OCU Meinders School of Business Offers $2 Million for CareerTech Scholars

By Ann Houston
Oklahoma Department of CareerTech

The Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University is once again showing its commitment to CareerTech programs and related student organizations across the state to the tune of nearly $2 million worth of scholarship offerings to spring competition winners.

For the second year OCU Meinders Business School is offering scholarships to marketing education high school students totaling $396,000. “The top three winners from each of the 39 competitive events at the Oklahoma Annual DECA Leadership Development Conference were offered scholarships to our business school,” Meinders’ Dean Vince Orza said. In addition, offerings of more than $1.6 million in scholarships will go to the top four business and information technology education high school and adult student winners in each of the 71 categories from the Oklahoma Business Professional of America Spring Leadership Conference

“Last year six recipients took advantage of the scholarships awarded at the DECA conference,” Orza said. “This year we decided to add BPA because it includes the other business disciplines beyond marketing. We are looking for good students for all of our business programs.”

“These scholarships are stackable with other university scholarships up to the cost of tuition and excluding fees, room and board.,” Orza said. “Students winning multiple competitions can combine awards but not to exceed the cost of tuition.”
Marketing Education prepares students for rewarding careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship.

Through Business and Information Technology Education, students learn successful business practices that increase the effectiveness of business throughout the state and nation. Students are encouraged to become involved at the regional and national level.

The scholarships expand opportunities for students and the state’s 50 DECA chapters and 271 BPA chapters, according to state CareerTech Director Phil Berkenbile.

“We are overwhelmed at the generosity of this donation that will have such a great impact on the future direction of these two programs and student organizations,” Berkenbile said. “This is an excellent example of the business community working cooperatively to create a well-trained, educated work force from which business can draw future managers and personnel. It is a relationship of mutual benefit

“Marketing Education and Business and Information Technology Education are two of the seven student organizations related to CareerTech programs in Oklahoma,” Berkenbile said. “They exist in the CareerTech system because business demands that it exist.”