“Everyday is a gift here at Morningside. Explore every possibility. Climb every mountain. Even if it seems out of your comfort zone or not like you, this is the time to check it out. Morningside is a really safe place to do that, and if it doesn’t work out, people will help you find something new or different.

I grew up in Meriden, Iowa with my parents, two older sisters, and dog Hank. We lived on a farm, where we raised beef cattle, showed cattle, and I was in 4H and FFA. I had a lot of leadership roles in both,  and I am very outgoing and social because of it. Additionally, my networking skills and organization skills became very good.

I always knew that agriculture at Morningside was right for me because I’ve always dreamed of going back home to the family farm. Additionally, Melissa Nelson, Morningside’s agriculture internship/externship coordinator, really cared about my family and where I came from and made me feel at home. Visiting Morningside was very welcoming, everyone said hi to you, and as soon as I set foot on campus, I knew I was in the right place.

I love that we get to do hands-on learning in the agriculture department, get to visit local farms, get to do dissections on campus, and more. All of that has been really good for me and affirmed what I want to do. In Ag Club and now as the President of Garden Club, I love how welcoming the department is to everybody, not just agriculture and food studies majors. If students haven’t come from ag areas, it’s fun to be able to share ag experiences with them.

Everybody says Morningside is family oriented, and for me that is the case. It was also close to where I’m from, but also far enough away, I felt like I was building different experiences here. Being a part of the cheer team and WOO Crew also brings me so much joy. I’ve been cheering since my freshman year of high school. As a part of Woo Crew,  I get to make Morningside a good experience for new students, and I absolutely love it.

Just be a better person, go with the flow. Hard things happen, but better times will eventually come. Not everyone or everything you deal with is going to be joyful, but just make the best of it. Not everyone comes from the same place as you– kill them with kindness. “

Paige Schlenger, everyday is a gift here at Morningside