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Oklahoma City Community College staff members visited El Sistema Oklahoma on Sept. 15 to connect with students and share information about concurrent enrollment opportunities available through OCCC.
 
The outreach gave students an opportunity to learn more about how concurrent enrollment can allow eligible high school students to begin earning college credit while completing their high school education.
 
Dr. Vita Pickrum, senior vice president and executive director for the Foundation for OCCC; Dr. Jay Corwin, senior vice president for Student Affairs and Strategic Enrollment Management; and Royce Liston, director of Recruitment, represented OCCC during the visit.
 
Dr. Pickrum described the visit as a tremendous experience and said opportunities like this demonstrate the importance of OCCC remaining visible and engaged throughout the Oklahoma City community.
 
“Connecting directly with students in the spaces where they are already learning and growing is an important part of our work,” Dr. Pickrum said. “We want students and families across our community to know that OCCC is here as a resource and that there are opportunities available to help students begin planning for their futures.”
 
For more than a decade, the organization has worked to empower young people through accessible music education. Today, El Sistema Oklahoma operates two free after-school programs serving public school students in Oklahoma City and Edmond.
 
Participation is free, and no audition is required. El Sistema Oklahoma also provides students with instruments, instrument repairs, snacks, transportation, and translation services to help reduce barriers to participation.
 
For Phil G. Busey Sr., that commitment to access and opportunity is deeply personal. Phil Busey, OCCC trustee and founder and chairman of DRG, said he and his wife, Cathy, have a strong affinity for student stories because they remember needing support themselves when they were younger. They want young people to understand that their stories matter and that encouragement and opportunity can help shape what comes next.
 
That same commitment to students is reflected at OCCC through the Busey Scholars program, introduced in Fall 2026. The program represents another way the Buseys are investing in education and helping create opportunities for students as they pursue their academic and professional goals.
 
Their involvement with both El Sistema Oklahoma and OCCC reflects a broader belief in supporting students at different stages of their educational journeys, from encouraging young people to explore their potential to helping college students continue working toward their futures.
 
Learn more about concurrent enrollment at https://www.occc.edu/academics/concurrent-learning.