By: Chloe Gamber, Head Academic Writer
Previously, Josie Blasdel, the director of Undergraduate Admissions, has given St. Louis some praise by sharing various articles. The first one I would like to discuss is how St. Louis is ranked 100/100 for being one of the best places for undergraduates to start their careers! “Since college grads tend to earn less earlier in their careers, an analysis by insurance provider Insurify ranked cities in the U.S. by employment opportunity and affordability, as well as transit costs and livability.
The rankings were narrowed down to the best city in each state and based on an ‘overall appeal’ score out of 100, with 100 being the most appealing.
Here’s a look at the 10 best cities for new grads to start their careers, according to the article:
- St. Louis: 100
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: 98.3
- Rapid City, South Dakota: 88.8
- Pittsburgh: 85.5
- Lincoln, Nebraska: 84.9
- Portland, Oregon: 78.9
- Fargo, North Dakota: 75.8
- Fort Wayne, Indiana: 73.7
- Denver: 73.3
- Tampa, Florida: 73.0
The article also discusses how it is truly surprising that L.A., New York and Seattle are not ranked as highly. Personally, this felt like a great realization that I needed to look into. This statement sums up the ranking process: “A city received a higher overall appeal score if it has a lower unemployment rate, a lower cost of living, lower one-bedroom rental costs, a high alternative transit score and a higher number of arts and entertainment venues per capita.” This data was collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, as stated in the article.
Choosing where to start their college career is a huge step that many students may feel is too stressful to manage on their own. With resources such as this one, it is now easier to learn more about where to take the next steps after high school. This data is very reassuring due to all the factors put into place for the final ranking process. Here is the link to look deeper into these statistics:
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/27/best-us-cities-for-new-grads-to-start-a-career.html
McKendree students can appreciate that there are multiple career options around the university since that is something not everyone can say. Not only are there career options but Josie shared another interesting article that McKendree is featured in. According to worldatlas.com, Lebanon is considered one of the “Most Charming Small Towns in Illinois.” The article starts by stating “Lebanon is a tried and true college town to its roots, with its McKendree College being the oldest in the state. The streets lined with historic buildings of many styles, including Southern Colonial, Greek Revival, and Gothic, are worthy of strolling by to admire.” This article has a paragraph about specific locations and details that stand out about Lebanon and its historic value that be read here: https://www.worldatlas.com/amp/cities/12-most-charming-small-towns-in-illinois.html
Without Josie, I would have never known about either of these articles. I and many others are very thankful for how determined she is when it comes to exploring the incredible value of McKendree and the area as a whole. Just from our conversation over these articles, I felt more pride in being a student at McKendree because of how encouraging she was. Josie is very passionate about her career and her impact on all students at McKendree, in addition to being passionate about her family and teaching yoga part-time! Josie is also an alumna of Tri Sigma and loves the concepts of sisterhood and communities on campus coming together. I can definitely say she is a great inspiration and voice that the family of McKendree has!
When asking Josie about her passion for being an administrator, she stated, “I really like working with students and providing access in a way that makes college possible.” She loves this process because it can change the course of life for students. “Practicing being an adult while you have support” is another way Josie sums up the process of being a student. As students, we will all face challenges and have the end goal of graduating. But Josie mentioned that the middle of the journey is the best part. Even if the end goal is not what was expected, what is most important is if something was learned during the journey, and that makes it all worth it.
Josie also emphasized how McKendree is more of a family rather than a “nation” and that other universities can be classified as a family and community. Josie explained how her husband is an alumnus of McKendree, and one of his professors showed him a new way of thinking which allowed him to discover a passion he did not know he had before! With such a small classroom ratio, students truly get to experience interactions they might not receive at other universities. Involvement is another thing McKendree has made easier for students to gain. When speaking to friends from other universities, they only mention being a part of one organization where they do not feel they really make an impact. At McKendree, however, “Making your Mark” is possible with great staff such as Josie Blasdel!
