NATCHITOCHES – Four students from the Natchitoches area chose to attend Northwestern State University, staying close to home as they pursue degrees, compete in collegiate athletics and become involved on campus.
Each student’s path to NSU was different, but current student Madelynn Misuraca and incoming students Emy Sorto-Cortez, Harold “Boogie” Remo and Payne Williams said staying close to home allowed them to pursue their academic, athletic and career goals while remaining near the family and friends who have supported them.
Misuraca, a graduate of Natchitoches Central High School, is a senior majoring in biology with a minor in microbiology and a biomedical concentration. She plans to attend physician assistant school after graduation and serves as president of three student organizations, including one she founded for students pursuing careers as physician assistants.
“I toured almost every college in Louisiana and still chose Northwestern State because it was the best fit for me. I didn’t want to go anywhere else,” Misuraca said. “I have a very strong support system here, and it was such a full-circle moment that, through Northwestern, I was able to pour back into the same community that poured so much into me.”
Sorto-Cortez, a graduate of Lakeview High School in Campti, is an incoming business administration major who hopes to become a financial or business consultant and eventually start her own consulting firm. She accepted scholarships to attend NSU and said she believes the university will help prepare her for her future career.
“I think NSU is a very good stepping stone for my academic career. They’re very helpful when it comes to starting with careers after graduation,” Sorto-Cortez said. “I think it’ll help shape my college experience because I am closer to home. If I ever need anything, I can always go back there.”
“Another thing I like about Northwestern is a lot of different people come here. I’m meeting not just people from this area, but people from all over. It’ll be new and exciting,” Sorto-Cortez said.
Remo, a graduate of Natchitoches Central High School, signed with the NSU men’s basketball team after earning Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A All-State honorable mention honors during his senior season. He said staying close to home gives him the opportunity to continue playing in front of the family and friends who have supported him throughout his life.
“I’ll stay at home, get to do what I love in front of all my family and friends. I think it’ll feel good. I think it’ll kind of give me a boost too. I’ve been doing it all my life, playing in front of a lot of people that I know, and carrying that over to college I think it’ll make a difference,” Remo said.
Williams, a graduate of St. Mary’s Catholic School, transferred to NSU after attending Colorado State University. He said returning home gave him the opportunity to continue his football career at the university he had always hoped to represent.
“It was definitely hard moving away. I really missed all my family and my friends,” Williams said. “Being from here and growing up here, you kind of see the relationship the town and the school have. Being from here, I always dreamed of playing here, and when that opportunity arose, I don’t think I could pass it up.”
Williams said he is especially looking forward to having family and friends nearby as he begins the next chapter of his football career.
“I’m most excited about my family and friends being able to come watch me now. It’ll be a lot more accessible, especially for my grandparents, and I think seeing them in the stands is what I’m most ready for,” Williams said. “You never know, this place could be all you ever wished for.”