After touring UW-Superior’s campus for the first time, something about the size of the campus and the warmth and familiarity of the students and faculty reminded incoming freshman Kate Jonas of home.

“I’m from a small town and I’m used to it. I’m not sure that a bigger school and bigger campus would work best for me,” Jonas said.

Like any hometown though, Jonas’s hometown of Annandale, Minnesota, can feel a little too small at times. She is looking forward to reestablishing herself in the wide-open spaces of northern Wisconsin, where she plans to take up canoeing and explore the natural bounty of Lake Superior. Although, she is also excited for Superior’s close proximity to Duluth and all of the urban amenities the Twin Ports area has to offer.

After touring several schools, Jonas first toured UW-Superior in November and found the environment to be very friendly and welcoming, noting the quaint homey feel of the campus. Coming from the prairies of central Minnesota, Jonas feels like UW-Superior will boast the small-town familiarity of home, while being distant enough to still feel like an adventure where she can blaze her own path forward – while also not being too far from home.

“It’s close enough and yet far enough from home,” Jonas said. “It was small enough where it felt like I would eventually get to know just about everyone.”

Jonas will be playing on UW-Superior’s tennis team. In high school, she was the captain of her tennis team, where she played doubles. Being an athlete and weightlifter who is enthusiastic about physical health, Jonas hopes to inspire future generations to pursue a life of health and wellness. To make that dream a reality, she plans to major in UW-Superior’s Physical Education program and also take advantage of the Adaptive Physical Education Certificate.

“I think it’s a really important subject,” she said.

When she graduates, Jonas hopes to leave UW-Superior with all the skills she needs to be a good teacher and a positive influence on her students. In the meantime though, Jonas is just looking forward to playing tennis, making new friends and exploring at UW-Superior has to offer.