Hayden Musgrove always had a feeling he’d follow in his family’s footsteps. In his youth, he entertained the idea of taking his love for basketball all the way to professionals or using his computer skills to study cybersecurity in college. But in the end, it was the years Musgrove spent watching his parents start and operate their Ardmore-based jewelry business that left a lasting impression. Ultimately, Musgrove decided to build upon his family’s legacy of entrepreneurship.
Musgrove studied business administration at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where his parents, Wayne and Lena, and older sisters, Kara and Marissa, all graduated from. The university’s business program appealed to Musgrove due to its high quality, student-focused faculty, small classroom sizes, affordability, and accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The AACSB program was designed to acknowledge, strengthen, and support international business relations forged in business school. Southeastern is one of less than 200 schools in the United States to have earned this prestigious accreditation.
“I decided to study business because I knew I could apply the degree to just about any industry I wanted to work in,” Musgrove said. “I chose to study at Southeastern because it has one of the best business programs in the state.”
He said the education he received and the lifelong friendships he forged at Southeastern altered the trajectory of his life and positioned him for success.
Musgrove graduated in 2015 and began working for a major national insurance brokerage firm. There, he learned about the different kinds of risk management solutions including the various insurance options available to businesses, corporations, governmental institutions, trade associations, families, and individuals.
After marrying his wife, Musgrove began working for his father-in-law's insurance firm, Rickets Fennell & Associates, which specializes in contract bonding, worker's compensation, employee benefits, and more.
In addition to working in the insurance business, Musgrove serves as the Secretary and Treasurer for the National Utility Contractor’s Association, a national trade association dedicated to the utility and excavation construction industry. He is also a junior committee member of the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County.
“My parents taught me that success is more than just a job title; it’s who you are as a person and a willingness to continue striving to be the best version of yourself,” Musgrove said. “In addition to providing me with a world-class business education, my professors and mentors at Southeastern reaffirmed this belief by leading by example.”