Three Park students pull out of their driveways at approximately 8:00 in the morning, arriving an hour later.

All have the same drive, to receive a good education. Joseph Malone, Elizabeth Orosco, and Tori Marshall live an hour away from Park University but at least two times a week their alarms go off and they are out the door to drive an hour to class. Orosco moved here two years ago from Texas with her high school friends. They settled down in the Grand View area, making ends meet working as a waitress at the local Texas Road House. Orosco wanted to further her education but the Christian college nestled in front of her house was not going to cut it. She intensely researched colleges but every college with a communication program came up short. As soon as Park University appeared in the search Orosco began her paperwork but leaving her friends and job behind was not an option. Orosco worked more times a week than going to class so her decision was to stay in Grand View while commuting to school two to four times a week. Marshall is from Plattsburg, Missouri and like Orosco she felt like Park was where she belonged. Marshall earned the Trustee scholarship and was able to steer away from the dreaded college debt but only if she lived at home. Blue Springs is the home of Malone and the resounding, good education, was the biggest factor. I chose Park because of the education I could receive in business, Malone says. The fact that it wasnt too far away from home that I would have to leave the things I do here in Blue Springs like coaching Special Olympics, church and be around my family. I also would say price had a little to do with it. With the rising prices in gas, Malone, Marshall and Orosco all cut down their attendance days. Marshall and Orosco went from four days a week to two and Malone transferred to the Independence, Mo. campus. Orosco drives a Honda Civic and says she makes sure she has a car efficient with gas. She fills up once a week for $35. Marshall drives a Ford Taurus. She also fills up once a week at approximately $40. At the time Malone was going to Park University he drove a Chevy HHR. When I was in senate and went back and forth from Blue Springs to Parkville, it was literally once a week, Malone says. With gas going up to over $3.50 a gallon in the spring semester, it hurt financially. Marshall found a way to get around the financial burden this semester by carpooling with her mom who works in Overland Park. Her mother drops her off on the way to work while Marshall finds a comfortable couch in Thompson to snooze on until classes commence. It is inconvenient to not have a car but my mom only works a half hour away, Marshall says. I also have two grandparents which are retired. They would help out. Orosco says the possibility to carpool is next to impossible. Finding somebody who lives close and goes to campus at the same time on the same days would be a difficult task. Malone, Marshall and Orosco are not the only ones who trek across the state borders to arrive at Park University. Tim Reynolds, the geographic information systems

lab assistant at Park University gathered data which came to the conclusion 20.857% of the current Parkville Campus students drive 20 miles or more to get to campus. Based on our estimates, 292 of the 1400 students currently enrolled in at least one class on the Parkville campus have a current residence address that is more than 20 miles away, David Fox. assistant professor of geography, wrote in an email. This percentage does include students who live on the Parkville campus. In 2008 Jones, A.C. and S.A. Hageman. Department of Natural and Physical Sciences used the geographic information system to calculate the environmental impact of Park University commuters. There were 1,471 students, 279 staff and 98 faculty. At this time the average commute at Park University was 30.6 miles with students commuting the most at 31.7 miles, faculty at 30.3 miles and staff at 25 miles. Each of the students said they get to a point where they are worn out emotionally and financially but the drive to get a better education what gets them out of bed in the morning. It was a good choice. Orosco says. I think because of the research I did with other universities, I chose Park for a reason. In the long run driving an hour two times a week to class, get an education that I want is going to be worth it putting a little extra money into my gas tank instead of settling for a local college that I am not satisfied with.