WEST PLAINS, Mo. – When Josh Cotter graduated from West Plains High School in 2000, he, like many of his peers, chose to stay close to home and attend Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP). Not only could he save money by using funds from the state’s A+ Program to pay for his tuition, he could still hang out with his friends while completing his associate’s degree and acclimating to college life.
“It seems like a more mature reason now than I remember feeling at the time, but that really was an amazing opportunity to save money,” the director of the South Central Career Center (SCCC) said of his decision to attend MSU-WP. “Let’s be honest, though, I also had many friends who chose to attend MSU-WP, and that never hurts.”
But the decision also gave him the opportunity to explore options for his future career through his involvement in campus life. He used his time at MSU-WP to join the Student Government Association and be a part of developing the first agreement for student health services. He also became the first student member of the West Plains Civic Center Board of Directors. By choosing to get involved on campus, Cotter saw what opportunities were available by just signing up and seeing where that involvement took him.
Cotter said the one thing that sets MSU-WP apart from other universities is the personal relationships a student can build with faculty and staff. He credits his relationships with Dr. Kathy Morrison, professor of political science, and Judy Carr, associate professor of psychology/sociology, for pushing him to think outside the box, especially while planning his career path and making the transfer to Missouri State University in Springfield.
After completing his Associate of Arts in General Studies at MSU-WP in 2002, Cotter transferred to MSU in Springfield to complete his Bachelor of Science in Education-History in 2005 and Master of Science in Educational Administration in 2008.
He also completed a specialist’s degree in educational administration from MSU in 2010 and his doctorate in educational administration from St. Louis University in 2013.
After spending a year as a history teacher at Gainesville High School, he returned to West Plains to begin a 16-year career with the West Plains R-7 School District, the majority of which has been spent with the SCCC.
“You never know where life will lead you,” he said. “I didn’t expect to come back home. I didn’t expect to work in education.”
But he says he is exactly where he wants to be, doing what he wants to do. As SCCC’s director, he makes sure students are prepared to enter the workforce and he works with employers and partners such as MSU-WP to help them fulfill their missions.
“It is an extremely rewarding career that allows me to be a part of an amazing team of teachers and support staff,” he praised.
As a first-generation college student, Cotter knows first-hand the impact that education can have on an individual and the community as a whole. He now promotes education as a means to improve quality of life. Whether it’s financial success, improving one’s knowledge about the world or just learning more about oneself, education is the key to it all, he said.
“Take a class that might interest you, go to an event to meet different people, and find a way to leave your mark,” Cotter said.
