I wanted to keep mine a little bit shorter,” Taylor said. “I wanted to make sure I stayed focused on the studies that actually mattered, as opposed to a lot of electives.”

Taylor doesn’t want her education to stop after she graduates from OU.

“I want to go to law school,” Taylor said. “I’m also thinking about doing fashion retail and management.”

In addition to her schoolwork, Taylor is also a manager at Savvy boutique, which is located on Campus Corner.

“The shop has been a really great complement to my school work,” Taylor said. “I’ve learned a lot about responsibility and time management.”

Taylor said that even with such a tight schedule between work and school, she still manages to get everything done that she needs to.

“I may show up late sometimes, but I’ve never missed a day of class,” Taylor said. “Also, when there is no one in the shop I can use that time to get some school work done.”

Taylor said that completing her college career at such a fast pace doesn’t bother her at all.

“I’m a naturally driven person,” Taylor said. “I want to get out in the real world and start living my life, and I’m not going to let my age get in the way of that goal.” 

Tess Taylor is a junior at OU that will graduate next year at the age of 19. This will make her the youngest student to graduate from the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Video: Brittany Belli (1:08)

Au Revoir, USA!

Students at the University of Oklahoma that are studying in France next semester attended a send-off lecture Tuesday, Nov 29.

The pre-departure session was held to give outgoing students information about being in a new place next year.

         “We gave them a bunch of information that they need before they leave,” said Brooke Hammer, an Education Abroad advisor. “Things like what to pack, how to navigate the airports overseas, and what to do in an emergency.”

         Hammer also gave advice on what to do with a passport and how to plan ahead with money so students wouldn’t be struggling with currency exchanges.

         “Make copies of your passport, and open a French bank account,” Hammer said. “That way, you’ll have a French debit card and won’t have to worry about money while in France.”

         Hammer also reminded students that even though they are far from home, they are not alone.

         “We have a 24-hour service response team,” Hammer said. “And I always have my Skype turned on all day long in case anyone needs to reach me.”

At the pre-departure session, there were also incoming students who had just returned from spending time in France. They were there to give the outgoing students advice and to talk about their experiences.

Ashley Rhone is a senior at OU with a major in International and Area Studies and a minor in French. She just returned to OU in June from spending five months in Clermont.

“Leaving here and going there was exciting,” Rhone said. “I miss the shopping and the food.”

Rhone also said she gained a lot of experience from spending time in a foreign country.

“I think it’s changed my perspective on American culture,” Rhone said. “I gathered some insight into French culture and society.”

Rhone also warned the outgoing students that being in a different place is not easy.

“People are not going to stop and help you out,” Rhone said. “You have to learn to rely on yourself.”

Rhone said that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“It definitely made me understand myself more,” Rhone said. “I brought back the persistence I had there and it had made me a better student.”

         Rhone reminded students to be proactive.

         “Those are the main words for studying abroad,” Rhone said. “If it’s something you really want to do, don’t let anything stop you.”

Foreign Finances

Financial aid is available to students at the University of Oklahoma who are looking to study abroad.

“Students can be awarded a variety of scholarships or use federal financial aid,” said Brooke Hammer, an Education Abroad advisor at OU. “If they use federal aid, they just have to be approved through our office.”

Hammer said there is a list of all the available scholarships online.

“We have different scholarships dedicated to all different kinds of programs,” Hammer said. “For example, there is the Gilman Scholarship that is available to those who are Pell grant eligible.”

Hammer said there are also scholarships that focus on non-traditional locations/areas of study, and underrepresented students. However, most students apply for the PITF scholarship: the Presidential International Travel Fellowship.

“It is a need-based fellowship,” Hammer said. “It typically covers us to 75% of your airfare if you’re awarded this scholarship.”

Private scholarships from third party providers are also available, but are harder to obtain, Hammer said.

“We encourage students to apply for in-house scholarships like the PITF,” Hammer said.

Stephanie Collier is a junior at OU majoring in International and Security Studies with a minor in Spanish. She is going to Argentina in the fall of 2013 and hopes to receive a scholarship to help out with her expenses.

“I’m waiting for the application process to open up,” Collier said. “As soon as that happens, I’m applying for every scholarship that I can.”

Collier said she doesn’t want to let money get in the way of her studying abroad experience.

“I’m so glad that OU has financial aid options for studying abroad,” Collier said. “It makes things like this easier for everyone to experience.”

Students interested in applying for financial aid must start the application process at least one semester in advance. The list of scholarships is available at http://www.ou.edu/content/cis/education_abroad/funding_study_abroad/scholarships.html.

Cherokee Ballard

PHOTO CREDIT: Brittany Belli

The News:

Cherokee Ballard and Britten Follett came to the University of Oklahoma last Wednesday to talk about their experiences in the field of investigative journalism. Both women worked on the Kelsey Briggs case and co-authored the book: Who Killed Kelsey?

The Impact:

“I’m a truth teller,” Ballard said. “And sometimes when you tell the truth you get shot.” Ballard and Follett were the only two reporters that stayed on the case. They wanted to get the truth about Kelsey’s death.

The Context:

“I was 24 when I started covering Kelsey’s case,” Follett said. “On Oct. 12, 2005, my boss came to me and told me there was a child death. At the time, I didn’t have a story to work on, so I went to cover it.” Follett and Ballard then teamed up to delve deeper into the story. That was when the idea to co-author Who Killed Kelsey occurred. “Sources told us information because they wanted the truth told, but not reported,” Follett said. Ballard said she and Follett just wanted to bring justice to Kelsey’s case. “One child death is too many,” Ballard said. “Kelsey should not be dead.”

The Human Dimension:

Follett said there was a lot of trust between the sources that talked to her when the cameras were off. “We promised our sources that we would not reveal what was said to us until we published our book,” Follett said. “We would have been violating that trust if we went and reported what we knew.”

What’s next:

After 25 years in investigative journalism, Ballard is now working for corporate America at Oklahoma Natural Gas. Follett has also left that field; she works as a marketing manager for Follett International. 

OU in Arezzo

PHOTO CREDIT: Brittany Belli

It’s one thing to get an internship in the United States, but what about an internship on a different continent? The University of Oklahoma offers a program that gives students a chance to intern abroad in Arezzo, Italy.

            Kristian Savic, an Education Abroad advisor, talked about more details of the program.

            “Students have the opportunity to spend time in Arezzo over the summer and intern with a variety of companies,” Savic said. “We have branches in engineering, Italian language, history, and art reconstruction.”

            Students also don’t need to have any prior experience with Italian, Savic said.

            “Think of it as just another OU campus, but in Italy,” Savic said.

            Savic said students should expect to spend about $1,000 per month in food, utilities, and other personal expenses.

            “While some people think that’s a little expensive, you should really take the time and go for it anyways,” Savic said. “The experience you’ll gain from this is absolutely priceless.”

            Savic said interning abroad is more useful to the current generation because American companies want to see kids do things out of the norm.

            “Most college kids intern in different states, and that’s great,” Savic said. “But nothing is like interning in another country. It’s scary to be in a new place, and companies will admire that you took that risk.”

            Cameron Newton is a freshman at OU with a major in history. Newton said he would love to be able to intern abroad at some point in his college career.

            “I heard through the grapevine about the OU in Arezzo program and was fascinated,” Newton said. “With me being a history major, it sounded like the perfect opportunity.”

            Newton said he thought this program was a great idea.

            “I like that OU is behind you all the way, so you’re not totally alone thousands of miles from home,” Newton said. “I can’t wait until I have enough experience here to go share what I know over there.”

            Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be considered for OU in Arezzo. They must also have two recommendation letters and complete the online application with Education Abroad.

PHOTO CREDIT: Brittany Belli

City Lights

PHOTO CREDIT: MIG 

PHOTO CREDIT: MIG

      This past weekend the Gaylord College Magazine Interest Group (MIG) went to New York to learn about four different publications. They spent time at The Knot, Family Circle, Parents, and Good Housekeeping talking to assistant editors, managing editors, and a public relations manager.
Melissa Bach, the public relations manager at The Knot, spoke to the MIG about how hard it is to find an internship.
     “You have to start early, and work hard,” Bach said. “At this point in your life, nothing is going to be handed to you. You must fight for everything.”
     Bach also gave advice on basic tips such as what to wear for an interview and how to act.
     “Don’t be overdressed, and don’t come in acting like you know everything,” Bach said. “Remember to be humble.”
     MaCaulie White, a member of the MIG, said she really enjoyed the trip.
     “The tips they gave us were really helpful,” White said. “I’m trying to get an internship abroad, and I’m hoping to carry some of that knowledge with me overseas.”
     White also said she enjoyed being immersed in the heart of the industry.
     “It was great to be able to meet with some people who worked at the magazines and hear things from their perspective,” White said.
      The MIG spent four days in New York. The group meets on Tuesdays at 7:30 pm in Gaylord.

Should I stay or should I go?

Brittany Belli
JMC 3003 Student

Corey Still is a full blood Native American studying at the University of Oklahoma. Still is a junior at OU and is majoring in Native American Studies. He will be a senior next year, and must decide soon if he will be attending graduate school. Still is torn between staying in state for school or going farther away. He is a McNair Scholar, which opens many doors for him. He has the option of attending Harvard, but doesn’t know if he wants to go that far. Still is close to his family and native community back in his hometown of Cookson, OK. He goes home often in order to help out his tribe in any way he can. Graduate school will be an obstacle for him; he cannot help his tribe if he is preoccupied at school. However, if he receives his doctorate degree, he could open up many doors for the Cherokee Nation. He is faced with a moral decision: does he help out the tribe now, or later? Still understands the importance of education. He is part of the program Believing in Native Girls (BLING). BLING brings Native American girls to the OU campus and introduces them to college. The program also helps support native girls who plan on attending a university. BLING helps Still realize how much of an impact he could make if he went to graduate school. The program reminds him of how much he’s already done for the native community by being at OU already. Whether he returns home or decides to attend graduate school, Still always puts his tribe first. He will never stop working to make things better for his people.



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