It’s important to remind yourself that no matter how many disappointments you face or how many times you fail, you just have to pick yourself up and keep working towards your goals.  If you do, eventually your successes will outweigh your failures and you will accomplish the goals you set for yourself.  It took me two semesters at OSSM to learn this, but I know I will never forget it.  

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!

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.

At OSSM, I was challenged not just by the academic rigor, but by the quality of people that I met. They helped me to challenge myself by being a better person.

OSSM changes you in a way that you don’t initially see or realize. It’s only now, looking back on where I am and where I could have been, that I can see how my time at OSSM changed my life completely. OSSM challenged me academically, physically, and psychologically, bringing me experiences and opportunities that I could never have even imagined. These experiences are priceless to me; I would not trade them for the world.

My hope for OSSM is that they continue to draw the rich talent Oklahoma supplies and turn those students into the leaders of academia and the global economy for the next generation.

Being at OSSM can be challenging. Natalie believes that students must have grit to persevere through difficult times and make it to good ones. “I chose OSSM because the education is so much more challenging than the one I could have received elsewhere.” Career Goal: General Surgeon

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

My first year at OSSM improved my time management skills greatly.  It also improved my work ethic and has advanced my academic career much more than a regular high school would.