3.24.23

WSU junior Iris Okere shares the student experience

Shocker profiles highlight the students, alumni, supporters, faculty and staff who make Shocker Nation all that it can be. These short Q&As allow you to hear from these remarkable individuals in their own words.

Iris Okere

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What are you currently studying?
Marketing in the Barton School of Business, with a minor in Spanish.

What are you involved in on campus?
– Underserved Senator- Chair of the Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion Committee
– Vice President of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
– Vice President of Community Relations for the National Pan-Hellenic Council
– Resident Assistant of Shocker Hall

What is your favorite memory as a Shocker (so far)?
My favorite memory at Wichita State has been becoming a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

What is campus tradition you love?
Koch Arena for a men’s basketball game! The crowd, all of us cheering for the best basketball team in the conference – I can’t even explain the experience, you just have to be there.

What is the best spot on campus?
My favorite spot on campus is Woolsey Hall. I like to think I pay for the lights to stay on! It’s beautiful, there are so many different study spots, and the technology and space is just so comforting. It’s a blessing!

What has been the most influential class you’ve taken so far here?
My favorite class I have taken in the Barton School of Business was Business Law 430 with Frank Ojile. I want to be a corporate lawyer, and that class genuinely made my interest increase, plus Pro. O. allowed us students to attend him during small claims court, as he is a judge as well as a full-time attorney.

Who is a peer or mentor who has inspired you during your time here?
A mentor that inspires me continuously is Dr. Kaye Monk-Morgan. She is a mentor, a sorority sister, and a wonderful friend. She has taken me in as her own and just inspires me to keep going! I also would like to shoutout Phyllis Petty, the executive assistant to the Vice President of Finance and Administration. She has been a mentor since my first day of college and has always been a guide.

Are you a scholarship recipient? If so, please share what scholarship you have received and how it has made a difference in your education.
I am a Kathryn C. Brown Scholar from the Barton School of Business. I’ve been a recipient for all the years I have been here at Wichita State. Without this scholarship I don’t think I would have made it to my senior year.

What are you most excited about for the year ahead?
I am really excited to be going into my final year of college. It has been a long time coming, but I am excited to be in my last bunch of my classes.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?
I am currently listening to the album “Love, Damini” by Burna Boy.