While many students involved in the OU Department of Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation hope to make a mark on one area of the program, it takes a student of remarkable determination and dedication to make impacts across the department. Jody Farmer, a U.S Army veteran and art, technology and culture major with a minor in art history, is one of those exceptional students, and she has a legacy that will echo through the department for years to come.
Farmer began her winding journey in OU Esports due to her work with her fellow veterans in mental health programs involving gaming.
“I had been working with the Wounded Warrior Project for a program called Monday Night Mayhem, and I got interested in learning how to stream,” Farmer said. “I found out that OU Esports and OU Gaming Club was a thing.”
From there, Farmer quickly found herself in leadership roles that included Call of Duty coach, outreach coordinator and marketing coordinator. For Farmer, these experiences were a valuable lesson in adaptation.
“(It’s) been really great to learn to pivot,” Farmer said. “Getting to do a little bit of all different things helped me figure out how to mature my own voice.”
Reflecting on her leadership, Farmer believes that she has grown beyond what she ever thought was possible.
“Leadership has taught me about pushing outside my comfort zone as well as…being a better listener,” Farmer said. “I would say I’m a different leader now than I was when I was the Call of Duty coach, and I can kind of see where I could have done things better.”
Still, Farmer looks back fondly on her coaching days and the team she has helped shape.
“There’s something about seeing them succeed that kind of warms my heart and makes me have a bit more confidence in what I was doing,” Farmer said.
Overall, Farmer has seen OU Esports grow exponentially over her time, and she has taken lessons from that success.
“I think it comes down to networking,” Farmer said. “Our program wouldn’t be where it is without word of mouth or other people sharing a bit of their experiences.”
Farmer hopes to take this networking knowledge into her future career and academic life.
“How do I bring that aspect into the art world and keep that open line of communication and networking?” Farmer said. “It is something you can use in so many different professions but is extremely strategic for me as an art student.”
When asked about what OU Esports means to her, Farmer’s answer was both confident and heartfelt.
“It’s family,” Farmer said. “It’s the first place where it didn’t matter that I was broken, which is something I’ve said the whole time I’ve been a part of this program. That little bit of trust and support that was given to me, I think, is a huge reason why I’m able to finish my degree and walk in May.”
Jody Farmer has graduated this spring as one of the 2025 OU Outstanding Seniors. After her graduation, Farmer will be attending the University of Dallas for a fully funded MFA in Sculpture. She hopes to one day open an art studio and workshop for veterans to share their voices through creativity, continuing the work she did with the OU Student Veterans Association.
