Patricia Elmore, the head of the Honors Program at Oklahoma Christian University, recently decided to leave her position to be with her family.
On Oct. 4, Oklahoma Christian hosted a farewell party for Elmore. There, Elmore addressed some of the reasons for her leave.
“I have two babies, and I’m actually going to transition into a stay-at-home mom role. So I am very excited about that,” Elmore said.
Elmore’s career at Oklahoma Christian traces back to when she was a student there herself.
“I attended the honors Summer Academy in 2013, so almost 11 years ago, where I attended two years as a student,” Elmore said. “Then I came to Oklahoma Christian and was in the honors program as a student starting in 2015. Afterwards, I started working full time for the program in 2018 and have been with them ever since.”
Elmore described how her experiences at Oklahoma Christian have influenced her outlook on life.
“I think the thing that I’ll walk away with most is how important it is to do the very best job that you can no matter what that looks like day to day, because every single day will look so different,” Elmore said. “If you have a gift that God has called you to, and I supremely feel like that’s been my role here, you must utilize that to the best of your ability. Even if it varies day to day. We should be able to constantly be an unwavering rock in the midst of change, I think that’s what I’ll be walking away with the most.”
Elmore gave some advice to the future head of the honor’s program.
“They should take every day as it comes and not get too overwhelmed with the ever changing nature of higher education. There will be staff changes and new students every four years, but they should not be overwhelmed by all of the change,” Elmore said. “They must lock in and focus on the students and how important they are, and who they can become. The person who fills my position will have the opportunity to, and should be, a safe place for them. They must focus on giving the students the best experience they can possibly have.”
Be First to Comment