Rose State College is proud of our students – past and present. We’re excited to introduce you to the next Raider in our “Glad I Chose Rose” series, highlighting Rose State College alumni!
Meet Kaitlyn Weldon. Class of 2016.
Kaitlyn first discovered Rose State College through a concurrent class. During her senior year, Kaitlyn took English Comp I and Comp II, allowing her to earn college credit while still in high school.
She began her journey at RSC as a full-time student in August 2014, majoring in history- a subject she felt passionate about. She took several classes that exposed her to different eras of history and loved them with Dr. Aaron Bachhofer and Professor Michelle Brockmeier.
Kaitlyn participated in the Honors Program, completing multiple projects. Her favorite project involved creating a diary from a suffragist’s point-of-view for her women’s history course. She even stained the pages with coffee to make the diary look authentically aged.
Kaitlyn graduated from RSC in May 2016 and transferred to Oklahoma State University. She continued her study of history, finishing her bachelor’s degree with honors in 2018 and her master’s degree in 2020.
When asked who made the biggest impact on her RSC journey, Kaitlyn credited Kim Queri. As a lifeguard and swim coach at the Aquatics Center, Kaitlyn worked under Kim’s supervision. Kim offered invaluable advice, encouraged her success, and reminded her that it’s okay to have fun once the schoolwork is done.
Today, Kaitlyn serves as the Coordinator for Social Media and Internal Marketing at Rose State College. You’ll see her all over campus covering events for social media, chatting with students and staff, or accompanying Rowdy the Raider and Rosie the Eagle to their appearances.
Kaitlyn said she loves being a part of the Marketing Team at RSC. “I feel so very lucky to have an opportunity to show people how Rose State College and higher education can change your life,” Kaitlyn said. “I’m living proof of what a degree from RSC can do.”
When we asked Kaitlyn what advice she would give current RSC students, she shared, “Find something that interests you and just show up. This can be applied to picking a major, attending a new club, or making new friends. I would’ve never tried tennis had my lifeguard friends not encouraged me to come to tennis club with them one evening after work. It was so much fun, and I still have that purple tennis racket to this day.”
Kaitlyn still keeps in touch with many friends she made during her time at Rose State College. “I love seeing my friends be successful in their families and careers today,” Kaitlyn said. “I remember when we would talk about these dreams and now seeing everyone living them is really cool. Many of our mentors are still cheering us on which goes to show the strength of community you will develop as a student at Rose State College.”
“Rose State College is a place where you will grow,” Kaitlyn said. “There are people all over campus who want to see you succeed and will do everything in their power to help you reach your goal. At Rose State, you become a part of something bigger than yourself. The community on this campus is real, and I am so grateful to be a part of it.”
You can learn more about Rose State College or apply to start your journey today at rose.edu.