Chance Gulley

Hometown: Andover, KS

Institution transferred from: Johnson County Community College

Major: Physical Education and Health

 

What made you decide to attend K-State?

I spent my freshman year at a smaller school. I was a practice player and a manager on the basketball team, but I decided that I wanted to transfer because it was too small. I was looking for something bigger. I was actually going to choose KU, then I visited K-State and decided that this was the place I wanted to be. [People were] super welcoming, and within like an hour of being on campus, I had made my decision.

What do you think sets K-State apart from other universities?

If I could describe K-State in one word, I’d say ‘different’ because when I visited here, I wasn't an actual student and I wasn't on an official visit. I was visiting my friend, and we went to the dining hall. He showed me around, and people who weren't getting someone on an official visit were super welcoming, super warm to someone new. It’s amazing. Super friendly. There's no place like it. It feels like home away from home. I don't even want to go home on breaks sometimes because I enjoy Manhattan so much. I think that just speaks to how different it is.

What advice would you give your younger self if they had any questions about picking case day or your major?

I would say give everything attention. At least look into everything. Don't instantly count things out just based on the name of something or anything like that. Try to give weight to every option that you have.

Now that you are at K-State, can you just talk about the atmosphere of the College of Education?

Yeah, the College of Education is also different. The building is just amazing [and] the faculty and staff. Everyone has their advisor, and every advisor feels like [everyone's] advisor. The people in the office are great. And that's just like outside of the classroom. So your professors in the College of Education are just super understanding of you. They want to know you personally. [My] professors actually want to know who I am and [they] care about who I am… I'll honestly say it's really different. It's a different type of vibe. Obviously, it's ‘get your work done’ and ‘go to class,’ but it's also ‘how are you doing?’ We can network, and we connect things. It's super tight-knit because it is somewhat smaller.

If you were going to talk to prospective transfer students about enrolling in the College of Education, what would you tell them?

Do it. I think the landscape of education, holistically, needs people. If you are thinking about it, I think there's a reason you're thinking about it. You probably are an amazing person who probably should be in the College of Ed. So I would say yeah, you should do it. Why not?

What has been your favorite course or professor?

Foundation of Education with Dr. James Alberto and Ms. Angie Messer. That class is electric. It's super fun. You learn a lot. If you're even thinking about pursuing [a degree in] education, you should check it out. You don't have to be all-in, but you get to come and feel things out in that class. I remember we did a project over a book we read, and we had to present it… different teaching principles of how you would teach a class, and my group did a skit that was super fun. I really enjoy them because they tailor the class toward you and your personality rather than try to tailor the class toward themselves and their personalities. It's a mixture of both, which builds some common ground and also makes the class just more fun. So, shout-out to both of them.

What are your plans after graduating?

Yeah, I like to think about post-grad a little bit more now that I'm a junior, but obviously, right now the plan is to go and teach at a school. Honestly, [I’m] not sure where. Not really set in stone; nowhere to go or have a particular preference. I guess my goal would be to be an athletic director in a school someday.

How do you think your experiences, your classes, your professors are preparing you for the transition from college to career?

Communication is one thing that I instantly thought about. Being able to communicate with people in a professional way. Like in my classes, being able to communicate with my professors. Not just communication, but clear communication. Before, I wasn’t the greatest with clear communication, but now I am, and I feel like it's helped me grow. [Even though] I'm not getting the workforce now, it will definitely transition over post-grad.

Is there anything else you wanted to mention?

Anything about the College of Education, you should do it. Take it from a guy who didn't declare his major at all in my freshman year of college. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, and then heading into sophomore year, I actually found the College of Education and came ‘home.’ I'm glad I made that decision. So I hope that someone else will make that decision as well.