Carrying the Cowboy spirit forward

At Oklahoma State University, the Cowboy spirit runs deep—as it also does at BOK Financial®.

The relationship is a two-way street: BOK Financial consistently recruits OSU graduates, employees volunteer to speak on campus regularly and BOKF Foundation is the corporate sponsor of the Spears School of Business lobby. In turn, OSU alumni who are now BOK Financial® employees say that the lessons they learned at the university— pride, loyalty and perseverance—remain central to how they work today.

Pride and belonging
The sense of community was undeniable, said Mindy Mahaney, chief risk officer at BOK Financial. “It sounds super cheesy, but it’s really the pride, love and loyalty that OSU students, faculty and administration have for the university that left the biggest impression on me,” she said. “We were all there because we wanted to be at OSU and felt like it was the best place on earth to go to school, cheer on the sports teams and get a great education.”

That shared pride also left a lasting impression on BOK Financial Securities’ Chief Operating Officer Brad Steele. “OSU pushed me to think critically and build relationships that have become lifelong assets,” he reflected. “The university’s culture of humility, grit, and service continues to guide my leadership every day.”

Sharone Malone, BOK Financial’s IT team manager for payments support, agreed, recalling how OSU felt like family. “Community. We were a family and still are today.”

Prioritization and resilience
Beyond the classroom, Mahaney learned to weigh her choices carefully. “I paid for myself to go to college, and I knew exactly how much it cost me to skip an hour of class,” she said. “That didn’t mean I never did, but I was consciously making decisions about where to spend my time, what was important and where I was going to get the best return.”

Those trade-offs shaped her perspective on success. “It’s not about your GPA,” she said. “It’s about the relationships, prioritization, soft skills, social skills, putting yourself in uncomfortable situations and learning how to manage failure. When I interview college students getting ready to graduate now, I look at all the other things they did before I look at their GPA. It’s easy to have a 4.0 and do nothing else. It’s hard to have a 3.2 and work, belong to clubs and hold officer positions. That’s the kind of experience that matters.”

Steele saw the same lesson in balancing rigor with belonging. “My work at BOK Financial requires navigating fast-paced, data-driven environments, and OSU was where I learned to balance technical expertise with sound judgment,” he said. “OSU taught me that true competence means being trusted when things get complex.”

Collaboration and adaptability
Malone remembers group projects that required every voice. “At OSU, I learned to collaborate. There were so many assignments that required teamwork and input from others. It made me realize you’re stronger in a team than alone in most cases.” Adaptability, she added, was just as important. “Although you’ve gone to college to follow a specific career path, be open to navigate where the knowledge takes you, even if it’s not your intended degree path.”

Steele reinforced that idea, pointing to OSU’s way of connecting across disciplines “OSU was never just about academics,” he said. “It was about learning to be someone people rely on, someone who can handle complexity with both skill and integrity.”

Connections that last
Relationships also defined the OSU experience. Mahaney said even simple steps, like visiting professors during office hours, built confidence and trust. “It’s uncomfortable, it’s inconvenient, it’s hard, but the result can be significant,” she said. “Professors are so much more likely to give you a point or forgive you for a missed class when they know who you are. They also love to see you succeed and can be a key referral when looking for a job.”

For Malone, networking has been invaluable and a skill she continues to sharpen today. “The saying ‘It’s not what you know, but who you know’ is so true. Connections matter,” she emphasized.

Steele framed it as stewardship rather than transaction. “A professional network isn’t just about making connections, it’s a responsibility,” he said. “Invest in relationships, deliver on your commitments, and always value trust above all else.”

Shaping the next generation
Those lessons continue to shape alumni long after graduation, and in Steele’s case, the next generation as well. Watching his daughter attend OSU has reminded him of the university’s impact. “OSU doesn’t just educate students, it shapes them,” he said. “Watching my daughter, Kinsey, experience OSU, I hope she graduates not only prepared for her career, but anchored in character, ready to use her talents in service of others.”

And so, as OSU leaves its mark on the next generation of students, alumni at BOK Financial bring those values to life every day as they lead teams, serve clients and continue to carry the Cowboy spirit forward.