student stories

When Oklahoma State University-Tulsa’s Black Wall Street History course launched in August, instructor Quraysh Ali Lansana didn’t anticipate the majority of his students would have a direct connection to that history.

Earning a bachelor’s degree can be challenging for any student. But Bessy Valera faced more hurdles than most.

“Growing up in Peru, my mother made sure I knew the importance of education,” said Valera, a recent Oklahoma State University-Tulsa graduate. “Unfortunately, higher education in Peru was completely unaffordable.”

Valera moved to the United States in 1996. Despite the difficulties that came with a language barrier, she found a career and settled in.

Before Jesse Guardiola was an OSU-Tulsa graduate, a Tulsa Police senior officer, and a winner of the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing, he was a fresh Tulsa Police Department recruit who saw an issue and wanted to make a difference.

“Early on, I saw a divide between Tulsa’s Hispanic community and law enforcement,” Guardiola said.

Whether it’s a job interview, a networking event, an internship or anything in-between, it’s important to stand out – for the right reasons. Professional events usually require professional attire. But what if your closet is more casual than business?

That’s where Bessy Valera found herself last fall, as she prepared for a scholarship banquet in her final semester.

Just as her four sisters have done, Tyreiha Walker grew up working in her Granny’s well-known Wanda J’s restaurants in north Tulsa.

She started at cash register at age 7, progressed to doing dishes then became a waitress by 14.

Walker now spends time at the family’s newest location, Wanda J’s Next Generation, on Greenwood Avenue across from ONEOK Field.

OSU-Tulsa President’s Leadership Society surpasses expectations

When Dr. Raj Basu first created a prestigious group to help high-achieving students at Oklahoma State University-Tulsa develop leadership skills, he wasn’t certain how much participation he might find.

Basu was pleasantly surprised when the President’s Leadership Society doubled in size to nearly 80 members in its second year.

The way things are going, it won’t be long before Amairani Perez Chamu’s name appears as director in the credits of a feature film.

She is focused on achieving her goal of making movies that matter, that help lift the voices of women, Latino and marginalized communities so they will be heard.

OSU-Tulsa student Amairani Perez Chamu has been named a 2018-19 OSU Outstanding Senior, the highest student honor bestowed by the Oklahoma State University Alumni Association.

As a child in Pakistan, Saqib Raza was known by his family for taking apart remote controlled toys and various household appliances to see how they work.

The problem was he never put them back together.

“That’s why I don’t have any toys from my childhood,” he says with a chuckle.