Outstanding Senior Burns has advice for Spears Business students – get involved

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

The Spears School of Business is proud to have a pair of Oklahoma State University Alumni Association Outstanding Seniors in 2023 – Kimberly Burns and Kyla Ellis Woodbridge.

Burns and Ellis Woodbridge both distinguished themselves over the last four years, and were two of just 21 seniors across campus to earn Outstanding Senior honors. Today we’re going to dive into Burns’ story and what made her such an OSU success story.

A Pilot Point, Texas native, Burns is pursuing her MBA at Spears Business after earning her undergraduate degree in marketing and international business in December. Burns served as president of the OSU Marketing Club and external relations coordinator for Spears Ambassadors. She was a member of the Business Student Council and Class IX scholar and mentor for the McKnight Scholars. Burns also served as a teaching assistant for Spears faculty Jerry Rackley and Dr. Maribeth Kuzmeski.

Burns was recognized as a 2022 Senior of Significance and OSU Marketing Club Member of the Year. She also was a Top 10 Freshman, Spears School of Business Lead Rider and Top 15 OSU Homecoming Royalty.

Q: Tell us about your journey to OSU?

Burns: In high school I had a teacher, Ms. Roth, and one day she told me that she thought I would really like OSU, and she really wanted me to apply for the McKnight Scholarship. At the time, OSU wasn't even on my radar. I had gotten into Texas A&M, which is where so many of my classmates were going. That was the only school I had even applied to. But after thinking about it, I spent Halloween night getting my McKnight Scholarship application submitted since the deadline was November 1.

A few weeks later I came to Stillwater to tour campus. It was November 17, 2018 and the football team was playing No. 7 West Virginia. We ended up winning the game and we stormed the field, so you can't really beat a college tour like that. But, one thing that stuck out to me was that every tailgate was so welcoming. They offered us food and showed us the OSU hospitality that I would come to know. Everyone was so nice. I had not made my college decision at that point, but I decided that if I got the McKnight Scholarship, I was going to Oklahoma State, no questions asked. Then the acceptance letter came in and the rest is history.

Q: What have you gotten out of your time at Oklahoma State?

Burns: My journey through OSU has been the best time of my life. You just get so many different experiences at OSU that my friends at other universities haven’t gotten. I have close relationships with my professors. My advisor didn’t just know my major, but directed me to the right classes for me, and they cared enough to ask what I’m doing for fun. They just cared about me as a person.

The Power of Personal has always been how I've gotten my internships, how I've gotten connected. I came into college thinking that I had completed the hard work in high school. I got my scholarships. Now, I'm not doing anything. I'm not getting involved. I'm just living the life. I couldn’t have been more wrong, because I immediately wanted to get plugged in. I wanted leadership positions, and OSU empowers you to do that.

Q: You seem like a goal driven person. Where does that come from?

Burns: I want to capitalize on every opportunity. I came to Oklahoma State on a scholarship, so I'm going to make sure that I utilize my time here. I'm going to apply for every opportunity, and I'm not going to sell myself short. That definitely comes with a lot of sacrifices. I can’t tell you how many times it would have been just easier to be like, no, I don't want to do this. But when you're given opportunities like these you have to take advantage of them.

Also, OSU does a great job at broadcasting opportunities, especially scholarships. They really make sure every student knows about them. Why not take advantage of that? My mindset is that I want to get as much out of my experience as possible. I want to do as much as I can, so that when I go into the workforce, I'm making the biggest difference.

Q: How much have these awards helped to validate all of your hard work and preparation?

Burns: It's been such a sweet season of life. I arrived at OSU just as COVID hit. It would have been so easy to clock out and not get involved. Instead, I decided that I was going to seize the opportunity. I applied for leadership positions within clubs at OSU and did the Zoom interviews from my childhood home. Working through that awkward time, and then getting this recognition, is so rewarding.

Part of the reason I got so many of these awards is because I stayed involved. I had so many different stories, so many different experiences that I was able to provide. I was able to give some unique answers during my award interviews.

Q: How did the organizations you were a part of help you personally?

Burns: Honestly, each of the clubs provided me with a different perspective. Business Student Council really taught me how to network professionally. That was one of the first clubs I got involved in. Being from a smaller high school, the business world was a big change for me, and everyone there was so supportive. That's how I got connected within Spears at the beginning. Then, I think Marketing Club's biggest advantage is that it teaches you how to market yourself. You learn these principles and how to apply it to your life. Then I joined the Center for Sales and Service Excellence. I thought I knew sales, and oh my gosh, Kim Booker changed how I approached any sales opportunity. It taught me how to sell myself on top of selling a product.

In general, these groups taught me professionalism while still being personal. Being from a small town, I didn’t really have the opportunity to gain that professionalism, that network. That's definitely where I would thank Oklahoma State, because if I wouldn't have had that experience, who knows where I would be?

Q: You plan on finishing your MBA in May 2024. What do you hope to do after that?

Burns: We did an exercise in my professional development class where my professor asked what does success look like to me? And one of the first things I thought was OSU wanting me to come back and mentor students. That would be the ultimate sign that I made it.

But aside from that, I really want to go in the aviation industry. My family has strong ties to aviation. My grandma was a flight attendant. My parents actually met at an aviation company. My dad has sold about everything you could ever imagine that's at an airport. Little lights on the runway, hoses, harnesses, ball bearings – you name it, he’s probably sold it. He works for Herbert Aircraft Services. It's based in California, but he’s assigned to the tornado-alley region. He has had customers for 30 or 40 years, and that personal aspect is what helps him succeed. I love the aviation industry. Everyone usually hates the airport, but that’s my happy place.

Story By: Stephen Howard | stephen.howard@okstate.edu