Nov. 13, 2007 issue
EMU employees, enrolled children balance proximity, independence

By Amy E. Whitesall

 

One day early in the fall semester, Eastern Michigan University freshman Decker Schott-Noonan was hanging around the Eastern Eateries, waiting to meet someone for lunch. A friend asked who he was waiting for.

"Oh, I've got an appointment with the associate dean," Schott-Noonan said.

EMU FAMILY: (above, from left) Decker Schott-Noonan and his mother, Linda Schott, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, pose in Schott's office in Pray-Harrold. The two make up one of some of the campus scenarios in which an EMU employee has their son or daughter attending EMU.

Which sounds much cooler than, "I'm having lunch with my Mom."

Schott-Noonan, son of Linda Schott, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is one of several children of EMU employees who've chosen to attend Eastern. And while everybody likes the half-price tuition EMU offers the children and spouses of employees, many say the price break is only part of the attraction. The students also rank high specific academic programs, the proximity to home, the affordability and familiar surroundings.

And yeah, it's nice to stop in for lunch with Mom or coffee with Dad now and then, too.

Their parents like all of that, plus the way working at their child's school helps them manage the delicate balance between holding on and letting go. The following is a glimpse at the employment/enrollment adventures of six EMU families.

Schott-Noonan, who moved to Canton from Texas four years ago, says he wasn't interested in moving to yet another new town. He likes the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area and likes being close to friends. He lives on campus and, though most of his classes are on the same floor of Pray-Harrold as his mom's office, they don't cross paths too often.

However, she has been known to walk into one of his classes, tap him on the shoulder and say, in her best authority figure voice, "I need to speak with you."

But not so often as to wear out the inside joke.

"I do know where some of his classes are, and I'll look in and see that he's there," Schott said. "Even though I don't see him that much, it's nice to know he's around."

Sophomore Meggie Brammer, daughter of Records and Registration Secretary Norma Brammer, first took an interest in EMU when she was younger and thought she wanted to be a teacher. Her career goals changed — she's now a communications major — but EMU stuck.

The school is far enough from her family's home in Belleville to give her a taste of independence, but close enough that she hasn't been able to convince her parents to let her have a car on campus. At least not yet.

They insisted she stay on campus her freshman year, a push-out-of-the nest move that worked a little too well. Meggie liked it so much that she took out a loan to live on campus this year.

Norma Brammer says she doesn't see her daughter as much as she'd like, but Meggie has learned to appreciate the advantages of having Mom nearby.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER: Helene Neely, a records administrator in the employee benefits office, and her daughter, Kelsey, share a hug. Kelsey is majoring in nursing.

"There've been instances when I was having trouble with a roommate or my job was stressful, and it's nice to be able to go vent to Mom," Meggie said. "She's very supportive of me no matter what I decide to do."

EMU's nursing program won freshman Kelsey Neely over — with a little push from her own pediatrician.

"She (pediatrician) said she'd rather have an Eastern nursing graduate than a U-M nursing graduate because (the EMU students) are more well-rounded," said Neely, whose mom, Helene Neely, is a records administrator in the employee benefits office.

Helene Neely marvels at the pace her daughter keeps, what with a job on campus, a heavy course load and a volunteer coaching commitment that keeps her busy during weekends. If the two weren't on the same campus, they'd see even less of each other.

"I like that I can just go to her office and see her whenever I want, "Kelsey Neely said. "It just makes me feel like I know what's going on. When I came here, I didn't feel as lost."

Christjon Sannes-Mielke, son of College of Business Dean David Mielke, chose EMU for its business school, a college he's a bit more familiar with than the average freshman.

"It was his own choice, his own decision," David Mielke said. "I was pleased to find him look at Eastern as his first choice. In particular, it, in a sense, reaffirms my decision to be here. It's the type of place I want to be at — a great program with great students and faculty. Not only did he think that coming in, I think he's found that in reality."

Having his son at EMU has given Mielke a whole new, unfiltered perspective on the student experience.

"Sometimes, I end up knowing more than I want to know," Mielke said. "He gives me some really good insights about the University and things I'd have no awareness of otherwise."

TWO MONKS: Sarah Monks, a psychology major, shares a moment with her mother, Wanda, who is a secretary in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Wanda Monks, secretary in the College of Arts and Sciences, is on her second go-round as the mother of an EMU student. Her oldest daughter went to EMU seven years ago. Her youngest, Sarah, is now a freshman. Sarah, a psychology major, was on board with the decision to attend EMU, but, as writers of the tuition check, her parents had the final word.

"It was really pretty much our choice (where she went to school)," Wanda Monks said. "And because we get the tuition benefit, that was a really important consideration in this economy. But Eastern is a good school. I think we have to remember that."

The price was right for freshman Melissa Heatlie, too, although Heatlie, the daughter of College of Business Development Director Anna Schmitt-Reichert, also had scholarship packages from Alma and Wooster colleges to consider.

Heatlie's majoring in business with an art minor. Ultimately, the combination of programs and price at EMU won out.

"I also liked that I'm still close to home. I was a little nervous about going too far away," said Heatlie, whose parents are both EMU alumni.

Schmitt-Reichert said she was very pleased that her daughter picked Eastern, even though it makes some campus issues hit much closer to home.

"The safety issues are very concerning to me as a Mom, and she lives on campus," Schmitt-Reichert said. "It really has heightened my awareness. The advantage of me being at the University is that I can ask lot of questions."

However, she is cognizant not to intrude on Heatlie's independence. When faculty visited the residence halls early in the semester, Schmitt-Reichert made sure she wasn't sent to her daughter's dorm. But on the first day of classes, when Heatlie called her mom to check on the location of a building, Schmitt-Reichert ended up walking with her daughter to her first college class.

"It was like the first day of school all over again," she said. "I would never have thought I'd have the opportunity to do that, but it was a very neat, personal moment that I'll always keep in my mind."