Meet Courtney Stirewalt, a transfer student from Branson, MO!

Courtney transferred to Missouri State University from Ozarks Tech. Courtney is pursuing the Criminology & Criminal Justice major, with a minor in Psychology, and undergraduate certificates in Criminal Courts, Criminal Investigation, Forensic Child Psychology, and Victim Advocacy.

When asked why Courtney chose to transfer to Missouri State, Courtney said, “MSU seemed like the obvious choice for my major – MSU has a great Criminology program that was highly recommended by my advisors at OTC. It was always my plan to transfer to Missouri State.”

As a commuter student, Courtney says the only challenge in her transfer experience has been the hour-long commute to/from classes. Beyond that, Courtney has thoroughly enjoyed her transfer experience, stating that the most enjoyable part has been, “The mini-community I’ve been able to build in my classes. Many of the same students I took Criminology courses with at OTC are now in my classes at MSU, and it’s been great to have them be a part of my transfer experience.”

Courtney’s experience in the School of Criminology & Criminal Justice has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. Courtney says, “My advisors and professors are very understanding and were supportive of my transfer process.” Courtney has excelled academically and is not only a member of Phi Alpha Delta (the pre-law society) and Tau Sigma (the honors society for transfer students) but has already been accepted into law school upon graduation! Courtney’s advice for a new transfer student to help them do well academically would be to, “Get organized! Getting organized is my number one priority academically. Also, find a program that you can get nerdy about. Being nerdy and interested in the topics you’re studying will help – if I didn’t absolutely love the topics I’m studying, I wouldn’t be able to take on the readings and academic rigor of the program I’m in.”

Courtney would like to take this opportunity to thank the people that have most impacted her journey as a transfer student: 1) her parents – “as a first-generation college student, my parents have been so supportive of my entire academic journey and are incredibly proud of me,” 2) Dr. Robert Griffith, president of the OTC-Table Rock campus – “he fostered my abilities early on at the Table Rock campus”, and 3) John Hall, Paula Rector, and Dr. Jennifer LaPrade at Missouri State University – “They have all seen what I can do and have always pushed me to be my very best.”