Reporter Katia Ibarra covered the Office of Admissions and Recruitment’s Fall Open House for The Mustang. Here’s the scoop on WNMU’s best-attended open house in recent memory.
On Saturday, Nov. 4, Western New Mexico University hosted a fall open house, welcoming 350 guests—187 of them being high school students and potential Mustangs—to campus.
Attendees hailed from each corner of New Mexico and also from southeastern Arizona. The event began in a festooned Old James Stadium where complimentary coffee and donuts were on-hand. Mariachi Plata kicked off the Open House, and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Isaac Brundage, led the crowd in his signature greeting, in which the participants called themselves “outstanding” right after raising each of their hands and clapping.
While the students were at an academic fair in the gym, parents explored Mustang Village via bus.
Animas high schooler Heather Clump, who plans on pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at WNMU, attended the open house. “I heard about this school from a counselor,” Clump said. “[WNMU] has the best [nursing] program in this area.”
“Western is a place where you can find yourself and be successful,” said Ray Shelton, a Douglas High School history teacher and WNMU alum, who is known for referring his students to the university. “It’s also a place to relax and have a high chance of getting a job, too.”
After lunch, a campus tour, and a few minutes at the football game, which WNMU won, the students went to a scholarship ceremony, where many were offered housing and academic scholarships.
Attendees were encouraged to apply to WNMU and get help filling out financial aid applications while on campus, too.
WNMU’s next open house, the Mustang Showcase, will occur this spring.
Read Katia Ibarra’s full article on The Mustang.