Feeling at Home
Casey Upton has never questioned his decision to attend Midland University, but his drive from Mississippi to campus prior to his freshman year did provide a few scary moments.
“About halfway here, I had a small panic attack, and I remember looking at my mom and saying ‘what have I done?’ But once I got here and got moved in, everything was fine, and I haven’t second-guessed my decision since.”
Now a junior at Midland, Casey originally thought his college choice would keep him a little closer to home. “I was getting ready to attend a community college in Mississippi. I had a conversation with my dad, and he suggested I look at some places where I could bowl in college. A week later, Midland reached out to me and offered me a scholarship. I came here on a visit and loved the campus and the tight-knit community.
“I had originally looked at Midland when I first started the college search process, and I remember thinking there was no way I was going to Nebraska. Now, I’m here, and I love it. I’m actually thinking about living here permanently.”
As part of the bowling team, Casey was immediately involved on campus. Over the years, that involvement has continued to grow as Casey is now an Admissions Ambassador, Resident Advisor, President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, and a member of Cru.
“I was fortunate to find the right community of people and started to develop a solid friend group my sophomore year. I had good friends who were Ambassadors, and it looked like a lot of fun. It’s been a great way to meet new people and socialize.”
Casey’s faith has also been a crucial part of his time at Midland. “It was the grace of God that brought me here and my faith has absolutely kept my head above water here. God is good and I trust in him.”
As someone who has always enjoyed math, Casey’s path to becoming a Financial Services manager seemed like an ideal fit. “I didn’t want to come into Midland undeclared, so when I started looking at majors, I really liked math, and I felt like Financial Services really lined up with that.
“At first, I had no clue what I was getting into. But I’ve had great professors along the way, and they have really helped me fall in love with my major. I also have a compressed major in Digital Marketing and a certificate in Data Analytics. It’s going to allow me to be in so many different areas like banking, financial planning, and analytics.”
Casey is leaving the door open for whatever possibilities await after graduation in 2026, even living in Nebraska.
“I’m a person who could live anywhere, but I would love to live here.”
Casey Upton is a junior Financial Services major from Clinton, Mississippi.
