Veteran among first graduates of new OSU-OKC bachelor's program

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

An Air Force veteran who is one of the first graduates of a new bachelor’s program at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City said the program was “a miracle.” 

Ashlie Foor graduated from OSU-OKC’s Bachelor of Technology in Information Technology, an online program that’s one of a handful of bachelor’s degrees offered via the OKC institution. 

“I was looking for a bachelor’s degree program in order to move up in my career,” Foor said. “So, I started looking here and saw that this was an option.” 

Foor holds two associate degrees from OSU-OKC, and many of those credits transferred toward the bachelor’s degree, as well.

“So, I got in touch with the advisor, and it kind of just fell into my life. It was a miracle, to be honest,” Foor said. “It came into my life when I needed it the most, and I was able to finish. It's a miracle.” 

Foor spent five years in the Air Force after high school and tried a few college options before locking in at OSU-OKC for her associate degrees. 

“It just felt like this was where I was supposed to be,” she said. “The class size and communication were night and day compared to other places I’d been.”

Foor’s classwork for the bachelor’s degree was done through online classes. Foor said the professors remain approachable and engaged in the online class format. 

“Online classwork really meshed well with my life and lifestyle. It was very flexible and malleable in my life,” Foor said. 

Foor said students need to develop discipline for themselves to manage getting a degree through an online program. 

“You need to be disciplined. You need to take it seriously and stay focused because even though it’s online, your professors require you to be accountable,” she said. “Your professors take extreme interest in you as a person and as a student. There’s going to be back-and-forth communication, and they find little ways to make sure you’ve actually watched the video or read the material.”

Through her bachelor’s program, she discovered how broad the field of information technology truly is. 

“It opened my eyes to all the different avenues in the IT world,” she said. “There’s so much more than just programming or help desk.”

She encourages others looking into OSU-OKC to not let obstacles stand in their way. 

“If you have a job, you can take online classes. If you have a job, there are evening classes,” she said. “I mean, there are ways to navigate if you are serious about pursuing your future goals.” 

And for potential IT professionals specifically, she advised: “Don’t get intimidated by IT. Have an open mind and believe in yourself.”

Foor said it’s a great honor to be one of the first graduates of a new program. She plans to attend May’s commencement ceremonies, but she’s already received her diploma. 

“I’ll probably frame it and take it everywhere I go. Like an emotional support blanket,” she said.