[Dr. Vetter]
Ring the bell?
[Woman]
Yeah!
[Dr. Vetter]
Gather people here?
[Bell ringing]
[Dr. Dinkins]
It's very loud over here!
[Laughter]
[Bell ringing continues]
[Dr. Lein]
I'm not trying to photobomb, I just want to get out and be part of this.
[Laughter]
[Dr. Mitchell]
Give folks a few moments to get here...
[Dr. Oleka]
[unintelligible] come out from their offices [unintelligible]
It's like the town square.
[Laughter and cheerful vocalizing]
[Dr. Dinkins]
It's the calling of the faculty.
[Dr. Mitchell]
That's great.
I'd like to introduce to you for the first time:
Dr. OJ Oleka.
[Applause and cheering]
As the dean would say, he's the newest PhD in the world,
we're so proud of him,
I don't have much to say--he was a rock star throughout the process.
I was really pleased with this final defense.
Did you talk a bit about your title?
[Dr. Oleka] 
I can't remember my full title!
[Laughter]
[Dr. Oleka]
But my study focused on high school counselors as a form of social capital
and I used case study research design--
basically to determine how counselors can be useful for low-income students
as they figure out what to do after high school.
[Dr. Mitchell]
And, normally I ask, What are your plans after, but we already kind of know his plans
because he was just appointed as president of AIKCU, but again I'm really proud of OJ.
And at this time I'd like to welcome anybody to make any remarks, starting with OJ.
[Dr. Oleka]
Hello. Well...
I have to first thank God for giving me this opportunity...
A lot of difficult times throughout any four-year period in anybody's life, and
so I'm just appreciative of the Lord for bringing me through all those things.
Of course I have to thank my dear wife.
Some of you--I mentioned this earlier--the
program started September 9, 2016.
Jamie and I got married September 10, 2016, so I missed that first weekend of classes--
I think it was for a good reason--but she's been with me every step of the way.
and I was telling them downstairs there's no way I could've gotten this done
without you giving me the time and the graciousness and the patience,
so I thank you for that. And of course to my mother and my sisters for being with me
every step of the way as well, for praying for me as I got through the process.
I'd like to than of course all the folks here at Bellarmine. I am now--I am soon to be with graduation--
a two-time alum of Bellarmine and
I just--I love the community and the culture and the spirit here of the faculty.
I remember sitting I think in your office
talking about this program and then
Dr. Rhodes and how this just was the best spot for me--the focus, the community, the idea--
and everything that Bellarmine stands for. So I'm very appreciative and
of course one of the reasons why I love Bellarmine... During my MBA--that's the other degree that I have--
probably the most difficult thing that I went through was the passing of my father
that final spring semester of 2016.
My cohort, and the students there,  they lifted me up. The faculty lifted me up.
And as I said before, but what a lot of folks didn't know, was that the last conversation I got to have with him
was that I got into this PhD program.
My father of course had his PhD. It was one of the things he really wanted me to accomplish.
So the last thing he got to hear me say was, 'I'm going to be a doctor, because I got into this program.'
So while he's not here with us standing, he's of course here with us...
if not the form of the spirit, in the form of his son who is now Dr. Oleka.
It's just such a blessing to be here with all of you to witness that, and
I thank everybody here for being a part.
[Applause]
[Dr. Mitchell]
Would anybody else like to say anything?
[Dr. Wiehebrink]
I would just like to say how proud I am of you.
I feel like I've been part of this journey with you, just watching you continue to succeed
and we're very fortunate to have you here at Bellarmine, and
I'm excited to see what you'll continue to do even after this.
So, I wish you the best of luck, and I'm just super excited for you.
[Dr. Oleka's mom]
And I want to add to that. I'm so proud of you because you're my son.
[Laughter]
And even though, like you said, that he is not here physically,
but this is what he always wanted of you, and me too--it's always what I wanted of you.
And we knew that you would accomplish that, because,
like my husband would always say, 'A child of many prayers is never lost.'
So he is a child of many prayers.
[Dr. Oleka]
Many.
[Laughter.]
[Dr. Oleka's mom]
And he has no choice! He can't be lost.
So, we just thank God so much for that and for this accomplishment.
[Ms. Clark]
OJ, I'll just say I'm proud of you too--you know this in every way.
I can remember when OJ visited the University of Louisville as a prospective college student
and I'm proud to say I was on that team who was able to award him a Porter scholarship
to get him on this journey. So 10 thousand, 30 thousand days--however far it is away from that,
I'm just so glad to be here with you at this journey. Yea. Congratulations.
[Dr. Young]
Congratulations.
[Dr. Mitchell]
All right. Well thanks, you all, for coming out, and again, congratulations.
[Applause]
