Attending Kansas State University was a last-minute decision for Charity Rentie, but now she wouldn’t dream of leaving. “I did not think I was going to go to K-State. But I had some family and friends who went to K-State, and they convinced me to come try it out and I fell in love,” Charity said. “The reason I chose it was because one of the people in admissions wrote me a personal postcard, and they signed it and said ‘we’re looking forward to seeing you. That just stood out to me. I’m definitely coming to this school because they actually care and I felt that from the beginning.”
Charity, an elementary education major from Frisco, Texas, is in her fourth year at K-State and she still feels like everyone at K-State cares. Because of support from her fellow students through the K-State Proud campaign, Charity is able to stay at her dream university. “Without the K-State Proud award, I would not be a student here,” she said. “It was a rough year because I had to drop some classes and some financial aid. I had to regain some balance so I wouldn’t have a huge debt. The Student Opportunity Award allowed me to take care of emergency situations and if I had not received this award, I’d be going back home. K-State was my dream and I just couldn’t imagine not being able to finish what I’d already started.”
The award not only helps Charity, but will help many elementary students who will one day have Charity as their teacher. “I’m really passionate about elementary education!” she said. “I want to go into the inner city and teach elementary students. I just want them to be able to have someone they can relate to and see someone who’s possibly like them who made it. I never grew up in the inner city but I have family members who did and I know what their experience was like.”
Besides helping young students, Charity also plans on giving back to K-State Proud. “Once I graduate and I’m at a place I can give, this is the first place I’m giving back to, outside of church,” she said. “I feel that once you’re in school, the only thing you should be worrying about is school. For me, that’s not the case. But being able to help someone else and lift them up is priceless.”