Listening To The Radio Can Change Your Life

Mark Sheaves

Listening to the radio can change your life. You’re driving in your car, bopping along to your favorite songs, when an advert interjects telling you that you can still complete your degree at the University of Kansas. Don’t believe us? Just ask Annie Landis, a KU College student majoring in English, with a minor in psychology. Here’s what happened:

Annie had arrived at KU in 2012 as a pre-pharmacy student. Like many starting college, Annie approached her first year as a time to explore the subjects that she was both passionate about and that aligned with her future aspirations. An enlightening experience in a freshman English class lit a fire in Annie, and she decided to switch to English. A psychology minor was added shortly after. All was going well, until Annie’s grandma passed away in 2015 and Annie needed to leave College to get a job to pay the bills. In her typically matter of fact way Annie describes this moment as “life happens.” But she always harbored hopes of one day returning to KU to finish her degree.

And then, in 2016, when driving home from work, Annie heard a advertisement for the College Online while listening to Pandora. She turned up the volume. But the possibility didn’t seem real the first time she heard it. Throughout that year, the advert followed Annie everywhere she went, repeating the same message between songs: there is a way to go back to school while continuing to work in order to pay her bills. Eventually Annie decided to act and reached out to the College Online for more information. “Before I knew it, I was readmitted to KU, eager to begin again in Spring 2017,” Annie remembers. She hasn’t not looked back.

Annie’s KU experience is now shaping her future plans to work in higher education. As the first person in her family to attend college, she’s passionate about helping all students access a university education, and stay the course. At KU, Annie’s thrown herself into a variety of campus positions offering advice to students. She’s worked as an orientation assistant and ambassador for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and as a Hawk Link guide for the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Graduate school is next on the horizon for this compassionate KU College Jayhawk, and then a career dedicated to helping others, especially first-generation students, succeed at university.

Annie discusses her experience with us:

Be like Annie, Here’s links to the College Online, KU’s English Department and KU’s Psychology Department.

Annie’s KU story in four quotes:

“I was listening to Pandora and heard an advertisement for the College Online. So I got really excited! I was like, oh my gosh I can go back to school and get my degree and still be able to work.” Annie Landis, English, Psychology minor

"I came in as pre-pharmacy, but in my freshman English 101 class we did all these creative assignments and it really forced me to think outside the box, to think critically. So I switched my major to English." Annie Landis, English, Psychology

"Psychology has given me some really awesome lessons about human nature and why humans act the way they do." Annie Landis, English, Psychology minor

“I want to work in higher education, with a focus on access and student retention. As the first person in my family to go to College I know that there’s some specific difficulties that first-gen students face.” Annie Landis, English major, psychology minor