Mike Ogg

Meet Mike

Pronouns: He/Him

Office of the Provost Staff

Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA

What is your favorite memory or experience working with students at SSU?

Throughout my career at Sonoma State I have had the opportunity to work with students both as a fraternity advisor and within my role in Athletics. While I have a number of favorite memories there is one that immediately comes to mind. In Athletics we developed a program called Ticket to Success where student-athletes would tour 4th-6th grade students around the campus and then take them to a soccer or basketball game. On one particular night, a member of the men's soccer team had all of the kids gather around him and a few of the other student-athletes in the quad outside the gym in the Kinesiology building. He told them that he was going to lead them into the game and that he wanted them to be as loud as they could be. He then turned a trash can over and beat it like a drum to lead the 80+ kids into the gym. The environment was immediately electric and the team won the game. I have no doubt that those elementary students and our student-athletes were proud to be at SSU that night. Creating a program that not only inspired the next generation of students but that also gave current students the joy of sharing their campus is one of the highlights of my career at Sonoma State.

What made you choose SSU?

There was never any question for me. As a student it felt like home and when the right opportunity opened I was able to apply and get a job that has helped me and the university grow.

What has been the most challenging part of your experience and what did you learn from it?

The hardest part of my experience at SSU came when I was an undergraduate student. I was the Vice President of Finance for Associated Students, working 20 hours a week, active as an executive officer in a fraternity, and taking 16 units. To say the least, that was not my most successful semester as a student. I met with two of the faculty to ask them for help. Rather than tell me that I was overloaded, we worked together to figure out how best to balance the load so that I could be a successful student first. To this day I remember both of those conversations well and appreciate their support. It taught me that there is a limit to what I can do and that when feeling overwhelmed, it is important to reflect on your priorities to decide where to spend your time.

Please share anything else about your experience at SSU?

I have been on campus my entire life. My family has had someone working at SSU since 1961. As a third-generation employee I have watched the campus grow as I have grown. After graduation I went to work in the corporate world for six years. Throughout that time I maintained a connection to SSU and always hoped that I would be able to come back to give back to the campus that gave so much to me. I also met my wife when we were both students and would go on to get married next to the Ponds and have our wedding reception in what is now Wine 1002. I feel fortunate to work somewhere where some of my closest friends and I get to make a real difference in the lives of people we work with.