Nathan Mensah is making history at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
The Fort Wayne native is among the first men to enroll in the on-campus, undergraduate program and help usher in a new era of co-education at the Woods, which celebrates its 175th anniversary this year.
Two men are enrolled, with another two expected to enroll.
"It's pretty awesome," said Mensah, 27, who is majoring in music therapy. He's taken classes at the Woods for two years as a part-time equivalency commuter student, but now that he can obtain his bachelor's degree from the college, "it's a very exciting prospect," he said in an interview in front of Rooney Library.
He obtained a degree from Indiana University in psychology with a music minor and was pursuing a pre-med program, "but my heart kind of wasn't in it, and my passion had always been in music."
After he learned about the Woods' music therapy program, he decided to take courses there necessary for board credentials, although he was pursuing a degree through Indiana State University. Now that the Woods is co-ed, "I'll get my music therapy degree here," he said.
He was impressed with SMWC's "really great program" and family atmosphere, he said. "There was so much passion for what they were doing."
The Woods' decision to go co-ed, announced in May, created considerable controversy and took many students and alumnae by surprise. Some expressed sadness and anger, while others asked for a delay in implementation until 2018 so that all those promised an all-women's education would receive it.
Many others accepted the decision and the reasons given — that enrollment had to increase to improve the college's long-term financial health.
This year, men can enroll in the on-campus, undergraduate program as commuter students, and next year, they'll be able to live on campus, officials have said. Even prior to co-education, SMWC has offered coeducational opportunities in both the Woods Online courses and its graduate programs.
On Thursday morning, as college officials welcomed new students to campus, Mensah said the reaction to men on campus has been "a little all over the place. I think there was that initial shock factor that there would be males coming here to get their degrees. I think others saw it as a natural progression of events. It's been kind of a mixed bag," he said.
Not everyone embraces co-education, and Mensah respects that. "Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion about it, and that's what I love about the Woods — everyone is taught to speak their mind and to be strong. So the fact that every student has separate opinions about it, whether mixed reviews or solidarity, kind of speaks to the reputation of the school."
Because he's been taking classes at SMWC, it's not a huge change for him. He's familiar with campus and knows many students, staff and faculty and has many friends on campus. In many ways, it's just "another school year; it just happens to be there will be more males besides me."
He has one more year before graduating and "I'm glad to witness this before finishing. ... It's exciting. I'm glad I get to be a part of history. "
Another male student ushering in co-education is Tyler Gilmore, who is pursuing a bachelor's in nursing at the Woods; he is transferring from Ivy Tech Community College. "I like taking every chance I can in life," he said. "I had the opportunity to be first at something, and it got me excited to do it."
Gilmore, 19, realizes he's laying the groundwork for other men who may follow him to the college, and he wants to create a good impression "and show everyone change is a good thing. ... I want to set a good example for the future so more guys will want to attend."
Asked about his reception on campus, Gilmore said, "I've had nothing but a warm welcome, and everyone greets me with a smiling face." He is a Terre Haute North Vigo High School graduate.
The college expects about 300 students in its traditional, on-campus program this year, including about 100 new students.
While it's a new era at the college, in many ways it's a continuation of an era, said Woods President Dottie King. "We're still going to educate young women, and lots of them. ... It is a new beginning and yet our legacy will go on."
Her hope for the new year, and a new chapter in the story of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, is that "we fulfill our legacy in the lives of the young men as well as we have the young women."