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At home I could not have received the level of academic support or the caliber of college counseling I receive at OSSM.  Living at OSSM taught me I can volunteer more, learn more, work more, and achieve more than I ever thought possible.  A million thanks to all who make it possible for students like me to take advantage of the biggest opportunity Oklahoma has to offer.

OSSM opened up doors of opportunities that likely would have never been available if I didn’t make the decision to come here.  I suggest considering this wonderful institution.

The past two years, I’ve had the privilege to help a team of doctors with Alzheimer’s research. I’ve learned a great deal from this experience, but most importantly, I’ve discovered that my curiosity for the way the brain functions is endless. I find that each piece of new information I learn leads to more questions that I want answers to. I am excited to learn more as I pursue a degree in neuroscience and prepare for medical school

OSSM has provided me with a community and education I could not have achieved at my home high school. The friendships I have made at OSSM will last a lifetime and the academics have prepared me for a successful career. OSSM has also allowed me to grow as a person. Being at OSSM has made me a kinder, more resilient, and more well-rounded person. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

Coming from rural Oklahoma, my ambition to be an aerospace engineer didn’t draw out many peers or mentors from my community.  Besides the academic growth that came from attending, OSSM  impacted me by helping me grow extensive peer and professional networks, which have since led to several exclusive opportunities.  Since graduating in Spring 2018, I have completed two summer internships with The Boeing Co. and written a proposal accepted by NASA.

OSSM prepared me for a petroleum engineering undergraduate program which helped me start my first semester of college as a sophomore and have a higher GPA after that first semester.   (See more of Tyler’s story HERE!)

I learned the value of true friendship and to be more accepting of my own imperfection (such as grades) because in the end we all learn from our faults and flaws and can always improve.  OSSM certainly has given me a first, real experience of hard work — There is no time or space for procrastination!  

There is a sense of security to be gained from similarity.  At OSSM, however, I have found my best friends are the most different from me, and I relish in our unique approaches to problem solving.  We all share in the ambition to better ourselves and the community we share.  

At OSSM I have developed many skills that surpass college preparedness and qualify as life skills.  Living and learning with some of the brightest students. faculty, and staff in the nation is an honor and has enabled me to gain so much knowledge.  I expect to build on that knowledge exponentially!

OSSM has not only facilitated my aspirations in an academic setting, but it has allowed me to explore the realm of opportunities outside a student’s traditional comfort zone.