An Enduring Legacy(위노나주립대)Winona State University
Carl Stange has been known to say that he has 8,000 kids.
But anyone who knows the recently retired Director of Admissions for Winona State University knows that his impact reaches far beyond just the 8,000 students on campus.
Stange started at WSU in 1984 and during his 33 years with the university has represented the university in many ways: as an admissions counselor, the Interim Transfer Coordinator and Veteran Affairs Certifying Official, Wazoo Mascot Advisor, a Freshman Admissions Counselor, Assistant Director and Ambassador Advisor.
During his final year at WSU, he was even selected as WSU’s nominee for the Minnesota State Professional Excellence Award for Administration and Service Faculty for his service to the university and its students.
Stange spent his days trying to engage and connect prospective students to WSU through town tours, free application weeks and helping transfer students get acquainted with their new college town. Efforts by Stange and his fellow Admissions staff have helped the office maintain its admittance goals since 1984. Stange also admitted two of WSU’s largest freshmen classes in 2011 and 2012.
Over the last three decades, his career has taken him to high schools, college fairs and even an elementary school to tell the story of WSU. But once the admission and registration process was complete, Stange said his work was still not done.
“I have either coached the first generation student with enthusiasm that they can do it, or reached out and embraced a Minnesota Dream Act student who is completing a pre-nursing degree with a 4.00 GPA, or counseled an athlete who decides college athletics is not as important as a degree, or listened to that parent that just does not know how to let go,” Stange said. “I have used many different styles and approaches to reach each one of them in order to watch them succeed.”
Stange also gets students involved with decorating floats for WSU Homecoming every year and serves a formal meal each fall to help students celebrate the end of the semester as well as learn proper dinner party behavior and establish connections and traditions.
For Stange, his tenure at WSU has been marked by the success of graduates, many of whom he helped advise and guide through their time at WSU.
“My personal success at WSU has been measured by her graduates. Graduates who continue to live by our mission statement: A community of learners improving our world,” Stange said.
