When Joey Farque learned that she had been named Outstanding Senior for fall 2021 by the OU College of Professional and Continuing Studies, she couldnāt quite believe it.
Ā āWhen they called to tell me, I was a little shocked,ā Farque said. āI thought, āIām too old for that. Iām a working adult whoās in school, and there are so many other seniors out there who are probably younger and more deserving.ā That all changed when I got to the ceremony.ā
As she mingled with other outstanding seniors from across campus at the official recognition ceremony and began to hear their stories, she understood the magnitude of what it meant to her to be graduating in December with a bachelorās degree in organizational leadership.
āI donāt remember any time in my life where I was personally that proud of myself,ā she said.
On her own since the age of 16, Farque has never been afraid to dream big and pursue those dreams as far as they could take her.
"I think thatās the fear for a lot of people when they go back as adults, that there wonāt be people who understand you. I would tell anyone who is interested in going back to school to do it. You will have that support. I know that support is there because I have felt it and seen it, and itās there for anyone."
After starting her career at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists magazine, in 2001, she began a 15-year run as editor-in-chief and then director of marketing with Sweet Adelineās Internationalāa womenās singing organization dedicated to the performance of and education about the art form of barbershop harmony. It was there that she first attempted to go back to school, taking museum studies courses online at OU before the combination of working full time and becoming a new mom forced her to put her education on the back burner once again.
Restless for new challenges, she left the organization in 2015 and pursued marketing and leadership positions in a variety of nonprofit and for-profit ventures, experimenting with different industries to find a home where she could make an impact long-term. When she found herself suddenly free of a job that didnāt mesh with her sensibilities last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she knew the time was right to finally earn her undergraduate degree.
āI saw that a degree in organizational leadership was available online,ā she said. āI thought, āThatās what I do now. Thatās who I am.ā It was a perfect fit. Itās just been the best experience. Before the courses even start, Iām waiting for them to open, so I can get after it. I enjoy writing papers. I order my textbooks early so that I can pore over them.
āThe professors have been so open and kind and helpful and knowledgeable and insightful. There is so much support on a faculty level. Knowing that youāre going to have that support behind you, especially as an adult, nontraditional student, matters a lot. I think thatās the fear for a lot of people when they go back as adults, that there wonāt be people who understand you. I would tell anyone who is interested in going back to school to do it. You will have that support. I know that support is there because I have felt it and seen it, and itās there for anyone.ā
Her time at OU has also helped her to reconnect with her Native American identity. While her biological father was full Cherokee, but she didnāt grow up with him and didnāt have experience with that part of her own background until just a few months ago.
āIām in the Neustadt Symposium class right now, where weāre reading Native American young adult fiction, and I just feel really in touch with my heritage, so thatās a very proud thing for me,ā Farque said. āItās exciting to know that thereās this whole world that I get to experience. Not growing up with my father, I never had that cultural identity. Now, itās a whole new world for me. Iām scheduling time to go to pow wows and research my ancestry, and itās enlightening.ā
As she looks back on the last 18 months, she is proud of how far she has come and how much further she wants to go, including starting a masterās degree program in strategic communications and digital marketing in January 2022.
āIām in my 40s, graduating from college, about to start my masterās program in January and getting in touch with my identity,ā she said. āItās a big deal. Iāve come full circle. Iām morphing and changing as an adult, and I never thought that was possible.
āI didnāt know I had it in me to get this far, and Iām very proud of myself for working hard in my courses and working overtime and moonlighting, so I could self-pay for school. I feel confident that Iām helping my son become a great man, and I know for sure that Iām a positive role model, which is something I never had.ā
Farque plans to take that focus and drive into her next position as part of a nonprofit organization in the Tulsa area.
āI want to be part of something bigger than I am. I want to find a spot where I can help the most people,ā she said. āIām excited about seeing where my education takes me.
āIāve really manifested my life,ā she said. āIāve done pretty much everything that Iāve wanted to do so far, and Iām just not going to stop. Iām married to this amazing man. Iāve traveled the world. Iāve done so much. I was a girl who grew up in poverty, and here I am, about to enter a masterās program, and that aligns with the life that I want.ā
Farque hopes her story can inspire others to take a chance and pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.
āMake it a priority and give it all you have because how you will feel and what you will learn about yourself is priceless. That feeling I have now is priceless. Had I known I was going to feel like this, Iād be a doctor by now!
To learn more about the College of Professional and Continuing Studiesā undergraduate program in organizational leadership or for information about additional online degree programs for working adults, visit pacs.ou.edu/degrees.