Thanks, Dad
By Dollie Elliott
You know how working in certain fields runs in some families? Well, Carson Guinn really didn’t want to follow in her father’s footsteps.
The Wichita, Kansas, native graduated from Oklahoma State University on May 13 with bachelor’s degrees in finance and economics and a minor in accounting.
Guinn’s father is a commercial stock trader in Wichita. Although she was inspired by him to go into business, she had different ideas for her career.
“When I was growing up, I was like, ‘I’m going to do my own thing. I’m going to start something different. I’m not going to follow in my dad’s footsteps.’ And what do I do? I ended up doing exactly what he’s doing, and I love it,” Guinn says.
She says she originally didn’t understand what all went into his job. But during her freshman year at the Spears School of Business, she started to understand his phone conversations and could grasp what the flashing screens he was always referring to meant. A light went off.
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he was looking into the Chicago Board of Trade. That’s so awesome!’ And so it really kind of clicked for me. I guess genetics are real because I realized that’s what I really wanted to do, too.” She’s still venturing out by going into oil and gas finance versus her father’s career in agriculture finance.
“I chose to major in finance and economics because I’ve always been really interested in why people make the decisions they do,” Guinn says. “Originally, when I came to college I was just an economics major, and this idea of supply and demand and how the market always goes back into equilibrium was so fascinating to me. Then as I was going through my classes and started to learn about the theory behind why people make decisions, I realized I wanted to learn about the true financial impact of these decisions they make.
“The more I learned about finance, the more I fell in love with it. It was really crazy.”
Halfway through her junior year, she considered becoming a core finance major but decided economics and finance with a minor in accounting worked well together, giving her a well-rounded education. “I said to myself, ‘I know that all these things work together to make corporate America run, but I want to understand why that is.’”
Her aspirations include going into commercial trading for an oil and gas company. “The financial impacts you learn from looking at the balance sheets and income statements, those play a huge role in it as well. I feel like finance, economics and accounting all work well together to help make me understand how to be a successful business person.”
Guinn’s knowledge of and passion for business started at home. She calls her dad her biggest inspiration. “He is the most fantastic father, ever. I know everyone says they have the best parents in the world but I think my dad is No. 1,” she says.
She admires the way her dad makes time for family despite often traveling for work. “The things he does for our family and the impact he makes on his company are just so impressive and fantastic. He always goes back to ‘the reason I do this is for my three girls,’” says Guinn, referring to herself, her sister, Darby (who plans to attend OSU in the future) and their mother. “I want to have that as well. I want to be able to make huge impacts on the commercial world but at the same time I want to also have a great family life.”
Her parents, Lynn and Kim Guinn, graduated from the T. Boone Pickens College of Business at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, outside Amarillo. Back then, Pickens was a large supporter of her parents’ alma mater. Today, he is a well-known supporter of Oklahoma State University.
“So we have a running joke in my family that although we didn’t graduate from the same school, we have the same alma mater because T. Boone Pickens is such a huge supporter of both universities. So we’re kind of all Cowboys,” Guinn says.
On campus, Guinn was president of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional fraternity, for her last two years. She was also a Spears Ambassador, a group of students who promote and inform prospective and current students about opportunities in the Spears School.
During her freshman and sophomore years, Guinn was a member of the Cowboy Marching Band and of the OSU Concert Band from her freshman to junior year. She was also a member of the Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band service fraternity. “I really enjoyed my time in the marching band, and I still really enjoy music. It’s an outlet for me,” Guinn says. “Some of the best friends I made in college were from the band programs, so I was very thankful for it, but I knew my future core goals aligned with the business school.”
Without a doubt, Guinn is leaving a legacy on the OSU campus. During her time as president of Delta Sigma Pi, the group founded the Cowboy Strong Run, benefiting the victims of the OSU Homecoming Parade crash that occurred Oct. 24, 2015.
“We all were so upset to see this terrible tragedy hit our campus that we really wanted to do anything we could for the victims and their families,” Guinn says. Their chapter was planning a 5K run as a general fundraiser for the organization. But when they heard about the incident, they decided to switch gears and turn their efforts into a benefit run for the Stillwater Medical Foundation. The funds raised would cover medical expenses of the victims involved in the tragedy.
In the course of about two weeks, the students organized the run. They were elated to receive the support of the Stillwater community. More than 350 runners gathered to raise about $6,500 for the Stillwater Medical Foundation.
“I started crying during the middle of the run because I couldn’t believe how kind people were and how willing they were to help,” Guinn says.
The group decided to continue its efforts. Members worked with the Oklahoma State Foundation to create the Cowboy Strong Fund, set up for students who have unforeseen financial hardships.
The second year, the students were able to donate about $7,500 to the Cowboy Strong Fund.
“We were excited to be able to give back to the community that’s given us so much,” Guinn says.
After graduation, Guinn moved to Houston to begin her career with Phillips 66. She will spend the first three to five years rotating through different roles in the accounting and finance departments. The experience will allow her to see operations and support from different perspectives. She’ll then have the opportunity to specialize in a certain area.
“I have had time to look back on the past four years and see all the great things I’ve been able to accomplish at OSU,” she says. “I really have to give full credit and thanks to my parents because they have pushed and encouraged me so much. They’ve always told me I could be anything and do anything I wanted to do. Their love and support has really been the driving force behind everything I’ve done here at OSU, and for that I will be eternally grateful.”