A total of 80 hopefully soon-to-be Jets and their families were walking the campus at Accepted Student Day, which took place on Saturday, March 4 at Newman University.
The day began with a light breakfast and social time as accepted seniors and their families arrived for the big day with a full schedule ahead of them. The event is an annual one that gives potential students an up-close look at what their life as a Jet would entail.
After a welcome session that included a personal thank you from university President Noreen M. Carrocci, Ph.D., those in attendance were able to split up and choose their own adventure for the day. With options such as sitting in on a class taught by Newman faculty to touring the residence halls, there was not a shortage of activities for those to learn more about Newman.
Savana Sanders is a senior at Campus High in Haysville, Kan. She is excited about the nursing program at Newman. Sanders was recently offered a spot in the nursing program through the “Direct Admission” program, which will guarantee her a spot in a future nursing class instead of being required to apply during her second year in the nursing program.
“Eventually, I want to become a scrub nurse,” said Sanders. “That would be really exciting, but I’m also open to other opportunities since nursing is such a broad field.”
Also having been awarded a Community Service Scholarship, she said she is definitely coming to Newman and really looks forward to next fall to begin her collegiate experience.
During her time at Newman, she will look into the overseas study and exchange programs as well. “I know we have a sister school over in England, and I think it would be really cool to go over there and explore.”
Director of Undergraduate Admissions Kristen English said she was thrilled with the attendance. “It was such a great group and the students were very energetic,” said English. “Accepted Student Day is my favorite day of the year. It’s fun to see students making those final decisions.”
Overnight stays were available for those students who wished to participate. There were 13 students who opted for this option and were paired up with current Newman students staying in the residence halls. Newman sophomores and roommates Amy Emerson and Makaylah Perkins hosted Maize South High senior Taylor Rasmussen during her overnight stay in Merlini Hall.
“I think it [the overnight stay] is beneficial,” said Emerson, “because students do get a taste of the whole experience all in one night.” Emerson also said that it allows the potential student to have valuable additional time on campus to explore.
She added, “They get to participate in a CAB (Campus Activity Board) event, take a casual tour of campus, and hear first-hand accounts from current students.”
TaTy’Terria Gary is a senior at Topeka High School who will be attending Newman beginning fall 2017. Gary said she didn’t know that much about Newman, but after her friend Nia Martin was accepted, she “looked into it and thought the school was awesome, so I applied and got accepted.”
Gary will be a pre-med major with the goal of going into obstetrics and Martin will be a biology major. For Martin, her journey to Newman started with a free t-shirt. Her mother was given one to pass on to Martin after attending a scholarship fair. After scheduling and participating in a campus tour, Martin said she was hooked.
Gary is part of a New York Times (NYT) project in which reporters follow three teenagers from Topeka, Kan., as they make important decisions about higher education. The NYT attended Gary’s visit to Newman with her, filming and broadcasting the events of that day on Facebook Live.
In addition to the Saturday event, a special dinner took place for accepted students who wanted to learn more about the Honors Program.
“We held an Honors Reception on Friday night,” said English. “This was a reception for the 10 potential students who have already signed up, or are interested in, the Honors Program.”
Associate Professor of History and Chair of the Humanities Division Kelly McFall, Ph.D. along with three current honors students — Gabriella Rizzi, Evan Mcelravy, and Marisa-Nicole Zayat — talked to the interested students and their families about the benefits of the program.
After all was said and done, Accepted Student Day was the largest single-day event in recent history for the admission team at Newman.
“We are especially grateful for the campus community’s support for the event,” said English. “We received great feedback regarding the faculty and staff, and we’re so thankful for all those who gave their Saturday to help make the day so successful.”
The following activities/sessions were available to all the students and their families:
- Breakfast and Welcome
- Newman Class Experience
- Academic Programs Fair
- Campus and Residence Hall Tours
- Lunch and Campus Life Fair
- Financial Aid Assistance
- Student Social and Snacks
- Parents Coffee and Conversation
- ASC Interviews
- Shopping at the Bookstore
