Category: Meet a Shocker

Hannah Copeland found her calling through years of involvement in WSU’s orchestra programs and youth music clinics. Her most rewarding experience has been student teaching in Wichita Public Schools, and she’s thrilled to continue that journey as the new orchestra teacher at Curtis Middle School.

Jeffrey Blessant transferred to Wichita State because of its cost and to study in the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. He is an avid reader who wants access to books for more people. His favorite book is “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and he recently read “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar.

Arland Wallace sat down with The Active Age to discuss his time at Wichita State. After his first semester at WSU back in 1970 didn’t go well, he returned over 50 years later to get his bachelor’s degree in anthropology, with plans to move on to his master’s. “I just made the decision that cancer was not going to define me.”

Sayed Mohib Hassan came to Wichita State University thanks to the Barton School of Business and its business analytics program. While at WSU, Sayed made sure to make the most of his time by engaging in extracurriculars, participating in clubs and working for the Graduate School and recommends his peers do the same.

Ashlyn Riggs came to Wichita State University thanks to its proximity to home and she already had a connection to campus through her mother, who is an active employee. While at WSU, she had the opportunity to work at the Child Development Center as a lead sub teacher — all while getting her degree in education.

Bryonna Hawk is passionate about helping others through speech-language pathology and will continue her studies in Wichita State’s graduate program. She credits her success to strong time-management strategies and hands-on experiences at the Evelyn Hendren Cassat Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic.

Colby Hutson came to Wichita State for engineering but found his true calling in music performance, thanks to small class sizes and supportive relationships with professors.

Luke Parrett, a filmmaking major from Oklahoma, chose Wichita State for its proximity to home and the hands-on learning offered at Shocker Studios. His time at WSU has been shaped by applied learning in nearly every class, preparing him to pursue gig work across the Midwest and build a career in the film industry.

John Mark Koontz is graduating with a Bachelor of Music in double bass performance. He credits Wichita State’s faculty and ensembles for shaping his growth. His advice: stay consistent. Progress takes time, but it adds up.

Lindsey Mendenhall was able to get more than just an education at Wichita State. Through the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), she got to work in her field while getting her degree and has a job lined up with the NIAR Advanced Materials Lab. Beyond the classroom, Lindsey found that the lessons she learned from teaching her dogs set her up for success in her academic and professional lives.