episode transcript
Erin Fields: Well hello, and happy time zones to those listening, no matter where you may be.
Welcome to The Summit Ahead, a podcast for future graduate students brought to you by the West Virginia University office of graduate admissions.
I’m your host, Erin Fields, and I invite you to join me over the course of the show’s season as I chat with higher education professionals and students at West Virginia University who will be giving their best tips, tricks, and insights on topics important to consider when applying for graduate school.
Well hey everyone, we are back for another episode, already well into our first season. Today I am bringing on Brycen Kuenzel, a graduate student in the MA of Education program, along with being a graduate assistant with the university relations here at WVU, who is here to chat with me about his WVU experience as a graduate student and even about his time as a tour guide!
We can’t forget that he was the tour guide of the year, right Brycen?
Brycen Kuenzel: Oh, yes that is true.
Erin Fields: Well welcome to the show, it’s so good to have you on with me. How about we start with you telling me a little bit about yourself, what you’re studying, where you’re from, and some hobbies that you have?
Brycen Kuenzel: Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me, and hello everyone! My name is Brycen. As Erin said, I’m a master’s student currently in the higher education administration program, and a formal tour guide at the university. As I concluded my undergraduate time here at WVU, I got, I would call it a promotion, to graduate assistant with the university relations outreach team. So I deal specifically with recruitment events, larger scale events, and just traveling and speaking with students.
So that's what my job entails. But knowing me as a person, a little bit more: I went to Chapmanville regional high school in Chapmanville, West Virginia. It’s in the southern part of the state, about thirty to forty minutes from the border of Kentucky. I grew up in a fairly small town, so my hobbies back then included talking and speaking with my friends. There wasn’t much to do. We had a bowling alley and a Wendy’s, and of course the high school parking lot, so I just spent a lot of time talking to my friends. And of course, that conversation hobby transformed into what I do today in higher education and why I enjoy what I do.
Erin Fields: What got you interested in studying higher education?
Brycen Kuenzel: My undergraduate degree is in political science. Throughout the duration of my political science program, we had to write papers on areas of policy that we were interested in, and mine was always focused on access to higher education, access to education in general, and equity. In doing that, I realized that I had a niche interest in providing equity throughout education, both in K-12 and higher-ed. I want to go to law school at the end of the day, that’s my goal. But along the way, I noticed that I wanted to tailor my education and academic experience.
So I said, “You know what, I enjoy being a tour guide, and higher education is a great field with a lot of people very similar to me, maybe there’s an opportunity to be able to add this master’s of higher education to my end goal of being a practicing attorney.” So that’s how I ended up where I am right now academically.
Erin Fields: That’s so cool. I hear so many stories of students going through school who want to go to law school and they take different paths to get there. That’s so neat that you picked higher education because there are so many routes that you can take. Some people kind of flip-flopped. What was the reason that you chose political science for your undergraduate degree?
Brycen Kuenzel: I was a really weird kid. I think I was cool, I was ahead of my time and interested in politics at a very young age. My dad is really interested in history and politics, he’s an attorney himself, and he got a master’s degree in history, so similar to the route that I did. So he always taught me the importance of valuing diversity, even from a young age.
And so of course 2008 was a really pivotal time in that. I remember it was me and my dad sitting on our living room floor watching the inauguration of President Obama. And that was a really pivotal moment for me in understanding and acknowledging that I really and wholly am interested in politics. And so from that point on I was really invested in the political spectrum and I decided to do that moving forward in my undergraduate degree.
Erin Fields: Aw, it runs in the family! You did both your undergraduate and now your master’s degrees here at WVU. What made you want to stay here for graduate school? You said you just got a promotion, so did that have anything to do with your decision?
Brycen Kuenzel: Of course, the graduate assistantship is a really big pull! But for my thought process in staying here for grad school, as I was concluding my time in political science, I applied to law schools. I also applied to a variety of different master’s programs, just so I had all of my bases covered. I got into a few pretty decent law programs. One that was at the top of my list is actually in Charleston, South Carolina. Of course, yesterday and today as it’s snowing in Morgantown, I regret my decision a little bit!
But ultimately, in my junior and senior year in college, that was in 2020, so that was around COVID-19 and the pandemic, so I didn’t really get to fully fulfill my two years there in Morgantown with my friends and faculty members and professional staff that I absolutely adore. So that was one of my big pulls in my staying here for a master’s program. My dad always taught me that education always opens doors, it never closes them or corners you into a specific space. So staying on for a master’s program isn’t necessarily going to be a bad thing, especially since it’s something that I enjoy.
And I had the graduate assistantship, which of course is a really big pull as well. If I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be able to talk with students and then I wouldn’t necessarily enjoy this point in my life as much as I do speaking with people.
Erin Fields: I always stress the importance of networking, not just for grad school but just in general, professionally. You being able to make those connections, especially now going out of your master's program, you’re inevitably going to carry those connections with you.
Brycen Kuenzel: Absolutely, it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.
Erin Fields: What would you say a typical day for you on campus would be like?
Brycen Kuenzel: My program is an online program, so I’m going to spend the majority of class time online. There will be sometimes when I’m in person speaking with professors, but the majority of it is online. So I’ll take you through my Mondays, which are my busiest days.
In the morning, I am studying for the LSAT from 9-1. Of course, not all master’s of higher education students are doing this studying from 9-1, they can work a full-time job or whatever because it’s fairly flexible. So I study until about 1. Then from 1-5, I am doing stuff for my graduate assistantship. So I am going to virtual meetings and planning and coordinating on-campus recruitment events. I’m planning different days for travel. Like 9-10, stopping for breakfast, 10-11, speaking at a high school, things like that. I’m planning and coordinating from 1-5.
Then from 5 until 7ish, I’m in class, in a class called student development theory, where we learn through college students going through university and four-year institutions. And then finally to top off the evening, from 7-10 pm, I am in a class, higher education law, which is of course something I want to go into, so it’s fairly easy for me to stay up past my bedtime to 10 pm to get to the end of class.
Erin Fields: I was about to ask, do you eat? Do you sleep?
Brycen Kuenzel: You know, that’s something my mom and partner both get on me about. Normally I have a big breakfast and a big dinner, and no stopping in between. I should probably add lunch in at some point, but that’s probably your best question yet, “Do I eat?”.
Erin Fields: That’s a late-night class!
Brycen Kuenzel: Yeah, my latest undergraduate class was 6 pm-9 pm.
Erin Fields: Oh, I had one of those in undergrad too.
Brycen Kuenzel: I would suggest if you do have to have a three-hour class, make sure it’s in something you’re very interested in so that you can stay up for it.
Erin Fields: What do you think has been your favorite class in grad school, or even just a class that you feel you’ve gotten a lot of value out of?
Brycen Kuenzel: I cannot stress the importance of connections enough. One of my classes was called The History of Higher Education and I like history. So looking at my curriculum, I thought that higher education law was going to be my favorite class. But the history of education was taught by this professor, Nate Sorber, who is the chair of the higher education department. What’s super cool about him is he went to Vanderbilt for graduate school, and then he got his doctorate at Penn State, which is the number one school for higher education in the United States. So he has all this experience.
I met with him one day after class because he had mentioned ways to intersect law and education. So I went to his office because he said he had a few books he could give me, and we spoke for thirty, forty minutes at length about current events happening in the law and higher education world. And he gave me a textbook and ran through his favorite court cases that deal with both of those things. So that experience on its own was really pivotal in making that my favorite class, taught by one of my favorite professors here.
Erin Fields: I always love when you have those classes where the professors truly care, not only about you academically, but also where you’re going and actually you as a person. It’s always refreshing for me.
Brycen Kuenzel: Absolutely. You see in high school these TV shows that have students talking at length about having casual conversations with professors. And it is different from high school in that you’re older and you can go and make these connections and connect with professionals in the field that you want to go into. And they can talk to you about the pros and cons of specific things, but they also get to know that I do yoga or all these different hobbies that you have, so you get to know them as a person too.
Erin Fields: You’re from the Morgantown area since you started undergrad, so how would you describe the atmosphere of the Morgantown community?
Brycen Kuenzel: First and foremost, in my background, I told you I was from a small town, only 1,125 people, according to the last census. Like I say on my campus tours, we have two stoplights and a Wendy’s. So coming to Morgantown was super awesome, because you have not only these chain restaurants, I’m a foodie, but you also have local restaurants, so that’s super awesome.
You have a very good, smaller, college town atmosphere, where one out of every two people you see on the street, logistically, is going to be a student. So I really like that aspect of students and the community supporting Morgantown on its own, whether it be a small restaurant or a local goods store. That’s just something that I find incredibly valuable, the support and community that you get in Morgantown.
And that being said, I think that Morgantown, as in the state of West Virginia, is extremely accepting and supportive of you no matter who you are, which I think is really awesome. I am a member of the LGBTQ community, and I’m also a person of faith. So of course, those things sometimes are often projected as something really difficult to intersect. So when I came to Morgantown, that was something that was incredibly hard for me. But I have friends of faith, I have friends in the LGBTQ community, and I have friends that are in both. And I think that just goes to show how loving and accepting and how much of a communal vibe and atmosphere you have here in Morgantown, that above all else, expresses love. And I think that that’s something remarkable.
Erin Fields: Amen! I’m so glad that you found your place here because I feel like so often it’s hard to find that, so for you to find that intersection and to not just find it, but to feel comfortable with it and supported and loved just warms my heart.
Brycen Kuenzel: Absolutely! We live in a day. I hate to get up on my soapbox here, but we live in an era where people post success stories. You see that I am loved and affirmed for who I am now, but you don’t necessarily see what leads up to it. And I think that’s something we all have to be mindful of as well. Me talking here today, there were many events that led up to the success that I think I’m at today, that was a little harder. And so knowing that is extremely helpful as well, that we all have different journeys with both highs and lows.
Erin Fields: For sure, you can get on your soapbox all you want! So my last big question here is what advice would you have for someone who wanted to pursue a graduate program here at WVU?
Brycen Kuenzel: So, I’m going to talk to graduate school first, and then WVU specifically. So on one side, you have a reason why you should go to graduate school. I think that something that we’re really pivoting towards in higher education is acknowledging that higher education is not necessarily preparing you for a career. I know that’s a big pull of pursuing a degree in higher education, but we’re seeing now that you go to a four-year institution and you take so much more away than just growing in your career and in your professional development. You’re growing as a person. You’re growing socially and you’re growing with developing differing beliefs. And that’s something that I find extremely valuable, and that’s in undergrad alone.
So tacking on two, four, six more years of that experience and being in a classroom that’s diverse not only in sexual orientation and in race, which is extremely helpful, but you’re also in a classroom with people who have diverse backgrounds, who grew up in low socioeconomic backgrounds and some from affluent neighborhoods, who have different perspectives on things and it’s good to keep your ears open for different perspectives. So adding in two-six years on top of that is extremely helpful, especially since you have folks who are returning students and non-traditional students and are coming back to graduate school. You’re getting a lot of professional insight there as well.
So moving towards graduate school specifically at WVU, I think that WVU really fosters an environment where listening is the most helpful attribute you can have. In specific classes that I’ve had, you have folks who are sharing very vulnerable stories and they’re sharing pivotal moments that have made them who they are today, but also that can be applicable to what we’re learning about in graduate school. And I think that kind of vulnerability and kindness and compassion that you get from listening and sharing in a graduate setting like we were talking about earlier, is something that WVU offers that’s unique. You go to other graduate schools and they’re wanting you to conduct six research hours a week and write six papers throughout the duration of the semester. But there are classes I’m in right now where we’re writing discussion posts that ask us to share our stories that apply to specific student development theory in the current day.
So there’s a quote that JFK notably said about West Virginia. He was campaigning in my home county of Logan, and he said, “The sun may not always shine in West Virginia, but the people always do.” And I can think of no truer testament to the people of West Virginia and especially the WVU graduate program, in that you’re gonna come in, and we’re gonna ask you to focus on professional studies, but what we also want you to do is grow even more so than you did during your undergraduate degree, and in a way that sets us apart from other institutions.
So I think that’s extremely essential in understanding both if you want to go to graduate school and specifically why you should come to WVU to attain that master’s or doctoral degree.
Erin Fields: That’s so good, leave a better person than when you came in. That’s such a big part of life.
Brycen Kuenzel: That’s such a great way to put it, Erin. I appreciate you for having me on and for being a wonderful example of how influential people can be who attain graduate degrees, specifically at WVU.
Erin Fields: So, now that we’ve got our academic questions out of the way, I like to end our episodes with a few speed-round questions to keep you on your toes. Are you nervous?
Brycen Kuenzel: A little bit, as you can probably tell I like to take time with my answers so this is stressing me a little bit.
Erin Fields: Are you ready? How do you drink your coffee?
Brycen Kuenzel: I say that I drink it black, but that’s not true, because I add vanilla, sweet cream, and sugar.
Erin Fields: Excuse me what? I drink it black but I add everything under the sun?
Brycen Kuenzel: Yeah, and the fun thing is that if it’s hot, people can’t tell. So I’ll just say that I’m drinking black coffee because it makes me seem like an actual adult and a working professional, but I have cream and sugar in it.
Erin Fields: I wish everyone could see my face right now, but you can’t, because this is a podcast. What?!
Brycen Kuenzel: Yeah, my boss always tells everyone that though, and exposes me.
Erin Fields: I’m really excited about your answer to this next one. What is your go-to karaoke song?
Brycen Kuenzel: I like “Dixieland Delight” or “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” by John Denver, as I’m obviously a country boy, growing up in Logan. Hometown roots there.
Erin Fields: I like that answer.
Brycen Kuenzel: Thank you! You should go to Applebee’s karaoke with me sometime!
Erin Fields: Yeah, let’s go! So last one, what is your Hogwarts house?
Brycen Kuenzel: Oh, goodness. Have I told you this before? The reason I ask Erin this is because I know Erin outside of the work setting…so my Hogwarts house, I actually took the test because I didn’t know what I was. My partner’s a big Harry Potter fan, so I had no clue.
Erin Fields: You’re gonna be a big Harry Potter fan here before you know it!
Brycen Kuenzel: Well, he made me watch all the movies, so I get it now. But he had me take the test first. And I was Slytherin!
Erin Fields: Yes, let’s go!
Brycen Kuenzel: Yes! So, charm, cunning, all those different attributes. So I took it before we watched the movies and he said, “Hmm, this is interesting, but makes sense,” and now that I watched the movies after, I think of that as a little bit hurtful.
Erin Fields: We are both Slytherins, Slytherins have to stick together.
Brycen Kuenzel: That’s right. For those of you out there who are Slytherins, celebrate with us in being the best Harry Potter house.
Erin Fields: That’s right, rejoice in your car!
Brycen Kuenzel: I actually dressed up as Draco for Halloween this past year. If you all have seen me, you know I have blond hair and I had the green cape to match the house as well, so that was super interesting.
Erin Fields: Nice! Well, thank you so much, Brycen for sharing your experiences about WVU and for also putting up with my speed-round questions, hopefully, they weren't too overbearing.
So today’s episode was brought to you by the West Virginia University Office of Graduate Admissions. For more information about graduate education at West Virginia University, please visit our website at www.graduateadmissions.wvu.edu.
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Thanks for listening, and until then, let’s go Mountaineers!
