Forward Together: President's October 2021 Message

More than once, I’ve said that I didn’t come to this presidency alone or overnight, but recently I had the pleasure of visiting a place that was a foundational steppingstone along the way: my alma mater Eisenhower High School in Houston.

Last month, First Gentleman Rick Case and I accompanied a team from the Office of Admissions on a recruiting trip to some of our Shocker Cities in Texas, and the Eisenhower students and staff greeted me with overwhelming warmth.

Like all of Houston, Eisenhower was diverse when I was a student, and today almost 95% of its students come from diverse backgrounds, mostly Latinx students. Like at Wichita State, that diversity is celebrated as a means to excellence.

We were enthusiastically welcomed with the pep band’s rendition of the traditional fight song, as well as performances from the cheerleaders and flag team. I can’t describe how touched I was with this awesome welcome.

Later in the day, I spoke to the entire senior class about the importance of going to college; and when a door is opened for you, go through it. We were there to open a door for them. Assistant Vice president for Strategic Enrollment Management Bobby Gandu presented on why Eisenhower Eagles would make great Shockers; and I was able to sit down with some of the students to chat with them individually and in small groups.

I graduated from Eisenhower 40 years ago, and it was inspiring to return to a place that had so much influence on the person I am today. Thank you, Eisenhower!

So why did we go more than 600 miles away to Houston to bring people to Wichita State University? Because talent grows all over the world and consolidating that talent at WSU makes our university and our state stronger in so many ways: 

• The most obvious benefit is that bringing more people to Wichita State boosts our enrollment, which funnels in more resources to benefit our students and our campus.
• Recruiting new talent to Wichita fuels the talent pipeline, providing our state’s businesses and industries with a robust and prepared pool of graduates.
• Graduates who stay, work and build their lives in our state contribute to the overall economic prosperity of Kansas.
• For each of those students who come to Wichita State, we’re giving them an opportunity to study and grow at one of the nation’s most innovative urban public research universities. 

Though I don’t often get the chance to go on recruiting visits, I will always welcome the opportunity to sing Wichita State’s praises and talk about our mission and priorities because I believe with all my being that a Shocker education offers the best opportunity and value in the nation. 

On that note, we’re expanding the reach of this monthly newsletter into a podcast format, which will give me even more opportunities to talk about the greatness of Shocker Nation. The Forward Together podcast will be available on most podcasting apps.

Our first episode will drop in early November, when I discuss digital transformation in the arts with my guest: Shocker alum Dean Hargrove — a television producer, writer and director, whose credits include “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” “Columbo,” “Matlock,” “Jake and the Fatman,” “Diagnosis: Murder,” and “Perry Mason.” I hope you’ll tune in. 

Go Shockers!