Meet Bart Tibbs, the Assistant Director of Transfer Outreach and Recruitment in the Office of Admissions! If you have transferred to Missouri State University, you have, at minimum, received emails from Bart. Beyond that, you may have met Bart at a webinar, on-campus transfer admissions presentation, admissions counselor appointment, or at your transfer institution’s transfer fair!

Bart’s journey in higher education began when he attended Eastern Illinois University as a student – go Panthers! Bart earned a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication (with teacher certification) and a master’s degree in Education Administration.

Bart began working at Missouri State University in July 1993 as the Residence Hall Director of New Hall (since renamed Hutchens Hall). In 1997, Bart accepted a position as an Interim Admissions Counselor in the Office of Admissions, where he has worked ever since!

Bart now works with transfer students daily, and says that he, “enjoys the transfer process. I like helping students navigate that process and helping them feel confident in the change to another university.” Bart mentions that he got some great insights into what the process of transferring to Missouri State is like when his daughter transferred to Missouri State and uses that insight to help create a smooth transition for our students.

Bart’s advice for our transfer students would be to, “make connections with your faculty members, your advisor, and other students. Feeling connected to the campus community will help you feel more confident and help you be successful.” To help make those connections, Bart encourages students to participate in Taste of Springfield during the first week of the semester, saying, “You get a buffet of restaurants, services, and fun places to visit in Springfield all on campus, for free!”

Meet Anna Warring, a transfer student from Houston, TX!

Anna transferred to Missouri State University from Limestone University. Anna is pursuing the Data Science major. Anna is a member of the Acrobatics & Tumbling team and the Honors College and is a math tutor in the Bear CLAW.

When asked why Anna chose to transfer to Missouri State University, Anna said, “Athletics was a big part of it. After my university closed, getting the opportunity to join the Acro team in its second year at MSU and help build up the team was exciting. I also loved the campus and campus environment”

Anna explained that, while MSU’s campus “felt like home”, navigating campus was a challenge in the beginning. Anna says, “I had to use a map to get around campus for the first few weeks because the academic buildings are more scattered across campus than they were at Limestone.” Anna has gotten the hang of navigating campus now and enjoys attending campus events. Anna says the events are the most enjoyable part of the transfer experience because “there are always so many things happening on campus. And I don’t feel like I have to bring people with me – if I go to an event, I will always be able to find someone to talk with.”

Anna’s advice for a new transfer student would be to, “Do your research! Look at the website. Learn as much as you can about the programs offered and the University as a whole.”

Anna would like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have made the most impact on her transfer experience – her parents (“for being a good sounding board as I figured out where to transfer”), Coach Kimmy Adkins (“she was incredible throughout the whole recruitment process”), and Scott Handley (“he made it so easy to join the Honors College”). Go Bears!

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.”

Meet Kiley Brenneis, a transfer student from Carl Junction, MO!

Kiley has transferred to Missouri State University from Crowder College. Kiley is pursuing the Biomedical Sciences/Human Health Sciences major at Missouri State University.

When asked why Kiley chose to transfer to Missouri State University, Kiley said, “I always wanted to attend Missouri State. I started at a community college first, for financial reasons, and knew I wanted to end up at Missouri State.”

Kiley says that the most challenging part of the transfer process was, “making the commitment to move away from home. Being on your own for the first time can be scary and challenging.”

With that in mind, Kiley’s advice to a new transfer student would be to, “Take time to balance your commitments. Don’t be afraid to get involved, but make sure you have time to go to class and get things done. There are so many things you can get involved in but be intentional and make sure you aren’t overwhelming yourself.”

Some of those opportunities to get involved and meet people happen through Welcome Week and Residence Life, which Kiley says have been the most enjoyable parts of her transfer experience. Kiley says that Welcome Week was a great opportunity to meet people and experience new things, and praised her RAs for being friendly, helpful, and positively contributing to her MSU experience.

Kiley would like to take this opportunity to shout out to a few additional people, including her parents, her boyfriend (Thatcher Girouard), and her friends (Emily Lee and Abbey Thompson) for being so supportive and helping her a lot. She would also like to thank the advisors she worked with during her transfer process, Campbell Keele and Emma Watkins, for helping her decide upon a major and class schedule that align with her career goals.

Meet Karasyn Wilson, the Transfer Specialist in the Academic Advising and Transfer Center! Karasyn splits her time between Ozarks Technical Community College and Missouri State University, assisting students who are interested in transferring between the two institutions.

Karasyn’s journey in higher education began when she attended Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC). Karasyn then transferred from OTC to MSU to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Professional Writing. Describing her academic journey, Karasyn says, “I had funding for school through the A+ Program and wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in, so I decided to attend OTC to be able to earn my associate’s degree for free while I took time to explore majors. Being from the Springfield area, Missouri State was a great place for me to transfer – it was affordable, had the program I wanted, and the transfer process between OTC and MSU is easy!”

Upon graduation, Karasyn worked as a Navigator at OTC for six years before transitioning to MSU in September 2025. Karasyn’s academic journey is similar to the students she now works with! When recalling her transfer experience, Karasyn said that she enjoyed being in the Professional Writing program because, “Once I found the major I wanted to do, my class sizes were small, with the same faculty and the same students in the same building, so I found my community”.

Finding that community is something that many transfer students can find challenging. Karasyn found her biggest challenge in the transfer process to be “getting involved and finding my place socially”, which is why her advice to a current Missouri State transfer student would be to, “Participate in the transfer-specific events on campus and meet transfer students! Don’t be afraid to get involved and to seize the opportunities you would have seized if you were a freshman in college.” Karasyn’s recommendation for an opportunity to seize is attending a football game – “enjoy the tailgate, watch the band, and cheer on the team!”