Senior Kimberly Shultz and her grandfather, Don Woolman

PSU celebrates families

Some Pittsburg State University students are the first in their families to go to college. For others, like Kimberly Shultz, a senior marketing major from Erie, Pittsburg State is a long-established family tradition. Kimberly calls Pitt State a “legacy” that has been passed down now through three generations.

Whether the ties to PSU are old or new, families play an important role in the success of their students and Pittsburg State honors all Gorilla families on Family Day, Sept. 23.

Shultz said the Pitt State family connection started with her grandparents, Don and the late Ruth Woolman. Don started as a student in 1945 and eventually returned to PSU as a member of the faculty in the College of Technology in 1964. Don was very involved in campus activities and was in charge of the Homecoming Parade for a time. He retired in 1990. Ruth received her bachelor of arts degree in secondary education from PSU in 1966 and a master’s degree in 1977.

Kimberly is the youngest of Don and Ruth’s grandchildren to continue the Pittsburg State tradition. In between, Kimberly said, there has been an impressive list of aunts, uncles and cousins who have attended Pitt State. Her father and mother, Brian and Nancy (Woolman) Shultz, each have two degrees from PSU and her brother, Mark, graduated with a secondary education degree in biology in 2005.

The Woolman klan shares a passion for Gorilla football and they rarely miss an opportunity to get together – decked out in crimson and gold – on game days.

“My grandparents have always been staunch supporters of the football team and have had season tickets to the football games for as long as I can remember,” Kimberly said, “even before I was born.”

Kimberly said her choice to attend PSU was an easy one. Programs in her area of interest were strong, she said, and it certainly didn’t hurt that she had been steeped in the Pitt State tradition since she was a baby.

Families will be focus of a number of a number of activities on Family Weekend, which begins on Friday, Sept. 22. For a schedule of Family Weekend Activities, visit www.pittstate.edu/cac/family/.

This year’s honorary family is the Steve and Marsh Merando family from Frontenac. They were nominated by Adam Merando, a senior biology and chemistry major. The runner-up for the honorary family award is the Larry and Vicki O’Neal family from Baxter Springs. They were nominated by Natalie O’Neal, who has an undergraduate degree from PSU and is currently a master’s degree candidate in teaching.

---Pitt State--