SA recently charted TU Young Professionals Club. According to President Andrew Carlson, a junior computer science major, the club will act as a “platform for students to be able to reach out and network with community leaders.”
The club will not be restricted to one major, in an effort, according to Carlson, to “interact with everyone versus a select few … it doesn’t hurt to meet new people outside of your field.” Events planned thus far reflect this. Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum will speak at the club’s first meeting on March 6, while the next meeting will feature Yale professor and OB-GYN Amanda Kallen.
“We’re reaching out to leaders based on their fields and trying to introduce new fields with each speaker,” Carlson said. Carlson hopes to include fields that are not as commonly represented by on-campus organizations.
While the name may bear resemblance to the Tulsa Young Professionals organization outside of campus, the two are not related, though Carlson hopes they can collaborate on certain events. He would also like to partner with other organizations on campus, to engage in community service or a “day at the capitol” event.
Carlson was inspired to create the club because he “didn’t feel like there was a club that provided networking with community leaders. There’s specific clubs that do a really good job providing networking with a specific topic or field, but I’d really like to reach out to all of those people.”
For students unsure of their interest in the club, Carlson posed it as a way to “network, especially if you plan on staying in Tulsa or Oklahoma. It gives you an opportunity to interact with leaders and build platforms with local leaders and that way you not only have that networking experience but you have that web of communication.” The club is seeking to fill two chair positions and can be contacted through their Facebook page, UTulsa Young Professionals Club.
