Carey Monroe loves event planning, but her passion almost came to an end five months after starting her dream job at Cameron University in late 2019.
As a graduate of Lawton MacArthur High School and Cameron, Monroe is enthusiastic about Lawton and helping graduates enjoy one of the biggest days of their collegiate careers - commencement. As director of events at Cameron, Monroe’s biggest responsibility is putting together the graduation day ceremonies.
But in the spring of 2020, Monroe and the university were dealt a serious blow when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the big day had to be altered.
“We started the spring semester with big plans, and we were really looking forward to these big events,” she recalled. “My husband and I had gone to Ireland during spring break and once the pandemic hit, we had to be quarantined for two weeks because we had been overseas.”
Like many of the school’s employees, Monroe didn’t return to campus until the summer and commencement was postponed until October 2020.
“Instead of planning for graduation, we were attending webinars and learning about contact tracing,” she said.
They also had to learn quickly about Zoom classes, proper maintenance of classrooms and ensuring students earned their credits for graduation.
“We were focused fully on students so they could finish with some degree of academic integrity,” Monroe said.
Eventually, commencement plans were made as university employees and vendors went through a “trial-by-fire experience. A lot of people were in the same boat as me,” she said. “We were asking ourselves, ‘How can we celebrate this graduation without it being a super spreader event?’”
The big day was held outdoors at the Cameron football stadium with graduates and a limited number of guests as chairs were spread on the field.
The 2020 experience offered Monroe and the Cameron team some valuable information on holding future graduations. In 2021, the commencement ceremonies were split into two events with fireworks each night.
“There was a lot of growth opportunity to learn what we can get through,” she said. “There was a lot of abnormal hours getting a lot of steps in each day. I’m like the conductor of the orchestra, but everyone knows their job.”
The 2022 commencement ceremonies were also be split into two evenings since 2021 proved so successful, Monroe said.
Monroe isn’t bashful when she talks about working at her alma mater and loving every minute of it. She even admits to taking selfies in front of the big “C” that is located on campus. Having graduated from Cameron, she says, is a “point of pride.”
“There’s something about working in higher ed,” she said. “I really enjoy being around people whose job is to help others.”
When she isn’t busy at the university, Monroe finds herself sitting on the boards of directors for the Young Professionals of Lawton, the Museum of the Great Plains and the Lawton Youth Sports Authority. Her volunteerism isn’t anything new. She and other Lawton Ike students initiated the first Youth Relay for Life.
“I’m OK if I’m the one hauling the ice chest,” she said of her volunteerism.
Monroe also is a member of the Lawton Business Women, attends Grace Fellowship Church and serves as a mentor for the Lawton Women’s Business mentorship program.
“The best way to love where you live is to invest in your community,” she said.
Before taking her job at Cameron, Monroe worked at City National Bank as a graphic designer and community events coordinator. Prior to that, she was employed at Western Oklahoma State College.
Monroe is married to David, an Altus firefighter. Together, they have two children ages 10 and 7.