An Annual Letter to the Graduates of the University of Central Oklahoma (2021)

When I attended the University of Central Oklahoma, I was focused on earning a degree in broadcast journalism. At the time, I really wanted to be a political reporter for one of the major networks. To strengthen my understanding of national and international government, I pursued a minor in political science. In one particular class, we spent a lot of time debating the issues of the day while trying to understand their relationship to the functions of government. Sometimes these debates got heated. Even with all the passion, we maintained a high level of respect for each other.

Fourteen years removed from my time at UCO, I sit in awe of this experience. I grew up in Frederick, Oklahoma. Frederick is a tiny, farm community 10 or so miles from the Red River. Frederick was rural. It was conservative. It was Christian. I was clamoring for life in the big city. I possessed a liberal worldview. I found myself unsure about the existence of a higher power.

In high school, right around the 2000 presidential election between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush, I became intensely interested in politics. My best friend at the time and I pretty much agreed on politics. We would debate anyone at any time. Young or old, it made no difference to us. Being Frederick, we often found…