Thunder Fellows: Building leadership and career skills for Tulsa students in sports, tech, and entertainment – news9.com KWTV

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Thursday, March 13th 2025, 5:28 pm
The Thunder Fellows Program helps students in the Tulsa area learn about future careers in the sports, entertainment and tech industries.
News On 6 is taking a closer look at the program in our Oklahoma’s Own Focus On Kids.
In just four years, 110 students have come through the Thunder Fellows after-school program.
At first, it was just for black high school students, but now includes college students like Tyla Wilson.
“It’s helped me build skills that I never thought I had, like communicating with people and adults, and it helps you gain leadership skills and networking opportunities in general, and it helps you prepare for life outside of school,” she said.
Tyla is studying to be an athletic trainer but says the Thunder Fellows program opened so many doors for her academically, professionally and socially.
During the 30-week program, students meet with mentors and other career professionals. They work on group projects that involve the sports, entertainment and technology industries.
And with connections to the Oklahoma City Thunder, students also get to meet with professionals and players from the team.
“For the Oklahoma City Thunder to commit in a major way to ensuring that the next generation of black youth have equitable access to some real tangible and meaningful career opportunities and that these career pathways are accessible and tangible for our kids is an amazing thing,” said Cedric Ikpo with the Thunder Fellows Program.
The program is located in the high rise at Reconciliation Way and Detroit in downtown Tulsa, just a few yards away from historic Black Wall Street. Ikpo says that’s by design.
“We keep history at the forefront of what we do,” he said. “We will always remember the titans and the foundations of the past, but we also want to be forward thinking and ensuring that our students and our black youth are equipped with the professional and peer networks as well as the skills to be able to find success.”
Those interested in applying for the program can get more details here: Thunder Fellows.
The students will present their projects at a big event at the BOK Center next month.
Craig Day anchors the 5, 6 & 10 o’clock newscasts at News On 6. He’s an Emmy and national Edward R. Murrow award winner, whose work has also been recognized with awards by several other journalism groups, including the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalism, Oklahoma Associated Press, and broadcasting associations in Louisiana and Texas, including reporter and story of the year when he worked in Shreveport, Louisiana.
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