Oct 26, 2017 - ESU students graduating in May 2017 with their bachelor's degrees reported an average debt of $20,339. In
October 2017
Distance Education Newsletter CALENDAR October 12-15 Fall Break No Classes October 19 Info Session at ESU-KC October 26th Boulevard Brewery Alumni event November 3-4 Homecoming Weekend November 10 Veterans’ Day ESU closed
Student Spotlight Taylor Scrivner shares his experience as a student at ESU-KC and his job as a school counselor. Q: What do you plan to do with your degree from ESU? A: “I will continue on in my role as a school counselor. Eventually, I would like to go back to school to earn a Ph.D., as I would like to be a professor one day.”
Q: What is your favorite part about your program and/or ESU? A: “I sincerely love the people. I’ve made more friends than I can count, reconnected with old friends, and done it all while learning about subjects which I am passionate about. Who could want more than that?” Q: What has been your favorite ESU class so far? A: “It was absolutely Counseling Theories this summer with Dr. Briggs. I found the material so interesting. Often, I would tell my friends and family that I felt like my mind was being blown every day. Dr. Briggs has a way of teaching subjects in a way that makes sense to me, and I combined that with a sincere love of the material. It was really one of the best classes I’ve ever taken.” Q: What do you think are the “practical” benefits to pursuing your degree? A: “I am excited about the new opportunities afforded to me because of this education.” Q: What is your favorite part of the job? A: “The kids! Always the kids. Students are what make schools great! It is a difficult, exhausting job, but the kids make it worth it. Always keep the main thing the main thing.” Q: Who would be an ideal candidate to consider counseling? A: “An ideal counseling candidate, in my opinion, is someone who can create. Create guidance lessons. Create school counseling programs. Create and maintain relationships with hundreds of children. This is a job of creation.” Q: Are you involved with anything outside of class? A: “I am planning on attending ESU’s school counseling conference in November, and I always involve myself deeply in the community which I serve.” Q: What are some of your hobbies/interests? A: “I’m a huge fan of tabletop games. I love board games, card games, and any other type of game that brings people together for fun. I’m a big fan of Betrayal at House on the Hill, Dominion, and Catan. I’ve also designed a board game with my buddy Noah.” Taylor would like to dedicate this article to his sister, Carly.
Taylor Scrivner
In his 4th semester, Taylor is pursuing a Masters in School Counseling through Emporia State University. Originally from Hoyt, KS, he commutes to campus from Lawrence for night classes and works at Pleasant Ridge Middle School during the day.
Taylor’s advice for distance students:
Time management is key. Make sure that you are not only reading the syllabus but sticking to it. I would also recommend open communication with your professors. They are people too, and they can be very understanding.
Thursday, October 26, 2017 5:30 p.m. $30/person $50/couple
Join Emporia State University alumni and friends during this year’s night at the Boulevard Brewery. In addition to good food, good drinks, and good company, you will have the opportunity to meet Emporia State University's President, college deans, and our Alumni Ambassadors who we named to the KC Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business.
Student debt at Emporia State continues to fall, earning national recognition Emporia State is earning notice for its students’ lower-than-average debt load upon graduation. In rankings announced this week by U.S. News and World Report, ESU was the No. 1 university in Kansas for least student debt load and No. 2 for regional Midwest universities. “We are so excited that we have some of the lowest debt in the nation for our graduates and one of the highest placement rates in the nation,” said ESU President Allison D. Garrett. “Both of those together speak to the caliber of place this is and the kind of experience that our students have.” According to the most recent data from The Institute for College Access and Success, students graduating with bachelor’s degrees in May 2015 reported a national average student debt of $30,100. In Kansas for the same period, the average was $28,008. ESU students graduating in May 2017 with their bachelor’s degrees reported an average debt of $20,339. In fact, ESU student debt has been steadily declining since May 2015 when it was $22,364. Add to those statistics that 98 percent of ESU students who returned a survey after graduating with their bachelor’s degrees in May 2016 reported they were employed in their chosen field or enrolled in graduate school or additional studies such as medical school. Across campus, efforts are in place to help undergraduate students leave Emporia State with as little debt as possible. These efforts include academic advising to maximize course hours, financial literacy as part of Health Hornet Wellness and loan counseling. College graduates earn an average of 40 percent more than those with a high school degree. Students graduating from ESU are seeing a positive return on investment. ESU’s Office of Financial Aid, Scholarships and Veterans Services uses SALT — a free, online resource that helps students finance their higher education, manage any student loans and build personal finance skills — to promote financial literacy. Director Elaine Henrie says SALT is useful even after college. “It’s about saving. It’s about paying the loans. It’s about scholarship searches. There's information for after graduating and getting a mortgage. There are tips on job interviews,” she said. “It’s a tool that can be used for the entire family.” Staff in financial aid actually begin working with students even before they enroll at Emporia State. They present in consumer education classes at high schools in Emporia, Lyon County and across the state. They also stress the importance of filling out the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, what Henrie, calls the “first step.” Information supplied on the FAFSA lets students qualify for federal aid programs as well as university scholarships. Graduate student Shayla Cotman also encourages students to do their homework and find additional scholarships. That’s what she did after decided to attend ESU as a student-athlete. Even though she received an athletic scholarship for tuition and fees, she knew there would be other expenses. “I sat down with both my parents and kind of talked about, ‘OK here's the athletic side of it. How much more do I need to figure out?’” Cotman recalled. For her, scholarships, and working both on- and off-campus during breaks, were key. “I searched online and just really put in the effort to actually find scholarships because they are out there,” Cotman said. “Some people don't even necessarily apply for them and that almost gives you even a better chance.” For Cotman, her efforts paid off. She graduated in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in information systems and no debt to repay. Her degree was paid through scholarships and paychecks. https://www.emporia.edu/news/09/14/2017/student-debt-at-emporia-state-continues-to-fall-earning-national-recognition/?
Emporia State University Distance Education Plumb Hall 315, Campus Box 4052 620-341-5262
[email protected] www.emporia.edu/distance Emporia State University – Kansas City 8400 W. 110th Street, Suite 150 Overland Park, KS 66210 913-338-4378
[email protected] www.emporia.edu/kc
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