By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
A program from Missouri Western State University that began with the St. Joseph School District is now also being offered to Bishop LeBlond students.
After partnering with the St. Joseph public schools in August, MoWest is now partnering with the St. Joseph Catholic Academy to offer direct admission to students at Bishop LeBlond.
Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy says to continue expanding direct admission is important to help give students a seamless transition to college
“We have a significant number of first-generation students, navigating college is not always the easiest process to go through, some of these families don’t know, they don’t have those ideas,” Kennedy tells reporters. “So, anything that we can do to make it an easier process to show prospective students this is all you have to do.”
Once students are admitted to the program, they are assigned an advisor to help walk them through the process of enrolling into college at MoWest.
Catholic Academy President Natalie Newville, a graduate of MoWest, says she’s glad be able to show students more about Missouri Western and the opportunities it provides
“I think that the opportunities to keep these students in our community where they can help all of us be better is a great thing,” Newville says.
Newville says she’s already seen excitement from students about the program
“You can kind of see the relief on their faces when they talk about it that they know this is a strong option that is going to provide them with an opportunity for an amazing education and a phenomenal experience,” Newville explains. “So, I think that all of those things have given them some relief, and some excitement, and they’re ready to get started.”
Direct admission guarantees admission to Bishop LeBlond graduates who meet minimum academic criteria, starting with the class of 2026.
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