When it came to college, the third time was the charm for Dilynn Everitt ’26
First up was a false start at the University of Michigan, where the troubles began before she even walked in the door.
The university tried to charge the St. Louis, Michigan, native out-of-state tuition, “because I think they assumed I was from Missouri, like I was smart enough to attend their college but not smart enough to know my state’s abbreviation,” Everitt said. She spent one miserable week there before transferring to Central Michigan University because it was close to home.
She started at CMU as a pre-med student, switched briefly to engineering, and still felt lost and lonely on a teaching track when she decided to take a gap year.
“I didn’t want to be at CMU, but I didn’t know where I did want to be, and I also didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life,” Everitt said.
She did some substitute teaching—which ended any interest in being a teacher—took community college classes, engaged in self-reflection, worked at Bath & Body Works and visited other colleges.
Her family encouraged her to consider private colleges. Although Everitt remained convinced the tuition cost would pose an insurmountable hurdle for her family’s finances, she agreed to tour Kalamazoo College at the urging of her paternal grandmother, whose sister had attended K.
“My visit here just felt right,” Everitt said. “When I was walking around campus, I was smiling and asking a bunch of questions, and my tour guide was super nice, and they were talking about how even though K is one of the most expensive colleges in Michigan, it ends up being affordable. My (maternal) grandma came with us, and when we left, she said, ‘I don’t even know why we would bother visiting any other colleges, because I think you want to go here.’”
Reflecting on the women who pointed her toward K, Everitt said, “Thank God for grandmas.”
Financial aid made it possible for Everitt to attend K, including the MEL Scholarship, established in fall 2022 as part of the Brighter Light Campaign by Emily Richardson-Rossbach ’09, named in honor and appreciation for her classmates and friends Molly Sass, Morgan Locsei, Michelle Keating, Erin Dreps, Emily Rhodes and Lucy Arlit.
“Anytime I get a scholarship, it means a lot to me because my family doesn’t have very much money,” Everitt said. “When I saw my financial aid and the scholarships that I got and how much money I actually would owe, it was like this weight off my shoulders. I didn’t think I would be able to come here; it’s way more affordable than I thought it was going to be. My parents were shocked and relieved, too, when I told them how much money we owe.”
The MEL Scholarship in particular is a fitting gift for Everitt, who values the community at K above all else.
“I really like how small and tight-knit it is,” she said. “I can’t go to another building without seeing somebody that I know. Everywhere I go, I wave to somebody. At CMU, it was huge, and I felt really lonely. Here, it’s hard to feel alone.”
People who happen to take the same class become true friends. Her fellow resident assistants spend time bonding not just because it’s a required part of the job, but because they enjoy spending time together. Group projects feel more like a social opportunity than a stressful academic undertaking.
Staff members go out of their way to connect and help. Residence Life Area Coordinator Hunter Causie lets Everitt spend time with his dog and shares extra meal swipes with her. Dan Kibby, enrollment systems manager in the Admission Office, helped Everitt with transfer student logistics, and he didn’t stop there. At move-in, he introduced himself to her parents, and he and his wife showed her around, took her to the store and made her cookies. He continues to check in with her.
Faculty, too, offer opportunities for connection. Everitt appreciates when professors treat students like adults, build a relationship and remember students after classes end. She has especially enjoyed classes with Charles Stull, senior instructor of economics, and Amy MacMillan, L. Lee Stryker Associate Professor of Business Management and chair of the business department.
Despite choosing a business major for practical reasons, Everitt has enjoyed learning about her chosen field of study.
“It’s a very versatile degree,” she said. “I’m a people person. I like to talk to people, and I’m good at selling things. All the puzzles were fitting together, and it seemed practical. It surprised me how much I liked all my business classes.”
Since starting at K in the fall of 2023, Everitt has been studying business and psychology (her minor) and working as a resident assistant, working in the theatre department as an office and costume shop assistant and as a teaching assistant for business statistics. She started a steel drum club and has participated in K-Rock and student government.
As a transfer student, Everitt has varied the order of her K-Plan from the typical progression. She is in the midst of her Senior Integrated Project—a paper based on a summer accounting internship—and her tentative plan is to study abroad in Madrid next year and graduate in 2026.
After that, she expects to look for a job in marketing or sales—something where she can interact with people, get out from behind a desk and employ some creative freedom.
“At the end of the day, I just want to make sure this College knows that I’m happy that I was able to transfer here,” Everitt said. “My parents were worried about me, especially my mental health, and every time I come home, they’re so happy to hear about how well I’m doing.”
