By HAILEE BATES, News Editor

She climbed into the packed car; her eyes glued to the rearview mirror as she watched the last 14 years of her life fade away.

This is how Sierra Gable, junior psychology major, could be seen as she traveled from Enid to attend college in Alva, two years ago.

More than 1,000 students leave their homes each year and decide to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. Around 500 of these students are first time freshmen, and they travel from all over the world with different backgrounds and end up in a small town in Northwest Oklahoma.

Northwestern has several offices that work to promote the university, but the recruitment office has specific strategies that it utilizes to bring students to campus.

“When recruiting students out on the road we just emphasize the cost of school to go to Northwestern and then also the quality of the education that students are going to receive,” said Paige Fischer, direct of recruitment. “You aren’t going to find a better ratio on that than what Northwestern offers.”

“I also know by talking to current students that they always say Northwestern is home or Northwestern is family, so we try to emphasize those things on the road, especially if students seem nervous or concerned about college,” Fischer said. “We try to show them that this is a place that is going to push them toward whatever goals that they have set for themselves.”

Local students tend to come to Northwestern for some of the reasons that the recruitment office promotes to the different schools around the state.

“I chose Northwestern over other universities because of the cost, size, and location from home,” Gable said.

“I grew up in Enid, Oklahoma, where there is a smaller campus of Northwestern, so I pretty much knew about Northwestern from the Enid campus,” Gable said. “I, specifically, came to Northwestern, in Alva, because my best friend and I wanted to go to a school away from home to get the college experience without being too far to visit home.”

Local students choosing Northwestern for the affordable tuition, the small campus size and for being in close proximity to their home town is not unusual. Northwestern promotes being able to offer students these things when they come to the Alva campus.

“The first things that come to mind when thinking about what draws students to campus is the family feel, the small campus and the personal attention,” said Calleb Mosburg, dean of student affairs and enrollment management. “For just the general student population, that is probably one of the biggest pieces. Next to that is going to be the affordability side along with the high quality education that Northwestern offers.”

International students come to Northwestern for some of the same reasons, but because of their distance from the university they have some different motivations as well.

“I came to Northwestern because it was affordable,” PrincessAdenuga, senior international student from Nigeria, in an interview from the 2016 spring semester. “We also have a better opportunity for our education here.”

International students leave their home countries and travel halfway across the world to come to Northwestern. Some of these students come to Northwestern to obtain a degree because their home countries do not support their plans to further their education.

“In Nepal, the government doesn’t care for the students, so I came to Northwestern to have a better future for myself,” said Pawana Itani, sophomore international student from Nepal.

The personal attention and family feel are two qualities that Northwestern possesses to keep students on its campus once they come here.

“Originally, I planned on going to Northwestern to get my basics before transferring to another university,” Gable said. “However, after meeting different administrators, professors and getting involved in offices in Alpha Sigma Alpha I fell in love with nearly every aspect of Northwestern. My most favorite part about Northwestern is that people are so friendly and genuinely care about not only your well-being but your education as well.”

Northwestern also tries to make sure that all students feel welcome on its campus. The faculty and staff on campus try to make sure that all students, international students especially, are adjusting well to the university.

“The faculty and staff are fantastic with our international students,” said Rebecca Cook, international student adviser in an interview from the 2016 spring semester. “I spend a lot of time with these students. I have become their mother away from home, and I want to be the person that they can constantly go to and depend on.”

“Not all schools have administrators go out of their way to help students one-on-one,” Mosburg said.

Along with the affordable tuition and interaction from the faculty and staff, Northwestern offers degree programs that draw students in from all over the country.

“We are starting to get to the point where our academic programs are recognized on a national level,” Mosburg said. “The credibility of our academic programs and what is being offered here is starting to make a large push for students and families.”

One of the academic programs that brings students to Northwestern is the nursing program.

“NWOSU has a lot to offer for a student who is interested in nursing,” said Shelly Wells, division of nursing chair. “We have a smaller class sizes so the students can interact effectively with the faculty.  NWOSU has a strong reputation for graduating high quality nurses and many graduates credit their success to the caring faculty in the NWOSU nursing program.”

Another program that draws students to campus is the education program.

“Northwestern is well-known across the state for the quality of its teacher education program,” said Jennifer Oswald, instructor of education. “Our faculty members come from P-12 schools, and that professional background is important.  We come from the classroom, and we bring that experience with us.”

Despite the negative media attention on the state education programs, Northwestern is still developing future teachers that plan on making a difference in their future careers.

“There are currently so many negative stories about education in the news,” Oswald said. “I have hope for the future of education in the state of Oklahoma.  We are graduating excellent educators. My students are committed to their chosen career, even in this current climate.  While I hope to see changes soon in our state, I see Oklahoma’s future teachers every day and I’m hopeful for our future. They are committed.  I would put my son in any of their classrooms.

Northwestern has a combination of qualities, that some believe they cannot get at any other university. The tuition is affordable, the university offers high quality education, the faculty and staff are willing to work with students and the campus atmosphere brings and keeps students at the university.

“From the day that I arrived here as a student, people have backed me as a person, as a student and as an employee,” Mosburg said. “They have supported me and have been willing to help. It’s been something that you don’t get from any other school, and I can honestly say that there is no other place that, I believe, would provide that type of support from the time that you show up as a student to 15 years later being an administrator at the university.”