Fall in Focus: DASSA in action
What does academic success and student affairs look like at K-State? Check out our latest updates!
Cargill Transfer Scholars connect with Cargill leaders
On Friday, Sep. 18, K-State Cargill Transfer Scholars had the opportunity to meet with Cargill leaders during a special visit to the new Global Grain and Food Center.
Students connected with Dr. Scott Eilert, senior director of repsonsible sourcing and food sustainability at Cargill, and Jarrod Gillig, senior vice president and managing director of Cargill's beef business in North America. Their leadership and support have helped make the Cargill Transfer Scholarship possible for K-State students.
During the informal gathering, scholars shared their academic and career goals and had the opportunity to learn more about Dr. Eilert’s and Mr. Gillig’s personal and professional journeys. The Cargill leaders shared career advice, life lessons, and recommendations based on their own experiences, creating a meaningful conversation with students.
The visit gave scholars a unique opportunity to connect directly with Cargill leaders, ask questions, and gain valuable insight as they continue their own academic and professional journeys.
Student Belonging is grateful to Cargill for its continued partnership and commitment to supporting K-State students.
K-State First CAT community solves an avian murder mystery
Students from the Exploring Scientific Research CAT Community embarked on an exhilarating hands-on challenge - “An Avian Analysis in Aggieville” - during a co-curricular event at the Dusty Bookshelf this fall. With determination and teamwork, students used fictional autopsy reports and other clues to determine the cause of mysterious bird deaths in Geary County.
The CAT Community instructors, Dr. Justin Kastner and Learning 
Assistant Carly Michaels, “were delighted to see the students draw on the multidisciplinary fields of chemistry and biology, (both of which feature in their current coursework in CHM 210 and BIOL 198) and apply these scientific subjects in a setting where they were not being graded. They were learning for the sake of learning!”
Each fall, all K-State First courses ignite students’ interests through engaging and thought-provoking co-curricular experiences, inspiring them to explore, question, and grow. If you're interested in creating impactful opportunities for students you work with, explore our current lineup of CAT Communities and consider submitting your proposals for Fall 2027 at kstatefirst@ksu.edu.
K-State alumni fosters students' belonging through football
On Saturday, Oct. 10, 15 students from Student Belonging were invited by K-State Alumni, Jim Bob Morris, to attend the football game vs Houston at his football suite. This was the first time by some of the students to attend a K-State football game and they had a great experience! The students who attended had participated in MAPS or KOMPASS, and/or were involved in one of the multicultural student organizations on campus.