Olivet Nazarene University celebrated transfer students, past and present, during the 2019 National Transfer Student Week, October 21-25. Organized by the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS), this annual event recognizes students who transfer during their college experience and the professionals who champion them on their academic journey.
During the month of October, Olivet highlighted three current transfer students. Each student talked about their transfer journey and the circumstances surrounding why they chose to transfer to Olivet to finish out their university education.
Following are the transfer stories of Olivia Nystrom, Peter Babb and Chloe Hanegraaf.
Olivia Nystrom | Social work major from Woodstock, IL
A few weeks into her freshman year at a college in Indiana, Olivia realized that majoring in elementary education was not the right fit for her. She began to develop really bad anxiety from being away from home and decided to go back home to finish her freshmen and sophomore years at community college.
When it came time to transfer and finish her undergraduate degree, she decided to visit Olivet. She liked that the university was close to home and her admissions counselor and financial aid representative were both so helpful, caring and encouraging through the entire enrollment process. Although nervous coming into college as a junior, Olivia’s nerves soon diminished.
The FreshStart conference at the beginning of the school year provided a great opportunity for Olivia and other transfer students to meet and build friendships on campus. Her resident assistants on the transfer floor were also very welcoming and challenged her to become a stronger Christian and a better person.
“If there’s anything I’ve learned through the transfer process, it’s that although I may think I have my life figured out, God may have a different plan,” Olivia says. “I just need to continue to embrace the change and growth.” She is now a Freshmen Connections mentor, which has allowed her to walk alongside new college students and encourage them to break out of their shells.
Peter Babb | Communications major from Pontiac, IL
Peter started his college experience at a community college near home. The community college experience provided a smooth start for him to get an idea of how college works and how different it is from high school. Peter initially anticipated transferring after two years but changed his mind after just one.
While transferring was a bit stressful, Olivet communicated exactly what he needed to do during the enrollment process. The admissions advisors told Peter what classes transferred over and guided him through all of the steps in the process. One of the core things he was looking for in a university experience was a Christian atmosphere where he felt he could openly express his faith with others. With goals of becoming a journalist – he has always been interested in hearing people’s stories and how each person can have an impact on others, he decided to jump right into majoring in communications studies.
Since transferring, Peter has gotten involved in campus clubs, connected with the guys on his floor and attended several school events. Ollies Follies was an exceptionally great way to start the year off. Going to college just to get a degree is not the way to go about it. Peter says, “I am so glad that I found a college that I know is the right fit for me socially, spiritually and academically.”
Chloe Hanegraaf | Nursing major from Crete, IL
Chloe started her college experience studying elementary education at a community college. After her second year, an opportunity came for her to be a nanny and she took off a year of school and bought a one-way ticket to California. After a year, she returned to the Midwest and finished her associate’s degree. Initially, she didn’t have any intention to pursue a bachelor’s degree, thinking it would be too expensive and she didn’t love her major at the time.
After praying about the decision for a long time, she felt the Lord leading her to attend Olivet. With help from the staff in the Office of Admissions, she figured out financial aid and went through the enrollment process. Almost all of her credits transferred from previous schools.
Her first year at Olivet, Chloe made a huge effort to go to gatherings and events to meet new people and she chose to live on the transfer floor in McClain Hall. She was matched with her roommate through the roommate questionnaire and claims her as one of the best things to happen to her since transferring. Chole says, “I don’t know what I would do if I wasn’t attending Olivet. This is where I am called to be.”
For more information about beginning your Life at Olivet or about our transfer student program, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463
Published 10/25/2019
LB
