Cynthia Fuston, visiting assistant professor of business, has found a way to marry two things she loves into one: financial accounting and student engagement.
Fuston began her career at USAO in 2017, with the title of Administrative Assistant and Secretary to the USAO Foundation. She then transitioned to the Student Services Office, with the title of Coordinator of Student Engagement. Now, she has added the title of adjunct professor onto her resume.
She is currently teaching five classes: Accounting I and II, Business Organization, Intro into Business, and Business Law I. Her classes give her a wide range to students in various years, ranging from freshman to seniors.
Not only does she engage with the accounting journal, but she also engages with student life.
“I came here, and I did not know that I would fall in love with the student life on this campus,” Fuston said. “I love watching students grow throughout their four years here, and to watch that transformation happen is fascinating.”
Fuston said that she always wanted to be an accountant, and worked as a teller at MidFirst Bank as her first career. She then transitioned into the state government level, working with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Once she found her way to USAO, she said she noticed how different the campus was from the others around.
“The students change so much here at this campus,” Fuston said. “I think we [the University] do a good job of recruiting undervalued students who are very bright.”
With experience in the real world behind her, Fuston adopts examples from the real world into her teaching style.
“One of the things I live by is ‘how would I explain this to my own children?’” Fuston said. “I want to explain it in a relatable way to my students.”
She has two children in college: Chelsea, a senior at USAO, and Colton, a freshman at Redlands Community College.
Despite Fuston only being a professor for two weeks, she said she hopes to make as much of an impact on the University as a professor as she did while in Student Services.
“I hope my love for accounting and students translates into more learning,” Fuston said. “If people feel seen, heard and valued, you can teach them a lot more.”
Despite her stepping away from Student Services, Fuston will continue to be an advisor to the Student Government Association (SGA). Fuston is also active on the political side of things, and she said she encourages USAO students to be involved with politics, even if it is on the local level.
Fuston can be found in her new office located in Troutt Hall 307, with snacks available for anyone who comes and chats with her.
Paul Tointigh is a fourth-year communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
