OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – There’s a new president walking the halls at Oklahoma City Community College and she’s making history.

Dr. Mautra Jones is the first black president of a college in Oklahoma that is not a historical Black college or university. She’s also the first woman to lead OCCC, a school with 17,000 students.

“My goal is to certainly engage with the campus community. Be visible…be present,” Dr. Jones told us.

She was a product of public education in Ardmore and was essentially raised by her grandmother.

“She really taught me the value of faith, family and community,” Dr. Jones said. “She made sure that I knew along with my siblings that we could accomplish anything we set our minds to.”

And Mautra Jones says she needed that encouragement.

“I always tell people if you take a walk down statistics row and you think about the challenges that children face who grow up in poverty, I can check about 12 boxes all. So, really had to overcome a lot of obstacles,” she said.

Jones was able to go to OU, then out to California for a few years where her professional career began and she picked up an MBA.

She is now married to United States District Judge Bernard Jones, another Oklahoman she met earlier in her life.

“We moved back to Oklahoma and have really spent our entire professional careers just being of service of this great state and are proud to be back because we’ve been able to raise our family here, our three amazing children,” she said.

She is leaving an administrative position at Langston for the OCCC presidency. And her mission right now is hearing what the students have to say about O-Triple-C.

“You know I believe that it’s gonna take me coming here and getting here and getting familiarized. I’m gonna have to do a lot of listening,” Dr. Jones said.

But one thing there is no question about with her new job: her passion for education changing young lives.

“I’ve spent my entire professional career really serving the nonprofit and education sector,” Dr. Jones said. “So, I’ve been able to really have a hand in helping children youth, teens, young adults, and ensuring that they have what they need to accomplish their dreams.”