The 2022-23 school year is off to a great start.

After students moved into the Residence Hall on Sunday, families moved to the gym for the Annual Academic Convocation for which Whitley O’Connor, OSSM Class of 2010, was the guest speaker. Mr. O’Connor spoke to students about giving back to Oklahoma in return for the gift of an OSSM education and described how he customized his college curricula to achieve his goal of a career in social enterprise.

Whitley co-founded the Curbside Chronicle with his wife, and they are leading several other efforts to help the homeless population.

Students are glad to be back on campus. Senior Julie Macedo said, “After returning to the OSSM campus, it feels like I never left. My dorm feels like a second home and it’s great to be surrounded by my friends and fellow students who are all incredibly smart and lively. The community that OSSM and its students have built is one of my favorite things about this school; through all the stress and hardship, we quickly form strong, lasting bonds and an active eagerness to help each other better ourselves, succeed, and thrive as best we can. It’s great to be back!”