By Kyle Golding
A Scholarship That Changed Everything
When Peter Harlin walked into the Meinders School of Business as a freshman in 2008, he carried the hopes of a small-town upbringing and the uncertainty of whether he could afford a private university education.
What he didn鈥檛 know then was that his future, and the futures of hundreds of 蘑菇TV business students, had already been shaped by one man he had not yet met: Herman Meinders.
Harlin, who today serves as senior vice president of investments at the Blumenthal-Harlin Financial Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, credits his education, and his confidence, to Meinders鈥� unwavering support. 鈥淚 would not have attended or graduated from OCU without the help of Mr. Meinders,鈥� Harlin says without hesitation.
Opening Doors for Future Business Leaders
In 2008, Harlin entered OCU as a finance major, having earned a modest scholarship through an essay contest organized by the Oklahoma Council for Public Affairs. It wasn鈥檛 enough to cover tuition. Then-Dean Vince Orza encouraged him to apply for the President鈥檚 Scholarship, funded by Meinders and his colleague Michael Gardner. 鈥淒ean Orza told me about Mr. Meinders鈥� generosity and how much he cared about helping students,鈥� Harlin recalls. 鈥淲hen I met him, I immediately saw it. He made me feel like I could do anything, even though I doubted myself because I grew up in a small town.鈥�
The scholarship covered nearly all of Harlin鈥檚 tuition. It gave him the freedom to focus on learning and on discovering new passions. He thrived in finance, and soon added economics as a second major because, as he put it, 鈥渋t was fun.鈥�
By his junior year, Harlin had also earned the Kathryn Meinders Scholarship from the Wanda L. Bass School of Music for his violin and orchestral performance. 鈥淚 came to OCU because of the opportunity Mr. Meinders gave me,鈥� Harlin says. 鈥淗is support made it possible for me to discover who I wanted to be.鈥�
A Builder of Institutions and Ideas
Meinders鈥� impact on OCU can be measured in bricks, dollars and dreams realized. In 2005, he funded the construction of the Meinders School of Business building, a world-class facility designed to prepare students for leadership in a global economy.
His support didn鈥檛 stop there. Meinders established the Meinders Business Leadership Fellows Program, providing full-tuition scholarships for 20 to 30 students each year throughout their four-year business degrees.
He also funded the Meinders Investment Club, giving students $100,000 in real capital to invest in the stock market. It wasn鈥檛 a classroom simulation 鈥� it was real-world experience. 鈥淲hen you are investing this money,鈥� Harlin remembers him saying, 鈥測ou have a responsibility to grow it for the next class of students.鈥�
That simple lesson reflected Meinders鈥� broader philosophy: each generation must invest in the next.
Together with his longtime associate Mo Grotjohn, treasurer and trustee of the Meinders Foundation, Meinders mentored students in the Investment Club personally 鈥� teaching through guidance, not control. 鈥淗e wanted us to feel the responsibility that comes with making financial decisions,鈥� Harlin says. 鈥淭hat kind of real-world trust changes how you see yourself.鈥�
A Mentor Who Remembered Every Name
Despite his wealth and accomplishments, Meinders was known for humility and approachability. He attended business school events, mingling easily with students and faculty. 鈥淗e was the first 鈥榖ig-time鈥� person I ever met,鈥� Harlin says. 鈥淗e always remembered my name, my major and what I was working on even after I graduated. He was an important man with huge demands on his time, but he never made anyone feel unimportant.鈥�
Harlin recalls one encounter that captures his rare blend of generosity and grace. 鈥淎bout 18 to 24 months after I graduated, I saw Mr. Meinders at a business community event. I went over to thank him for everything he鈥檇 done for me. He asked how my career was going, and when I told him where I was working, he looked at Grotjohn and said, 鈥楲et鈥檚 do some business with Peter.鈥� He didn鈥檛 need to do business with my employer, he just wanted to support me. That鈥檚 a very rare quality. I鈥檝e never met anyone else quite like that.鈥�
From Muskogee to Manhattan
After earning his BBA in Finance and Economics in 2012, Harlin launched his career in finance with J.P. Morgan in New York City 鈥� a remarkable journey for what he calls 鈥渁 country kid from Muskogee.鈥�
He worked there for four years before joining Wells Fargo Advisors, where he later became a partner and senior vice president at the Blumenthal-Harlin Financial Group. 鈥淚 think Mr. Meinders pulled some strings for me early on, even though he鈥檇 never admit it,鈥� Harlin says with a smile. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just who he was: helpful, humble and always rooting for you.鈥�
Today, Harlin carries forward those lessons.鈥淚 often ask myself, 鈥榃hat would Herman Meinders do?鈥� when I have to make a tough decision,鈥� he says. 鈥淗e worked tirelessly to achieve, but always by helping others. He was generous to a fault, and I try every day to live up to that example.鈥�
Carrying the Torch
Now an accomplished professional, Harlin continues to invest in the institution that invested in him. He serves on the Meinders School of Business Board of Advisors and regularly donates time, expertise and resources to help OCU students succeed. 鈥淓verything I鈥檝e accomplished traces back to what Mr. Meinders made possible,鈥� Harlin says. 鈥淚 want to make good on his investment in me.鈥�
As Harlin reflects on his journey from Muskogee to Manhattan and back home to Oklahoma City, he carries forward the same lesson that once inspired him. 鈥淢r. Meinders believed in me before I believed in myself. That changed my life forever.鈥�
