Growing up, one of the things Newman University graduate Melody Mertes ‘24 remembers most was hearing her parents say how valuable a college education was.
Mertes’ father earned his GI Bill from 24 years of military service and passed the college education benefit to Mertes and her two brothers.
“I loved knowing that I would get to go off to this magical, wonderful place called college, earn a degree and be exactly like my mom,” Mertes said.
However, in filling out her own FAFSA application, Mertes discovered an interesting fact about her mom’s education path.
Because her mom worked as a project manager for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and later a senior project manager for the Federal Reserve Bank, Mertes had assumed her mother earned these jobs because of a college education.
“When I went to fill out the FAFSA my junior or senior year of high school, I made the discovery that my mom had indeed never graduated from college, and instead she earned her master’s certificate in project management and worked her way up the corporate ladder,” Mertes said. “I was even more amazed.”
While Mertes’ parents hadn’t pursued college, their hard work and sacrifices paved the way for their daughter to become a first-generation college graduate — an honor Mertes does not take lightly.
“I could not be more grateful, and I seriously wake up every morning knowing exactly how lucky it is to have that privilege,” she said. “They graciously offered me (this opportunity) and it makes me admire them so much more than I did before. It also allows me to gain even more work ethic to hopefully one day provide that for my kids and family like they did for me and my siblings.”
Newman: A ‘home away from home’
Many graduates of the class of 2024 endured lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic and didn’t get the privilege of a high school graduation ceremony. This added to the challenge of making friends in a college setting, and Mertes experienced homesickness from living away from her home in Warrensburg, Missouri, for the first time.
“Being homesick my first year of college while also making new friends, getting good grades and finding ways to get involved around campus was hard,” she said.
She transferred to Newman University during her junior year and eventually completed her Bachelor of Business Administration – management degree. Looking back, taking the plunge to transfer to Newman was “so worth it,” she said.
Newman University’s large international student population allowed Mertes to understand and explore other cultures. She also worked as a student for University Relations in a real-world work environment, interviewed countless community members and successfully wrote 40 news stories to add to her resume.
Mertes quickly noticed whenever she mentioned Newman University to those off-campus, “they recognize it and have a connection to the college,” she said. “I think that in and of itself is going to help me right out of graduation.”
Overall, Mertes made connections and was introduced to possibilities she wouldn’t have otherwise had.
I have always lived in such a safe space and have never gotten the chance to figure out what and who I am, but now I know, and I have Newman to thank for that discovery.
Melody Mertes
Before she even walked across the graduation stage on May 10, Mertes was accepted into a Master of Business Administration program and looks forward to the opportunities before her. Mertes is confident she will still use the connections she built at Newman University well into her future.
“Newman is a special place, and I am sad to be leaving it. I have friends and memories to last a lifetime and a college education I am so proud to have accomplished. This school has allowed me to grow and really find out who I am.”
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Newman University is a Catholic university named for Saint John Henry Newman and founded by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ for the purpose of empowering graduates to transform society.
