SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Junior track & field student-athlete Kaitlyn Mulder's path to Augustana wasn't a traditional one. She had stumbled across Augustana by accident, thinking she was sending a recruiting form to Augustana College in Illinois.

But to this day, Mulder is glad for that little mistake she made. 

"From my first visit, I could tell the track coaches and athletes were great people," Mulder said. "They made me feel extremely welcomed and like they wanted me to be part of their team."

When Mulder, a Sioux City, Iowa, native visited other colleges she didn't feel the same welcome and felt as if the coaches were just going through the motions. But, she can recall her visit with Augustana and the feelings she had.

"I remember the first practice I watched while on a visit and although the team was doing a hard workout, the atmosphere inside the Elmen Center was so fun and encouraging, and everybody on the team made a point to come introduce themselves to me at some point during the workout," Mulder said.

Knowing that athletics were only part of the college experience, Mulder was interested in the academics Augustana had to offer.

"Augustana has a great science department and the professors I spoke to on my visits were awesome and made the idea of studying chemistry here very exciting," she added. "I sat down with one of the professors on a visit and he gave me a more behind the scenes tour of the science center and told me all about what Augustana had to offer."

It was understood by Mulder that Augustana provides a lot of opportunities for undergraduate students that most other colleges do not. 

"Undergraduates at Augustana get the chance to work hands-on with many pieces of scientific equipment that most people wouldn't get to even touch until graduate school," she added. "The undergraduate research opportunities Augustana offers as well are very beneficial and can provide one with a great experience that looks really good for graduate school applications and job applications alike. 

It was obvious that Augustana would be the right place for me, allowing me to succeed in the classroom and on the track, and set me up with many lifelong skills to benefit my future." 

--GoAugie.com--