Class of 2020: Varied paths lead to PSU

  Thursday, June 30, 2016 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

As the daughter of two Mizzou alumni, Kendall Miles was always gently nudged toward Columbia, Mo., when it came to university choices.

“My parents are both Mizzou alumni, so obviously they wanted me to follow in their footsteps,” Miles said. “But as soon as I took a campus visit there, I knew a big school was not for me.”

The Kearney, Mo., native then took a tour of William Jewell College, thinking a smaller, private school would be a better fit. No luck there, either.

Then she visited Pittsburg State.

“I ended up finding that PSU was a happy medium and perfect for me,” said Miles, who enrolled this summer as a member of the Class of 2020. “Pitt State's campus is beautiful. The old brick and landscaping make the campus feel very clean, yet homey.”

And while Miles didn't attend their alma mater, her parents said they are "more than happy" with her choice of school.

"We didn't know anything about Pitt State when she first told us," said Kendall's mother, Jennifer. "We made a couple visits to Pittsburg, and now understand what draws her to the university. It is a beautiful campus. It has a traditional college feel. It's nice to see the new construction and recent renovations that have been completed."

Miles, who plans to study nursing at Pitt State, is one of more than 1,000 incoming freshmen this year. The students and their families received their official introduction to the university this summer during the annual Pitt CARES orientation sessions, which were held throughout the month of June.

Makayla Bockover, a Pittsburg native who always planned to attend Pitt State, was nearly pulled away from her hometown when she received a scholarship to play soccer at a college three hours away.

“The thought of attending another college and leaving home was scary, but I decided to take a college visit anyway,” Bockover said. “I enjoyed the school and the soccer program, but it was a very small town and it was such a long drive back and forth.

“In the end,” she said. “I realized that everything I wanted was right at home.”

Bockover, who plans to study psychology, said she developed her love of Pitt State as a child attending football games with her parents.

“As I got older and started going to some football games and being able to see the beautiful campus in its entirety, I began to like the university more and more,” she said. “I come from a long line of alumni and now that I am older, they have told me their experiences at Pitt State and I know for sure that this is the school I want to be at.”

Zackary Cronk, from Kansas City, Mo., said he was attracted to PSU because of its construction management program and by the support the community shows to the students.

“I first heard about Pitt while I was searching for schools with a construction management program,” he said. “When I took my campus tour, I immediately felt at home and knew it was the best option.

“I love the whole small-town feel here,” he said. “The community feels very involved with the school. When you drive through town you will constantly see PSU flags or banners.”

Erykah McClendon, of Little Rock, Ark., said Pitt State reminds her of home.

“Pitt State is very family-oriented,” she said. “It kind of reminds me of when I go visit my grandparents, because everyone is so warm and supportive.”

The Class of 2020 will officially begin its journey as university students when the Fall 2016 semester begins on Aug. 22.