SPOTLIGHT

DR. WILLIAM M. WILSON

As President of the globally recognized Oral Roberts University, Dr. William M. Wilson is developing Holy Spirit-empowered leaders through whole person education to impact the world. 

Since taking office in 2013, Wilson has led ORU through consecutive years of dramatic enrollment growth. Oral Roberts University is a global University based in Tulsa, OK, and Wilson has established global alliances on every continent, and spearheaded numerous campus improvements. These enhancements include the first new campus housing since 1976; the award-winning Global Learning Center, which harnesses the power of augmented and virtual reality; the ONEOK Sports Complex with state-of-the art track and tennis facilities; an intramural complex; and the opening of ORU's Nursing and Engineering. Complex which is also home to the new Stovall Center for Entrepreneurship.

Wilson also serves as Global Co-chair of Empowered21, an initiative that unites ministry leaders, scholars, and next-generation voices from the Spirit-empowered movement and the chair of the Pentecostal World Fellowship. He also hosts a global television program, "World Impact with Dr. Billy Wilson".

Wilson is the author of several books, including Father Cry, Foundations of Faith, and Fasting Forward. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children and seven grandchildren.

Student SPOTLIGHT

Karina Salcedo 

As soon as Karina Salcedo set foot on the campus of Oral Roberts University, she knew that it was where the Lord wanted her. “Once I stepped on [ORU’s] campus, I felt the power of the Holy Spirit. I loved it so much!” She knew without a doubt that she had to come to ORU.

Karina also knew that for her to attend ORU, the Lord would have to make a way. “I wouldn’t have been able to afford college at all,” she said. She had enough scholarships to attend another university, so switching to ORU was a huge leap of faith. When     she received the news that her tuition would be paid for by the Quest Whole Leader Scholarship, she started to cry. When she was a little girl, her parents had told her that they would not be able to pay for her education. For years, she prayed and believed in faith that God would provide, and the Quest Scholarship became her answer to prayer.

The Quest Whole Leader Scholarship changed Karina’s life, and she has a lot to say about its impact: “This scholarship is a seed to be invested in the world’s best-of-the- best leaders, the world’s leading attorneys, the world’s leading politicians, the world’s leading evangelists, and missionaries, and pastors. At ORU, we are called to be the most excellent in every single field, and we are called to reach the uttermost bounds of the earth. Karina has big plans to impact thousands by bringing truth to the justice system—someday, she dreams of becoming President of the United States!

Student SPOTLIGHT

John Rimando

It had always been one of John Rimando’s dreams to attend a Christian university in the United States, but he knew this would never be possible unless the Lord provided. In high school, he learned about Oral Roberts University, and the mission and vision caught his eye. Reflecting on the mission, John said, “ORU’s overall mission is not only to help encourage students to make God’s voice known and go to the uttermost bounds of the earth like Oral Roberts said, but it is also to teach students how to be competent at anything and everything that they do.” 

When John found out he had indeed been awarded a Quest Whole Leader Scholarship, he was incredibly grateful. He said, “I remember running downstairs to my parents’ office and we all celebrated, and we had cake. That’s how you celebrate in my family—with food. We all celebrated, and my parents prayed for me, thanking the Lord for this provision.”

John is studying Psychology and Sociology at ORU, and his dream is to move back to the Philippines and focus on the youth. “The Philippines really struggle with psychological help. I want to try to implement mental healthcare with free education for the young population. This way, they will be preoccupied and recognize what they could do with their life.” John feels very strongly that his time at ORU—specifically, his time in ORU’s culturally diverse environment—is equipping him to overcome the challenges he will face in the future. “I am learning how to approach different people with different backgrounds in the best way.”