Overcome trials to national success? Edmond's role model.

Jill Castilla in the middle started the tradition of class photos for #clarkclass.

The joys and challenges of this twitter class have been the people who have made it a success--including the students and speakers.
While speakers are all different, they share common experiences and talents, and perhaps the finest role model is Jill Castilla, president and CEO of Citizens Bank in Edmond.
She generously gives of her time in many ways, including having told her story, and the story of her bank several times to this class, always with a smile, sound advice and enthusiasm. 
Her rescued the bank and has earned a national reputation innovation, using new media and more for community leadership. She's been named the top community banker in the country.
For more on her click on these links: @JillCastilla Citizens Bank.

Here's what our students said, when debriefing after her visit Tuesday.

• She reminds me of my boss right now. She started from nothing.
• I don’t know if I should call her an entrepreneur or an innovator.
•  She built a solution for the midtown girl but that solution became other solutions for other people.
• You gain so much more momentum when you focus light on others.
• You go through trials and they prepare you for something greater.
• You don’t appreciate the light until you go through darkness.
• To run your company it’s more than financial capital,  it's social capital.
• Vulnerability is the only way to connect with people.
• Being honest and speaking up is about having social courage.
• Social media is not supposed to connect you to people you already know, it's supposed to connect you to people you should know.
• Embrace the unicorn.