February Q&A: “This is where I was meant to be”
By Hailey Hill, JW Dennison, CJ Walls and Alexis Wilkinson
Muskingum University is a private liberal arts institution in New Concord, Ohio, a small village with a lot of heart. Meet some of the people who make up the campus’ students, faculty and staff in our monthly Q&As.
Stepping onto campus, there is a sense of home within a small community, where each student holds a story and every “hello” is welcoming. Here, in our community, you will find comfort in each other, and an everlasting education. People from Colorado, New York, Germany, or around the corner—people from all over have come to know the comfort of Muskingum University.
AJ Chang is a second-year student pursuing a business major at Muskingum and a member of the esports team on campus. Originally from New York City, Chang decided to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, who attended Muskingum in the 1980s and now has a successful career.
AJ Chang, right, with CJ Walls / Photo by JW Dennison
Q: What does Muskingum mean to you?
A: [What] Muskingum means to me is a good small community. I like the teachers here. If you need help, they are willing to talk to you, I enjoy the community here. It’s one of the things I enjoy here.
From New Matamoras, Ohio, Grace Rinard is third-year student pursuing a degree in early childhood education. Rinard is involved in the campus community both as a student and as a student worker at the Smith Library on campus. The first week of February she was awarded “student worker of the week” by the library. Rinard was drawn to Muskingum for several reasons. Her dad had graduated from Muskingum, and the small size of campus and its close proximity to her home made the university an attractive choice.
Grace Rinard at the front desk of the Smith Library / Photo by Hailey Hill and Alexis Wilkinson
Q: What does Muskingum mean to you?
A: A place where I’ve gotten out of my shell and met people.
Kelley Rutherford first came to Muskingum University as a student in the fall of 2010. While pursuing a degree in communication with a minor in criminal justice, she worked as a student worker at the financial aid office on campus. Upon graduating, she applied for an official job opening in the office and was hired right away. Now, 10 years later, Rutherford is a financial aid counselor, helping students navigate the financial resources and support available to them at Muskingum.
Kelley Rutherford / Photo taken by JW Dennison
Q: What does Muskingum mean to you?
A: I think it means a lot of different things. My first initial thought of the word that came into my mind was definitely “home.” Like when I came here as a student, I just felt like this is where I was meant to be. I instantly was surrounded by amazing friends and faculty and staff members. So, I would say home is probably, would be what it is for me. It's just, I’ve been here for pretty much all of my adult life. So, it’s hard to imagine a life without Muskingum and it just feels like this is where I need to be or where I should be when I’m not at home, so.
