Student Ambassador spotlight: Andrew Bergmeier
When it comes to displaying purple pride, Andrew Bergmeier is the real deal.
As a prospective student, Bergmeier discovered that K-State immediately felt like
home during his campus visit. He said he knew that here, he would be “wanted, heard
and respected,” and now that he’s officially a Wildcat, he’s dedicated himself to
helping K-State become an even better place in the future.
His caring attitude and passion for service brought him to the role of K-State Student
Ambassador. Every year, two Student Ambassadors are elected to represent the student body at K-State Alumni Association events throughout
the state and at university activities, in addition to serving on Student Alumni Board
and the Homecoming Student Committee.
We’re proud of the work Bergmeier does for our Alumni Association and the university,
and to help you get to know him better, we recruited his fellow Student Ambassador
Avery Johnson to ask him several questions about his K-State experience.
Johnson: What will be the first memory from K-State that you will share with your kids?
Bergmeier: It’s extremely difficult to narrow it down to one singular memory, as I
feel every day here in Manhattan is a memory worth sharing. Being a third-generation
K-Stater, my family constantly talks about their time here, and I was jealous to be
honest, the joy and love they spoke about K-State with is something I wanted to experience
for myself. I gained an early passion for K-State from my father, uncles and late
grandpa, taking me to sporting events as a kid.
If I had to pick a moment from my time here, it would be standing on the field at
halftime of the Houston football game, hearing my name announced as the next Ambassador
at Kansas State. The moment was beyond surreal, as you hear stories of people who
froze in shock, that was exactly me. The other candidates with me were some of the
most amazing, well-rounded people that I have met, and the Ambassador process was
amazing. After I came back to earth, I had some moments to reflect on the people who
helped me get to this point, including my parents and sister, my fraternity Delta
Upsilon, the College of Education, and so many other wonderful K-Staters. That memory
just encompasses K-State as a whole.
As a transfer student, how did you know K-State was the school for you?
I firstly want to say how much I appreciated my time at Hutchinson Community College.
Not everyone is ready for the leap of a four-year university right out of high school,
and that could be for various reasons. But at HCC, I learned how to balance a college
schedule, polished my personal and leadership skills, as well as developed my passion
for school and my future beyond that. Being a transfer, I knew exactly what I was
looking for in a college. I mostly knew what to expect on visits, what I was looking
for in an institution, and how to envision myself fitting in somewhere.
After being in contact with many schools, I ended up with a visit to K-State. As soon
as I arrived, an emotion that felt like home really overtook me. The facilities were
beyond what I expected, and the widespread limestone made me feel like I was in a
movie. The visit and campus tour were so individualized and tailored toward me; the
advisers and professors in the College of Education took time to speak to me. I felt
wanted, heard and respected, before I was even enrolled. After my visit, my family
and I spent the day in Manhattan, and my dad, being a K-State alumnus, took us around
town and as they say, we were all bitten by that purple bug.
What is something that you have accomplished at K-State that you are most proud of?
K-State does such a fantastic job of empowering students, creating a cohesive and
friendly environment, and instilling passion on campus and the area of Manhattan for
the purple and white. The university has allowed opportunities to go outside of my
comfort zone; being from central Kansas, I was nervous to thrust myself into organizations
I had never encountered. Although I was a third-generation K-Stater, I felt alone
here my first few days on such a large and widespread campus. But being here just
a few weeks, I felt like I had people in my corner already, cheering me on.
Ultimately, K-State aided me in finding my identity, what I’m passionate about, who
I want to surround myself with, and the direction of my future. I have gotten out
so much more than I have put in at K-State, and I am so grateful for that. The accomplishment
I am most proud of is exactly that: Finding my identity as a person, continuing a
family legacy of K-Staters, and making connections that will last a lifetime. And
I couldn’t have done that without K-State.
What is something that is happening now that makes you excited for the future of K-State?
K-State is investing greatly in its mission as a land-grant institution, and we are
seeing so much progress arise from that. People are excited to continue our land-grant
mission, our facilities across the board compete with the best of the best, in turn
creating an advantage for our students. We are staying true to our roots but are evolving
in an ever-changing world. We are seeing numbers across the board rise significantly,
such as enrollment and the financial pledge people are making to K-State. K-State
is diversifying more than ever, creating a clash of ideas that produce a betterment
in leadership and accountability, creating a more secure and safe campus.
K-State is continuing a legacy of involving and listening to its students, and during
Avery and I’s term, we want to help be that liaison between the institution and its
students. And who could forget our top-of-the-line athletic department; the love between
student-athletes and the university is second to none. We have fantastic leadership,
coaches and players who are excited to wear the Powercat, which creates the most loyal,
passionate and loud fans in the entire country. K-State is adopting the role of innovator
in many fields, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of and represent K-State.