WEST PLAINS, Mo. – West Plains High School graduate Casey Eleson chose to attend Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) because it was close to home, but his experiences at the campus opened the door to a life and career on the other side of the world.
Eleson began his freshman year at MSU-WP in fall 2005 focused on the basic classes he needed for his Associate of Arts in General Studies degree, but he also volunteered at The Yellow House Community Arts Center adjacent to campus.
“It was there I met a poet from Honolulu who encouraged me to pursue a career in linguistics,” Eleson recalled.
Participating in the William and Virginia Darr Honors Program planted another seed for Eleson’s future. “Dennis Lancaster (director of the program at the time) also offered me the opportunity to substitute in his class, so the teaching bug bit me.
“So, I would say those experiences went hand-in-hand encouraging me to be a language teacher,” he explained.
One of the perks of being in the honors program is the opportunity to embark on short-term study away trips to such places as Italy, England, Greece, Austria, France, Ireland and Switzerland, to name a few. Although Eleson was unable to take one of those trips, it did open his eyes to new possibilities.
“I learned a lot about different perspectives people have and how to deal with those different views and respect them,” he said. “It made me realize the world isn’t so huge, and if I so desired, I could expand my horizons. It put me on a different course, now having lived in Japan as a student and South Korea as a teacher for eight years.”
After graduating from MSU-WP in 2008 with his general studies degree, Eleson completed a Bachelor of Arts in English as Second Language Studies at the University of Hawaii-Manoa in 2011. He also earned a Japanese Language Certificate from the University of the Ryukyus in Japan in 2010.
Eleson said his time at MSU-WP studying the basics and learning about college life prepared him for his own future as a teacher.
“My first experience in leading a class was at MSU-WP, and that really set the ball rolling for me to go into linguistic education,” he said. “I was really impacted by my teachers there, and I hope I can have the same impact on my students and their community.”
He is now putting the lessons he learned from his experiences at MSU-WP to use in a new teaching position in South Korea.
“I have taught in Hawaii for two years and in Korea for nearly eight years, and I have really enjoyed the experiences I have had,” Eleson said. “I’ve been blessed with great students, co-teachers and directors, so I can’t take the credit for that accomplishment alone.
“And, learning to be a Japanese translator is something I really do take pride in professionally, and I wish to take those accomplishments and expand on them,” he added.
Eleson has nothing but positive memories from his time at MSU-WP. “I learned a lot about people and developed the confidence and encouragement I needed to take the initiative and pursue any career or dream that calls me,” he said.
Current and prospective MSU-WP students can accomplish the same, he stressed.
“Aim high. Find a passion and maybe change that passion a couple of times. My professors at MSU-WP’ encouraged me to do the same, to be myself and pursue anything,” he said.
“I’ll always highly appreciate what I learned there, the people who taught me those things,” he added. “I attained the tools to pursue my career there, and I would highly recommend MSU-WP.”
It’s not too late for area residents to open the door to new possibilities at MSU-WP, just like Eleson did, university officials said. Regular registration for the 2021 spring semester begins Saturday, Nov. 14.
For more information about admission and registration procedures for the 2021 spring semester, visit wp.missouristate.edu/schedule or call the admissions office at 417-255-7955.
