Take a moment to get to know Carter Houdeshell, the 2026-2027 Family Assistant for Family Programs!

Tell us about yourself. Hi! My name is Carter Houdeshell. I am from St. Charles, Missouri, and I’m a sophomore majoring in Marketing with a minor in Strategic Communications. I have a brother and a sister, and two small dogs that keep me entertained when I visit home. In my free time, I really enjoy writing or going on walks. I usually keep my schedule busy, but I have been trying to get back into reading. 

 What are you involved in on campus? Why do you think it’s important to be involved on campus? On campus I am a part of American Marketing Association and the PRIDE Band Color Guard as well as the Winter Guard during the spring semester. It’s so important to get involved on campus because college for most people is the start of their adult life.

Getting involved introduces you to so many new people, new opportunities, and allows you to explore what you want to do for the rest of your life. College is more than going to class and getting the degree. It’s about preparing yourself for your life after college and creating connections that will follow you, post-graduation. 

 You are member of the Pride Band. How do you manage your academics, the time commitment with band, a job, and having time to practice self-care as a bear?   The biggest thing for me is staying organized. I don’t consider myself a very organized person, but the best thing that I do to ease my stress about all my commitments is putting my classes, my job shifts, and any organization events in my calendar.

By simply writing it down or putting it in a calendar, I’m able to see all the free time I have. While my mornings and afternoons are very full, my evenings are free for me to do whatever I want. With this time, I rest, get back to doing hobbies and activities I used to not have time for, or hang out with friends.

When it comes to classes, I do my best to fight my urge to procrastinate and complete my assignments within the first half of the week so that I have my entire weekend free. It can feel like a lot, but by writing things down, I feel much calmer about everything I have going on. 

You were a SOAR leader this past summer and now you are the Family Assistant for Family Programs. What did you enjoy about being a SOAR leader? What lessons did you learn? Why did you want to be the Family Assistant?   Being a SOAR leader was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had yet. I enjoyed working with students, and getting to be one of the first people to help them with the college transition and show them what is so amazing about being a Missouri State Bear!

This summer taught me so much about helping people and how to introduce new people into an environment they’re not used to yet. This summer provided me guidance for what I’d like to do in the future and solidified how much of a home Missouri State is for me.

I wanted to be the Family Assistant because of the interactions I had with families throughout SOAR. I expected my favorite moments from the summer to be the moments I was interacting with students, and while there are several, I also had many fond memories of my interactions with families. One of my favorite parts of SOAR was the dinner on day 1. Along with eating food, I also got to sit down with families and talk to them about their questions, concerns, and anything else they wanted to know.

Easing the worries of families as their student takes their first step towards college life became so important to me because I remember how my family felt as I left for college. My goal is to ensure that families feel informed and comfortable as their student takes their first steps towards adulthood. 

What is your favorite tradition at Missouri State? Why? My favorite tradition at Missouri State is Fountain Day. During the spring semester, I typically take a dip in my motivation to keep up with my responsibilities because I’d rather stay inside with all the winter weather at the beginning of the semester. However, as the sun starts to come out and the temperature increases, the event of turning on the fountain brings so much joy to my day. There are free shirts, food, and drinks that motivates me to make it through the next few weeks approaching finals. 

What advice do you have for new students at Missouri State? My best advice for new students is to keep an open mind and take the leap of faith. It may sound cliché, but college truly is a fresh start. We have so many organizations on campus, and so many events meant for students to get involved and make connections with people that will carry them through college and beyond. The first step to doing that is taking the leap and exploring your interests, even if you don’t know anyone. It sounds scary at first, but the people and organizations here are so welcoming and want you to succeed.  

What advice do you have for family members of students at Missouri State? Don’t be afraid to let your student flourish on their own. These students are starting their adult life, and are going to start making decisions on their own without the guidance of the adults in their life. It may seem scary to not be there for every event in their life; however, letting them flourish on their own doesn’t mean not talking to them.

Students also need to be reminded that their family is there for them. One thing that I do is weekly calls with my family to update them about things going on in my life and asking for help when I need it.