WKU News

WKU senior Maria Wells from nearby Lewisburg comes from a family full of WKU alums. 

Western was the last place she wanted to go because as she says, she thought to do something awesome, she had to do something different. 

But as WKU’s Amy Bingham tells us in this week’s View from the Hill, that wasn’t the case at all.

Maria Wells still managed to do something awesome right here at WKU, graduating as the Ogden Foundation Scholar.

“It’s just been so nice just to feel like after all that time, those hard nights, it’s like it really did pay off and become something and so it’s quite amazing.”

It was being home during the end of her freshman year due to the pandemic that Maria says really put things in perspective.

“Being able to strip down everything and get back to the basics and struggle through on line school it helped me realize how important it is to stay grounded whenever I go back.”

“I really hit my stride my sophomore year. Meeting new people, making connections with my professors and classmates.”

Maria became hooked on an economics class her freshman year and realized it was a perfect match for her curious personality.

“I want to know everything and not knowing something kind of bothers me.”

“Whenever I realized economics is a lot like being creative with my writing and learning how to get to the end before anyone else does, it’s a lot like solving real world problems and finding answers to why people act the way they do and how our decisions are going to affect things and how they’re going to change things.”

Staying close to her Logan County home turned out to be a smart move for Maria and she doesn’t hesitate to share part of the secret to her success.

“If I could tell freshmen anything it would be to talk to your professors because they want you to do well.”

WKU’s Fall College Recognition Ceremonies will be held Friday at 8, 11 and 2 at E.A. Diddle Arena. For details, visit www.wku.edu/commencement.