East Michigan News

Enrollment at Central Michigan University (CMU) has increased for the third consecutive year, with a higher number of first-year and transfer students on the first day of the 2024 academic year compared to 2023.

Jayla Turner and Camille Cashen are among CMU’s anticipated 2,240 new freshmen, forming the largest class of first-year students since 2019. This marks the third successive year of growth in freshman enrollment.

Emily Starr joined CMU as a transfer student from Mott Community College. The university welcomed 953 transfer students on the fall semester's first day, contributing to a total first-day enrollment of 14,332.

Turner, from Troy, was attracted by CMU’s integrative public relations program and its supportive environment. "Everyone seems to come here to find their place," she said. Turner's journey began with IMPACT, a two-day program aiding students from marginalized communities in acclimating to campus life.

Cashen moved from Texas for her freshman year after falling in love with CMU during a visit last year. She aims to work for the National Park Service as a park ranger and praised CMU’s outdoor environmental recreation program as one of the best in the country. Her mother, an alumnus and former employee, encouraged her to consider CMU. Cashen also has extended family in Mount Pleasant.

Starr chose CMU partly due to its proximity to her hometown of Flint—close enough for weekend visits but far enough for independence. She is among the inaugural group of Centralis transfer scholars, receiving $5,000 per semester for five semesters plus an additional $5,000 for studying away from CMU. Patty Williamson, director of the CMU Honors Program, noted that this scholarship supports Starr's study in speech language pathology.

The three students come from different backgrounds and have diverse goals but share a commonality with other incoming freshmen and transfer students: they see CMU as the starting point for their future endeavors.