The newest admissions representative for Central Methodist University’s enrollment management team is Leisha Nakagawa, a native of Hawaii.
Nakagawa first moved to the middle of the country in 2015, when she attended Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kan. on a softball scholarship. After playing two years for the Broncbusters, she transferred to Missouri Valley College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit agency management with concentrations on human services and recreation administration.
Prior to joining the CMU staff, Nakagawa worked as a developmental assistant for elderly individuals with mental disabilities. While her day-to-day responsibilities in her new job will be quite different from that work, she is excited for the opportunity to continue to “make a positive impact” on people’s lives.
“I went to college to get away from Hawaii – as crazy as that sounds,” she said. “It was my one-way ticket out of home. So, I want to show people that you too can come to college and better yourself.”
Outside of her work life, Nakagawa lives in Marshall and enjoys challenging herself by participating in CrossFit.