NOTE: A high resolution photo of Armstrong is available by emailing jeblackmon@fhsu.edu.

11/09/18
By Diane Gasper-O’Brien
University Relations and Marketing
HAYS, Kan. – A flashing digital billboard in a parking lot near the main campus at Fort Hays State University lit up the brisk autumn evening earlier this week.

It flashed a welcome to potential future FHSU students from Kinsley, Valley Heights, Natoma and South Central high schools, ones who have scheduled visits to campus.

Inside Picken Hall on the Quad, students from FHSU’s home county were getting a little extra TLC Monday night.

In what is believed to be a first-ever event for Ellis County students, Fort Hays State’s admissions office hosted a college information session specifically for students from the county’s four high schools – Hays High and Thomas More Prep-Marian in Hays, Victoria and Ellis.

Jon Armstrong, interim director of admissions, said he and his staff came up with the idea of “Your Next Step” as a way to “better serve our students in Ellis County.”

“Trying something different to help our local people is very important to me and our office,” he said. “We want to try to be available to students on their time.”

Armstrong, whose youngest son is a high school junior, is quite familiar with the busy schedules of high school students.

“Students are so busy now,” he said, “and it’s harder and harder to get out of class to come down to campus. If we can slice out an hour or two here and there for the opportunity to get their questions answered, even if it’s in the evening, we want to do it.”

“Your Next Step” is just one of several events hosted by the Admissions Office during the school year and one of three new ones launched this year.

Last month, about 40 high school students from southwest Kansas were bused to campus for a day of learning more about the college application process.

Tuesday, Nov. 13, that many, and probably more, students from north central Kansas will arrive at FHSU for a similar day of college planning and campus visitation.

“This was something new we wanted to try for this area, and we were hoping to get at least 20 to 25 students,” Armstrong said. “Right now, we’re at 40.”

Before that, however, Armstrong and his staff are preparing for their largest event of the year – Tiger Day, which is Saturday.

Approximately 400 students have sent in RSVPs for the day of learning about campus life. That’s the largest number since 2010.

After a welcome by FHSU administration, students and their families will have the opportunity to learn about the admissions process as well as visit the academic buildings and residence halls. The highlight of the day, Armstrong said, is the academic fair where tables from the different academic programs are set up in the Memorial Union.

“That takes a lot of work for our academic departments,” Armstrong said. “They are so supportive in really understanding the importance of recruiting.”

Making the college application process as easy as possible for students is high-priority for Armstrong.

One mother at the Ellis County night asked a question that stumped Armstrong, who chuckled, saying he gets asked that every so often.

“Is there a discount for twins?” asked Kelly Hutchison, mother of twin siblings Palmer and Mattie Hutchison, seniors at Hays High.

Armstrong said he was unaware of such a discount but did know that if the twins live in residence halls, they will both be offered the Ellis County residential hall housing reduction.

That discount, which Armstrong said a lot of people ask questions about, is $2,000 off the total cost of the yearly residential life contract every year a student from Ellis County lives on campus.

A total of 13 students took advantage of Monday night’s opportunity, but the number of people who came through was more than double that.

“Every student who came in had at least one parent with them,” Armstrong said. “And a couple of parents came on their own because their children couldn’t make it. All the parents seemed really thankful we did this.”

“We wanted it to be come-and-go, to accommodate people’s schedules,” Armstrong continued. “This is a start. I do know we had lots of questions about financial aid and the benefits of on-campus housing and the like.”

Brandon Hoffman from Hays High decided to take advantage of the opportunity despite having difficulty getting around.

Hoffman, maneuvering on a knee walker scooter with a cast on his left leg, which he fractured during football season, took one look at the large flight of stairs at the front of Picken Hall and thought, “Ut-oh.”

However, Hoffman was able to locate the elevator on the south end of the building and made his way up to the second-floor area where he was greeted with a table of all sorts of information about FHSU – and pizza.

“I was ready to hop up the stairs, though,” he said.

With that type of attitude, Armstrong said that Hoffman, who plans to major in business management, should do just fine in college.

Hoffman, the oldest of two siblings, was accompanied by his mother at the event.

“We just wanted to find out all about this process,” Marlene Hoffman said. “It’s all new to us. It’s so different than when we went to college.”

Armstrong and Kyle Stacken, admissions counselor for Ellis County, visited with the Hoffmans and talked about setting up a time for them to visit campus when Brandon could get around more easily.

Armstrong said he and his staff realize that sometimes local students don’t think about asking a lot of questions because they live here.

“We were able to visit with local students who have some difficulty getting to campus during regular hours,” he said. “We want to answer their questions, too. Of the 26-plus people we visited with, I think it made a big difference.”

Tom and Tina Albers and their daughter, Hays High senior Ady, definitely thought so.

“Ady really enjoyed the one-on-one conversation with Jon,” Tom Albers said. “He answered all of her questions and offered her some awesome advice. The entire event was very professional and comfortable and had a family feel to it. Thank you, FHSU, for this opportunity to help ease Ady’s concerns and help her answer several questions she had about the enrollment process.”

All in all, Armstrong deemed “Your Next Step” a success.

“This was a first step for us in wanting to provide more opportunities like this,” Armstrong said. “Our next step in our office is to offer an opportunity like this on the high school campuses. We’re going to try to do something like that in the spring. I’m excited.”