OSU hosts its second annual Lead Week

OSU hosts its second annual Lead Week

Monday, September 29, 2025

Media Contact: Jeff Hopper | Communications and Media Relations Manager | 405-744-5827 | [email protected]

Sept. 15-19 featured speakers from BOK Financial to President Jim Hess, all centered on leadership and service.

Lead Week is a campuswide initiative and commitment to leadership.

It provides leadership development through workshops, networking, community engagement and fun activities. Students are encouraged to partner with the community service efforts under "Cowboys Inspiring Change" to help make a community impact.

This year, the week launched with a keynote panel featuring leaders from BOK Financial. Panelists Steve Wyett, chief investment strategist, and Shannon Habermehl, chief operating officer in the commercial division, shared industry insights and leadership lessons to resonate with students.

In his closing statements, Wyett encouraged students on the idea of success.

"The more success you are able to create individually, and that we are able to create collectively, the more opportunity of success we create for others," he said.

A highlight of the week was Lead Link, a networking mixer hosted in collaboration with the Eastin Center for Career Readiness. OSU alumni and industry partners connected with students, offering career advice and real-world wisdom.

Students also attended three mental health sessions focused on resilience and well-being. Speakers included First Cowgirl Angela Hess, who shared her Cowboys Care initiative, along with representatives from OSU Counseling Services, OSU Wellness and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.

Throughout the week, OSU faculty and industry speakers engaged students with dynamic sessions to encourage curiosity and leadership development.

The Cowboys Inspiring Change Challenge winners will be announced next month. The competition highlights students making an impact across campus and beyond.

The week concluded with OSU Legacy Talk, where OSU President Jim Hess delivered a message on legacy, leadership and the Cowboy way. At the end of his speech, the floor was opened to student Q&A.

Hess encouraged students to engage in activities outside of their comfort zone and seek out experiences that would push personal and professional growth.

"To overcome your fears, you have to celebrate failure," Dr. Hess said.

After sharing the journey that brought him to OSU, Hess revealed what leadership means to him and how he hopes to make an impact.

"I would like for my chapter in the long history of OSU to read that I left Oklahoma State University better than I found it, that I made the student experience a little better," Hess said.

Story By: Annelise Vinson | [email protected]