An Alumni Perspective...

It was springtime when I paid my first visit to WKU as a high school senior. How eager I was to put the days of high school behind me and embark on my journey to the freedom that only adulthood could offer. Little did I know as a 17-year-old from Nashville what excitement would lie on the road paved ahead.

To this day, I can remember the way the sun reflected across the colonnade as I stood on the crosswalk between Garrett Conference Center and the Fine Arts Complex, both significant haunts of mine as the years progressed. This was it. I was going to be an accomplished journalist and WKU would be my launching pad.

Of course, my parents were thrilled, to say the least. I would spend my days just 60 miles north of my hometown and commute home on weekends with loads of laundry and stories to tell. I was eligible for in-state tuition and I qualified for a few scholarships as well. I would room with a friend from high school (an eventual disaster), and attend freshmen orientation in the fall.

That day in August was a hot one. We moved into Northeast Hall (formerly East Hall – with NO air conditioning back then, mind you), my Dad stuck a WKU sticker in the back window of my car and I cried as I watched my parents and younger sister exit the parking lot to head for home. This was no summer camp. This was it. There would be many more times in my life I would watch my parents drive from sight. But nothing, nothing at all has ever compared to that very first bittersweet taste of freedom.

Choosing a college or university for me was easy. I knew the moment I set foot on campus much like love at first sight. It’s a decision I did not take lightly. WKU offered the program of study I wanted, the extracurricular activities I was interested in, it was close to home and I was comfortable here.

You have a lot of important decisions awaiting you as well to mark your transition into young adulthood. While at WKU, I studied, made friends with whom I still keep in touch today; I practiced my faith, became a part of the local music scene as a performer, had great times and even met the man who would eventually become my husband.

I would invite each of you to come to Western. Visit our campus. See if it speaks to you as it has to so many who have come before you. If you’re lucky like me, maybe one day your beloved alma mater will welcome you back with open arms in a professional capacity, but rest assured, once a Hilltopper, always a Hilltopper!

Best of luck on your college search,

Corie Morell Martin
Communications Coordinator, WKU Office of Admissions
WKU Class of 1996

Welcome our latest student blogger, Jennifer H.

One year ago, I would never have thought I would be spending my nights in a dorm room, living with my biggest soccer rival from the four years I played in high school, and waking up to fire alarms at 5:35 on a Monday morning. I knew I wanted to go to college, but I had no idea where, or even what I was going to major in for that matter. Everything seemed “up in the air” with my life, but now I can thankfully say that the weeks of anticipating the drive away from my small town, Brandenburg, KY, and into a new one, Bowling Green, are over. My name is Jennifer, I’m a freshman majoring in psychology, and I love life here at Western Kentucky University.

To be completely honest with you, I was totally unsure about where I would be attending college after my senior year of high school. Seriously - I applied to 17 different schools. You may be wondering why I chose WKU, or what was so special about this particular university that caught my eye? That is an easy question; what is there not to love? When I was here on a visit last year, I was taken on a personal tour of the campus with a senior representative. I had a meeting with an Honors Admissions Counselor to discuss the exciting opportunities that were in store for me. I was offered a very nice scholarship, one that has given me the opportunity to reach out to prospective students and their families, like you. The campus is beautiful, no matter if it is 75 degrees or 28 degrees. I also love my professors, those who go the extra mile and care about their students’ success. There are so many opportunities to get involved it is unreal. I am a member of Baptist Campus Ministries and the Special Events co-chair of the Honors Club. The opportunities are endless.

That is only a short glimpse of all the wonderful things Western Kentucky University has to offer. The picture is different for everyone, and you can make it as colorful as you wish. I cannot see myself at any other college than WKU. It is a perfect fit, and I hope it can be for you as well.

So many events, so little time!

Hi there!

Now that we're not strangers anymore, you have no choice but to be thrown into my busy daily life at WKU! Lately there have been so many choices of events to attend around campus that my calendar has begun to beg me to put down the pen for just one week. Well, Mr. Calendar, I don’t know about you, but I love free things and I am not about to stop attending all of the great free events on campus, so quit complaining, do your job and make a little more room!

WKU hosts so many events that I don’t know even where to begin. Students can attend everything from a one-man play about President Lincoln to lectures by world-renowned authors such as Frank McCourt; fun and casual lectures from TV and film personalities like marine biologist Jeff Corwin, and actress Mary Badham, who played “Scout” in the 1962 version of To Kill a Mockingbird. There are also more serious informational sessions delivered by International political figures like the United Nations Ambassador to Ecuador Maria Fernanda Espinosa. That’s not even mentioning the countless art gallery exhibitions, musical performances, sporting events and more!

Last week, I chose to attend the Taikoproject which was part of the annual Cultural Enhancement Series, a group of events co-sponsored by the Potter College of Arts & Letters. Let me tell you, it was absolutely phenomenal! (As in, my friends are absolutely sick of hearing about how great it was, but I know deep inside they are really jealous they did not get to go since the venue was packed!)

Basically, the Taikoproject is a group of uber-talented Japanese-Americans from California who wanted to carry-on the Japanese art of Taiko drumming here in the USA so they got a group started and hit the road. It was not just a bunch a boring drumming. It was more like a saga, a run through the jungle, a leap off of a waterfall, a climb to the edge of a cliff, then jum....NOT THAT FAR, AMBER! The audience was laughing, singing and thoroughly enjoying themselves at this two-hour performance. There was not a single person in the room that wasn’t inspired to dream a little bigger after seeing and hearing the stories of these talented young folks. That is just one of the many benefits of the Cultural Enhancement Series - it encourages people act on their environment and motivates the audience to not settle for the usual because perhaps trying something different and thinking outside of the box might lead to greater success.

Here at WKU, there is a huge push to educate the student as an entire being, not just academically. The faculty encourages students to understand what it is like in the real world with so many diverse people and situations to encounter each day. They want to challenge our views so that we may develop ourselves enough to be confident and sure-footed about whom we are as contributors to this global economy. They want us to see for ourselves what success looks like through the eyes of professionals in their fields so that one day we may emulate this success through our own manifestations. The events and guest speakers that WKU sponsors are indeed something special that will enhance your education as a well-rounded and shall I say "cultured" person in this society where it matters.

Oh yeah, and how about those great plays our men's basketball team pulled off in the NCAA tournament? We were SO close!!! I can already taste a Hilltopper victory coming up next year!

Well I better go grab some lunch before heading over to class. Until next time!

WKU Student Blog Post: Amber D.

Hey out there! WKU student here!

My name is Amber, hailing from the lovely metropolis of Georgetown, KY. I am double majoring in Spanish Language and Literature and Communication Studies and I am working on a minor in International Business. I have two semesters left at WKU and I will most likely return to get my Master's degree from here as well, because apparently I just can't get enough of "the hill"! (They freak you out with all of the hype about the calf 'n thigh-sculpting hill, but it is not that bad, I swear!)

The majority of college graduates in my family are WKU alumni, hence, I wanted to be different and go to another school. I finally ended my rebellion and transferred to WKU in the fall of 2007. (Life lesson learned: Give it up and listen to your elders, they really do know what they are talking about.)

The programs here definitely prepare students for a successful future because of the knowledgeable and experienced faculty we have as professors. All of my teachers know my name and always have a friendly greeting for me when I pass them in the hallways. While here, you will find that all of the faculty and staff are here for you and are student-focused, whether that be your advisor, your residential assistant (RA), the student center manager, the food court servers, or the friendly staff in the billings department.

Since I have been at WKU, I have embraced all of the opportunities available to me. Last year, I was the vice president of the WKU International Club-- an organization with over 200 members. With other members of the International Club, I participated in the Women's Intramural Soccer Tournament. Intramural sports are open to students regardless of skill level and our team was the perfect example of just how unskilled players can be yet still be able to participate. Even if we lost a lot, it was incredibly fun and we plan on winning this year's tournament. Last fall, I was a member of the WKU Spanish Club and just recently I joined WKU's chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Once you get involved in campus activities, you will never find a dull moment.

My favorite thing about WKU is that if you do not see whichever organization, interest group, activity, or even major or minor offered then you can make it happen by coordinating with the various campus administrators. For that reason, at WKU the famous phrase, "Where there's a will, there's a way", has never been more accurate.

I look forward to keeping you all updated on the weekly adventures of my life as a Hilltopper and hope that one day you will come join all the fun!