In May, the Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Chamber of Commerce nominated Courtney Soland, a member of Young Professionals of Bartlesville, the Young Professional of the Year, and gave her the Rising Star Award. Courtney was born and raised in Bartlesville and attended the University of Oklahoma, where she received a degree in psychology. She has worked for Oklahoma Wesleyan University for three years in enrollment services, and now serves as the department director. Since returning to her hometown, Courtney has been actively involved with Young Professionals of Bartlesville.
Young Professionals of Bartlesville (YPB) was formed, in conjunction with the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce, to help young people get involved in the community by providing a forum for professional networking, planning development, and social events, and facilitating opportunities for members to voice concerns on community issues. According to Heather Robison, president of YPB, “The Young Professional of Bartlesville’s mission is to help make Bartlesville a better place to live, work, and play.”
Courtney Soland serves as YPB’s communications and newsletter chair. She also serves on the Samaritan Counseling & Growth Center’s board. Heather Robinson said, “Courtney has been instrumental in increasing awareness about ways our organization serves the community and about how people can get involved. She is a ball of fire and a wonderful asset for our organization.”
The community of Bartlesville, Okla., has benefited from Courtney’s involvement, as has Oklahoma Wesleyan University. The university is proud to have Courtney serve as the director of enrollment services. Her experience and success in the Adult Graduate Studies Program, along with her commitment to OKWU, make her transition into this leadership role an exciting change for the Enrollment Services team, who themselves have had a record-breaking recruitment year. According to Executive Vice President John Means, “She has been a consistent performer with every program in AGS that she recruits for.”