Business administration major Logan Burke exemplifies the leadership qualities held by so many members of Rogers State University’s student body.
A native of Amarillo, Texas, Burke moved to Ochelata, Oklahoma, with his family in 2005, graduating from Wesleyan Christian School before continuing his education at the RSU campus in Bartlesville, where his natural ambitions drew the attention of school faculty and staff.
“Last year, there was an email circulating at the different campuses about an event called the ‘Oklahoma Student Leadership Forum’,” Burke said. “Our (Bartlesville) campus director Ronda Riden thought it would be a great event for me to attend to find opportunities to help me grow in my professional career, so she nominated me, and I wound up getting selected.”
Logan Burke (left) with Oklahoma Governor, Kevin Stitt (right)
Hosted by the Oklahoma Student Leadership organization, the forum is a three-day annual event in Oklahoma City that brings together a diverse group of university students from across the state. The forum’s intentionally relational program focuses on servant leadership and invites participants to interact with fellow students, recent college graduates, young professionals and established adults from the political, business and social service sectors of society.
“That was a great event – one which emphasized faith and values. There were several discussions about how faith and values impact leadership. There were numerous distinguished and important special guests in attendance, including Senator James Lankford and the Director of the World Food Bank David Beasley,” he said. “It was very informative. I learned a lot, and we even got the chance to have dinner at the Governor’s Mansion.”
Subsequently, Burke attended the national forum held in Washington D.C.
“The national forum was even more impressive than the state conference – that was an amazing experience,” he said. “It was hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives and was just awesome. We heard from representatives on both sides of the (political) aisle and saw first-hand how, even though they might have different opinions, and they might argue with one another, they can still get along, like one another and work towards a common goal.”
Logan Burke (left) with Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele (right)
Rep. John Mooenaar (R) from Michigan and Rep. Kaiali’i Kahele (D) from Hawaii were among the guest speakers at the national forum.
“What you see on television – when it comes to politics – usually isn’t very pretty,” Burke said, “but in person, it’s clear that these men and women respect one another and genuinely like one another. I learned a lot about how to deal with people that disagree with you from the experience, drawing from something Abraham Lincoln said.
“Lincoln was talking about a man who disagreed with him and whom he didn’t like,” he continued. “The president said ‘I don’t like that man very much. I must get to know him better’ – that really stuck with me, as did so many of the other lessons I learned that weekend. You can really connect with people, understand them by listening to their story and then sharing your own with them.”
This April, Burke will be initiated into the National Society of Leadership and Success, an organization that provides a life-changing leadership program that helps students to achieve personal growth and career success, while empowering them to have a positive impact in their communities.
As he looks ahead towards graduation, Burke said he plans to find an internship, potentially with one of the oil companies in Bartlesville, after which he hopes to become a land management associate or coordinator for one of those companies.
“I’m so appreciative for the education and experiences made possible for me because of Rogers State University and its supportive staff,” he said. “They’ve helped pave the way for my future and created opportunities that probably wouldn’t have been possible without their help.”
For more information about RSU, including RSU’s Bartlesville campus, visit www.rsu.edu. For more information about National Student Leadership, visit www.nslforum.org.