Senior Spotlight May 2022 – Markelle Mikkelson

Senior Spotlight May 2022 – Markelle Mikkelson

It’s that time of year! We are continuing our tradition of Senior Spotlights! For everyone, the past few years have been quite difficult, but we want to highlight our amazing seniors for having the tenacity to succeed through these tough times.  

Meet Markelle Mikkelson! She’s from Atchison, Kansas, and she has been interested in meteorology for as long as she can remember! 

“My first memory of weather was a microburst that happened over my hometown when I was a young girl.  The winds were extremely loud, and I was somewhat scared of the storm, but at the same time, it fascinated me!  The next day, my family and I drove around our neighborhood to help clean up the debris, and that sealed the deal for me.  Plus, I love just looking at clouds and have always wanted to know more about them,” she said.

This brought her down to Norman! During her time in college, Markelle was a crew member for OU Nightly, a weather assistant for the OU Nightly weather team, and the first weather producer and editor for the OU Nightly weather team. 

To her, the toughest part of college was the curriculum, especially during the pandemic. 

“Growing up math was not my strong suit, so learning all the calculus and upper-level math involved with meteorology was tricky.  Also, transferring to OU nearly the same time as the Covid-19 pandemic did not make things any easier,” Markelle said. 

But college is not all difficult times!  

“My favorite part of college was the experiences and friends I’ve met along the way.  For our Measurements class, we were able to launch a weather balloon on what happened to be an extremely windy day, and that experience is something I will never forget,” she said.  

Markelle has accepted a job as a Producer for KCTV5 in Kansas City, close to home, demonstrating that there’s a wealth of opportunities for those interested in weather communication without being on-screen. Experienced producers like Markelle are an important piece of the puzzle. 

Congratulations, Markelle! The School of Meteorology is excited to see all you do in the future!