INDIANAPOLIS — It's move-in day for the Butler Bulldogs and this year’s incoming freshman class is setting major records.
With 600 Hoosiers filling the campus, this incoming class has the most in-state students Butler University has ever seen.
In addition, this year's class is the most diverse freshman class in the university’s history with 22% of students identifying as a person of color.
Jim Danko, President of Butler, says the university has been focusing on increasing the campus' diversity in recent years.
Myron Cornel Stokes Jr. is an incoming freshman from Memphis. He was a recipient of the Dr. John Morton-Finney Diversity Scholarship. He says that’s a big part of what drew him to the school.
The scholarship is awarded to students who have invested time and energy into advancing diversity and inclusion in their schools or communities by community service or being involved in extra-curricular activities.
Stokes says the scholarship requires students to log a certain number of hours each week doing community work, such as tutoring or inclusion activities.
“I didn’t want the scholarship for just the money, but also the things they have me doing with it. I appreciate that and would like to continue,” Stokes said.
Danko says this year the campus represents 38 states and over a dozen countries.
“Set aside all the talk about diversity on the political side. On the educational side, there is nothing better than to have a tapestry of students that are bringing different backgrounds in, whether it’s social, economic, culture, color,” Danko said.
Stokes says Butler’s environment already makes him feel like he fits in.
“From the statistics of previous years, there were maybe 157 black students. Now I’ve already seen between 50 to 80. It’s amazing to see,” Stokes said.
