From Nursing to Notes: How the Right People at the Right Time Launched Mackeyla Merei's Music Career at ORU

Action, many will tell you, is the secret to success. You'll find this advice in the famous quote, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." This, of course, can be true. However, it's not always true because sometimes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first person you meet and then the next and then the next.

People have been a huge part of the journey for ORU's Trecilya "Mackeyla" Merei. This started as soon as she stepped onto the ORU campus … literally. During her first visit to ORU, Mackeyla was introduced to Dr. Audrey Thompson, Associate Dean of the Anna Vaughn School of Nursing. It might surprise you, but what Dr. Thompson said had nothing to do with nursing.

"Dr. Thompson became emotional," Mackeyla said, "and she told me I was going to change lives on campus and off campus. She said, 'You're going to impact people.' She prayed for me, and when we left, my dad told me, 'This is where you're supposed to be.'"

Trading Scrubs for the Studio

Mackeyla enrolled at ORU as a nursing student. Deep down, however, music was her passion, and eventually, she decided to switch majors. Once again, Mackeyla's college journey became a people journey, this time with the help of Dr. Dean Prentice, Dean of the ORU's College of Health Sciences.

"Dr. Prentice is like my second dad," Mackeyla said, "so I emailed him first when I decided to leave nursing. At the time, I felt defeated, and I didn't know if music would work out. But Dr. Prentice said I had a purpose at ORU. He didn't know exactly what that was, but he told me I had a strong spirit. That really stuck with me because it reminded me of what Dr. Thompson said during my campus tour."

But this was only a part of the journey. After Dr. Prentice, ORU Success Coach Courtney Dandridge stepped in to guide Mackeyla through the next steps. Those steps, with Courtney's coaching, helped Mackeyla decide her future.

"Courtney asked me, 'What do you want to do?'" Mackeyla said. "I was crying at this point because leaving nursing felt like I was leaving safety and security. I mentioned music, but I also told Courtney that it really scared me. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but Courtney said, 'I think you really want to pursue music.'"

And that's what Mackeyla decided to do … pursue a degree in music production. But there was a problem: Mackeyla first needed approval to enter the program. And there was an even bigger problem: it was Christmas Break, and the faculty was out of office.

"I was emailing different people," Mackeyla said, "when I got a call from Jeff McCoy [Lecturer in Music Production Studies]. He was literally about to board a flight, but he wanted to get back to me about the program. At the time, I had an a cappella video go viral, and they'd seen it in the music department, so he'd heard of me and knew what I could do."

Do you see the pattern? This time, it was Jeff McCoy calling from an airport, another person in a long line of ORU's caring and supportive people. Without these people, Mackeyla's journey might have been different. Without these people, Mackeyla might not be who she is today … a successful musician.

(From left) Mackeyla Directing ORU's Gospel Concert, Cover art for her song "Hold Your Hand," and her worshipping with Transformation Worship

Prophecy Fulfilled: Leaving a Legacy

This May, Mackeyla will graduate with a degree in music production. After graduation, she plans to launch her production company-M Key Records-in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From nursing to music production, Mackeyla's ORU journey has been a people journey. People were there for her in the beginning. They were there for her in the middle. And yes, they'll be there for the rest of the journey.

Mackeyla plans to launch her production company-M Key Records-in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Enter Dr. David Dehner, ORU's Director of Choral Studies.

As a student artist, Mackeyla currently performs with ORU's Gospel Ensemble, where she holds a student director position leading rehearsals, directing vocalists, and organizing concerts. Leadership, however, didn't just happen for Mackeyla. It took a push from Dr. Dehner and his belief in what Mackeyla could do.

"Dr. Dehner appointed me to be a student director," Mackeyla said, "but I didn't ask for the position. At first, I felt like an imposter, but Dr. Dehner stood with me, guiding me through the role. He told me, 'Whatever you do, I'll always have your back.' With his help and my work in the Gospel Ensemble, I'm leaving a legacy. That's the big thing that's been on my heart for the last year … leaving a legacy at ORU!"

Go back to day one, and you'll see that Dr. Thompson was right. Exactly as she predicted (with help from some intuitive, caring people), Mackeyla is now changing lives through music and impacting people through her leadership.

Mackeyla and her family.

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 176 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.