Kassidy Ritchel English language arts major Kassidy Ritchel is MNU’s top academic competitor. Achieving high marks in the classroom and contributing points on the basketball court, the senior center carries a 3.99 GPA. Always an achiever, Ritchel was ranked second academically in the class of 2010 at Truman High School in Independence, Mo. In competitive basketball since fifth grade, she played both basketball and volleyball for Truman. “I think my academics parallel my athletics,” Ritchel says. “I’m competitive on the court and in my studies. If I’m not giving my all, I feel uneasy.” Ritchel wasn’t even considering MNU when she met Pioneer women’s basketball head coach Jon Lewis through The Eclipse, an area basketball league he also coaches. Lewis finally convinced her to visit the campus and everything changed. “It was the feeling on campus,” Ritchel remembers. “Something tugged at me.” Her second day in British literature as a freshman, Ritchel wondered if she could handle the coursework. After admitting this to her professor, she got reassurance and the offer of help whenever needed. Speaking about the genuine nature of the MNU community, Ritchel remembers thinking, “This can’t be how people and professors really are.” But she found they were. “They look after you as an individual,” Ritchel says. “They look at each person. Even your peers are genuine. I feel like we’re all in it together.” Ritchel says multiple field experiences, or practica, in her major make her feel ready for classroom teaching. Serving at Ozanam—a multi-service treatment center for adolescents—at Olathe East High School and at Spring Hill Middle School gave her a diversity of experiences that should help her succeed in student teaching. “I feel really prepared,” she says. “I had to get out of my comfort zone and adjust to different teaching situations and types of students.” Ritchel is gearing up to play basketball and fulfill her student teaching assignment in the spring. It wouldn’t be possible, she says, without the strong cooperation between athletics, the School of Education and the school district. Strong academics, a genuine community and career preparation make Ritchel glad she chose MNU.
06 Accent Magazine / FALL 2013
TOP SCHOLARS. GREAT ATHLETES.