When Evan Brasch of Sioux City, Iowa, walked across the graduation stage Friday, Dec. 15, to pick up his bachelor’s degree, he became the fourth generation in his family to graduate from Wayne State College.
His mother, Stacy (Bartak) Brasch, graduated in 1994; his grandmother, Joyce Schmitz Buskohl, in 1977 and his great grandmother, Viola Homan Schmitz, graduated from Wayne State in the 1930s when it was called Nebraska State Teachers College.
His mother would return to Wayne State to earn two more degrees – an M.S.E. in English in 2000, and an Ed.S. in School Administration and Education Leadership in 2010.
Additionally, Grandma’s brother, sister-in-law and nephew would all earn bachelor’s degrees from Wayne State as well.
To say Wayne State has been a family affair for the Brasches would be an understatement. But Evan admits, it was not the only factor that influenced his decision to enroll at Wayne State.
“My grandma and mom always spoke highly of Wayne State, and they continue to have a real reverence for the college,” Evan, who earned his bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Business and Employee Relations), said. “It wasn’t the only factor, but it played into my decision to attend Wayne State.”
“I lived in Wayne when I was younger, so I was familiar with the community,” continued Evan. “I was also able to do everything online, instead of commuting from Sioux City. When I added everything up, Wayne State was the best choice for me.”
Stacy has taught high school English at Winnebago Public School since 1994. She admits she never steered Evan toward Wayne State.
“He kind of fell into it by himself,” she said. “He had some credit hours built up at another college that transferred to Wayne State, and he was also able to do almost everything online. I know that was attractive to him as well.”
