The City Year red jacket represents being part of something bigger than yourself and believing in the potential of Tulsa students. BOK Financial President and CEO Stacy Kymes is the newest recipient of that honor.
“Our mission here at City Year is to ensure that students are at school, in class, and making the academic gains they need to become the future workforce of Tulsa and beyond,” said City Year Executive Director Paul Davis.
“And I’m increasingly reminded that it’s the power of community that makes that happen. We can’t do it alone; it takes young people to serve as Student Success Coaches in red jackets and community members to come alongside,” Davis added. “Here at City Year, we have a tradition of celebrating our top supporters and champions with a Red Jacket. And with all that the BOK teams have done to support our efforts and Tulsa’s students, it is clear that Stacy has earned this honor.”
An Ongoing Commitment to McLain High School: Volunteerism, Partnership, and Financial Support
Since City Year came to Tulsa in 2014, BOK Financial volunteers have worked alongside City Year, including greeting McLain students with donuts and a smile at the start of the school day, staffing end-of-the-school-year fairs, and recently pledging $100,000 for the next three years to support City Year’s work at McLain High School. In that time, they’ve logged more than 300 volunteer hours, with 70 individual employees volunteering their time.
“Our work with City Year, and especially our efforts at McLain, is something our employees look forward to,” said Kymes. “This is a fantastic partnership and provides such a unique opportunity to work firsthand with students to help them achieve their fullest potential. It’s also a reminder that small efforts can add up to significant results.”
Kymes added, “As a CEO, I’m focused on building a continual learning culture at Bank of Oklahoma. For our community to thrive, we must focus on education, especially for those who are in marginalized or underserved communities. If we can improve attendance levels and put students on the right track to graduate, they are far more likely to become successful and be prepared for life after high school.”
More Stories
don his City Year Red Jacket.
Emani McKinnon presents the BOK Financial President and CEO with City Year Red Jacket
Before City Year Student Success Coach Emani McKinnon congratulated Kymes on being awarded the City Year Red Jacket, she shared what the prestigious coat means to her. “When I wear this red jacket, it’s a symbol to the students at Mclain that they can come to me. It doesn’t matter if they’re having an academic or personal problem, whether they’re hopeful or scared. This jacket is a trusted symbol for support of students, showing them there are people who believe in them, and who are helping them reach their potential.”
McKinnon adds, “I dedicated my red jacket to my community. I take pride in my leadership and always want to be an example and showing students they’re a positive force to be reckoned with.”
The BOK Financial President of CEO ended with, “McLain High School students are preparing to be the leaders of our community. Their strength and commitment to achieving their goals is inspiring. At Bank of Oklahoma, we want to invest in students at McLain, and we are proud to invest in them with City Year. We see what a difference-maker City Year can be for those kids.”
