OUKS Alumni | Ottawa University

Our Stories

A proud and storied history has helped Ottawa University advance in athletic prominence and prestige throughout the years. Since fielding its first varsity teams in 1893, our Kansas campus boasts 229 All-American athletes, 127 conference championships and 38 NAIA Tournament appearances. Our commitment spans the centuries, buoyed by a constant commitment to improve, supplement, and further enhance the student experience.

Go do something special.

Destini Salas stepped onto campus with this instruction from her parents, both first-generation college graduates and fellow OU alumni. What became of her following four years was an essay in success and compassion steeped in the reflection of the many mentors devoted to helping her craft a future. Ability and capability. Friends and family. Rooted in each and forging ahead.

Destini Salas. Writing her own chapter.

Family

For Roy Salas being an OU alum means paying it forward, not only for his family but for every generation of OU student that comes after him. The experience that is Ottawa University led him beyond athleticism, beyond the classroom and into a decades-long reflection of what it means to be prepared and to be significant in the lives of those he meets. Each moment. Every day.

Roy Salas. Years ahead.

Full circle

For Sylvia Salas the meaning of family quickly extended beyond the home-state lines of Texas and into what became a home away from home community during her time as a student at Ottawa University. Opportunity and encouragement beckoned, and the same community that she and her growing family experienced nearly 20 years ago has become the same family now shared with her children. New buildings. New programs. The same community. The same OU.

Sylvia Salas. The legacy of family.

What does it mean to be a leader?

Dalyn knows first-hand, as a leader on the field and in the classroom, encouraging and inspiring teammates and classmates alike. It’s because of the support he’s recieved from friends, family and the OU community that drives him towards a life of advocacy, answering the call to speak for those who may be unable to do so themselves and to help lead every life he touches to a bright dawn. A calm voice that echoes like thunder, he leads beyond scores and grades. He leads with the example set in every single step.

Dalyn Johnson. A story in the making.

What does it mean to be a coach?

Tarniesha knows first-hand the variety, voracity and complexity that comprises the modern student body. There is no single formula to uplift. No magic word to motivate. Only the wisdom found in her patience and the inspiration found in her servant leadership. Through this approach Tarniesha conducts the ebb and flow of games and practices, furthering the OU legacy of elite performance, all the while providing a structure of awareness, hope and accountability that carries her teams well beyond any single season into life itself.

Tarniesha Scott. Author of the future.

Our Goals

New classrooms and labs support over 220 students with majors in Exercise Science and Sports Studies.

Expanded facilities bolster plans for an accredited Masters degree in Athletic Performance and Strength Conditioning.

The Braves Athletic Performance Center provides students with advanced weight training and cross fitness facilities, cardio machines, an indoor sprint turf and specialized equipment for the men and women’s powerlifting teams.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members will be able to access new academic class settings as well as fully air conditioned areas hosting basketball goals, volleyball nets and a racquetball court.

Your Gifts

No matter the facet of the OU community, each contributes to a hopeful future for generations of students yet to come.

Make Your Gift Tell Your Story

“You can never change the past, only the future.”
- Dalyn Johnson

“We have to take the time to get to know our students and how to meet their needs.”
- Tarniesha Scott

Advancing the Experience