While many students are busy with classes, clubs and social life, Brooke Mauro often finds herself surrounded by some of the university’s biggest decision makers.
As the Board of Trustees newest student trustee, she spends her time in meetings and presentations as a way to be a voice for students during the many changes happening on campus, especially this academic year.
One of her main goals for the year is to play an active role in helping to choose a new president for the university.
“This is such a pivotal and unique time for OU, and I'm excited about finding a new leader to guide OU on its continued path to success,” Mauro, a junior studying finance and management and strategic leadership, said.
Even though she is not on the Board of Trustees’ search committee, Mauro plans to regularly consult with the committee to help find the best fit for the university. She is looking for someone with passion and strong leadership.
“I am of the belief that passion is imperative in leadership roles,” Mauro, who is from a small town near Cincinnati, said. “Without this essential key, burnouts, carelessness and mistakes occur regularly.”
Contributing to the search for a new president isn’t the only thing on Mauro’s to-do list this year. Working to bridge the growing divide between the board and students is another large goal. She hopes to implement meetings in which students will have the chance to voice their opinions to the board and develop good face-to-face communication with each other.
“I want to bridge the communication gap so students feel valued and listened to, and the board feels like they know what the students want,” she said.
Mauro also hopes to increase awareness of what the student trustee position entails. She feels many students are unaware of what she and Patrick Roden, the senior student trustee, can do for students on campus.
“The role of a student trustee is to serve as a spokesperson for every student on campus,” Mauro said. “They are to take a collection of voices and represent their concerns, wants and needs through their own voice.”
Student trustees attend all board meetings, though unlike trustees, they don’t have the ability to vote on board decisions.
Roden is excited about beginning the year and having the chance to work alongside Mauro. Roden said she has already spoken up and shared her thoughts in a previous board meeting.
“I am looking forward to a lot of things with Brooke this year,” he said. “Specifically, I am looking forward to watching her passion for OU translate into working hard in her new position and getting the most possible out of it.”
Gerard Farley, a senior studying sport management and marketing and a personal friend of Mauro, has no doubts about her ability to work hard in this role.
“I was with her throughout the entire process of running for student trustee, and I know first-hand how badly she wanted this and how excited she was to achieve it,” Farley said. “It is very easy for me to say Brooke will do an amazing job as student trustee.”
Ohio Governor John Kasich appointed Mauro to the board in April after she filled out an application and attended an interview in Columbus. Her term on the board ends in 2018.
In her free time, Mauro likes to play piano and clarinet. She also spent 12 years taking on the role of goalkeeper for her soccer team, something she said contributed to her value of communication and leadership.
Mauro’s passion for the university and the ways it has helped her personally and professionally are what pushed her to take on the leadership role.
“This campus and its people have aided in my growth in ways I never imagined and I owe so much of who I am to this school,” she said. “I want future students to be excited to become included in this community.”
