Meet Mika Shipman, a transfer student from Park Hills, MO!

Mika transferred to Missouri State University from Missouri Baptist University and Mineral Area College. Mika is pursuing the Middle School Education/Science program at Missouri State University.

When asked why Mika chose to transfer to Missouri State University, Mika said, “I was always interested in Missouri State. Then, my sister chose to go to MSU, and that became a large factor in my decision to transfer.”

Mika says there were two challenging aspects of transferring to Missouri State: 1) the different technologies used, “such as going from using Canvas to using Blackboard”, and 2) “finding my place as a transfer student”. Mika credits Hall Council and the Foster Rec Center with allowing her to find people with similar interests and passions, including being active and involved at Missouri State University. Mika says finding those people has been the most enjoyable aspect of the transfer experience.

Mika’s advice for a new transfer student would be to not “let the thought of transferring and being involved scare you. Although it can feel like you’ve missed out on opportunities from the first two years, there are still so many opportunities to get involved on campus.”

Mika would like to use this opportunity to give a shoutout to the people who played an important role in Mika’s transfer process-her family. Mika says her family, “has always been supportive of my decisions and helped me out by being my cheer squad.” Mika would like to give a special shoutout to her sister, Lynzie, and says, “Being able to have Lynzie as my roommate has helped me not feel as homesick. Having Lynzie around helps me stay up-to-date on what’s going on campus-wide and having her help me navigate the transfer process was so beneficial.”