Knox Welcomes New Students from 35 States and 16 Countries

Knox College rolled out the purple and gold carpet on Tuesday, September 8, to welcome 285 new students to campus and begin the 2026-27 academic year. The College’s newest students consist of 240 first-years and 45 transfers. Included in newest members of the Prairie Fire family are 34 international students, 110 student-athletes, and 126 domestic students of color. Fulfilling the College’s historic mission of access, 51 percent of incoming students are first-generation students, or the first individuals in their family to attend college.

“We’re so happy you’re here; we’re excited to learn with you, to challenge you, to celebrate you,” Provost and Dean of the Faculty Melissa Glenn said during her Welcome to Knox introduction speech. “You do not have to be perfect here; you just have to be willing to learn, to engage, and to grow. Welcome to Knox.”

Knox’s fall term doesn’t officially start until Monday, September 14, but new students began arriving on campus as early as mid-August, with student-athletes being the first to arrive. International students followed and were welcomed by Knox community members at O’Hare International Airport before traveling to campus for yet another warm welcome.The next day, the international students gathered for a get-together in Taylor Lounge where they played pool, arcade games, and socialized. 

“This is a little bit of a change for me, but I’m looking forward to it,” said transfer Raku Shimoda ’28 of Japan. “I’m looking forward to meeting new people to hang out with and to gaining a new perspective.”

Participants in the College’s TRIO Bridge Program, which helps incoming students from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds transition to life at Knox, also arrived early. In addition to moving into their resident halls, participants celebrated their arrival at Knox with a cookout.

The remaining new students moved in on Tuesday, September 8, with some arriving as early as 8:30 a.m., ready to meet and greet their new home. 

“We got up at 4 a.m. to drive three hours to get here, and it’s been really nice so far,” said Lanaya Kellum, a first-year student from Beecher, Illinois, and member of the Prairie Fire track and field and cross country teams,  “I’ve never really been away from home for this long, maybe a week, but never 10. But I think I’ll be okay. I have my teammates, I have my roommate, and I’m looking forward to meeting and making new friends.” 

Move-in Day is not only a big day for students, but for friends, families, and parents. Many students were accompanied by loved ones, who lent a hand, plenty of support, and a shoulder to lean on.

“This is my last one, so it is a big, sweet moment to be here,” said Lanaya Kellum’s mother, Tiffany Kellum. “It was very emotional; I started breaking down before we even got here. But I feel she has a good support system here with the cross country and track teams and coaches.”

Students and families started their day at the Ford Center for the Fine Arts, receiving instruction and direction on where to go and what to do. Campus volunteers guided students through the process, making sure everyone could navigate the day and campus.

“The energy has been very high; it’s been kind of a crazy summer, but we’re excited to see our new friends and families joining us today,” said Assistant Vice President for Campus Life Jake McLean, who led the New Student Orientation and Move-in Day charge. “The whole campus is mobilized; everybody around campus is here participating and getting things ready. We want to make sure that people know who to talk to and where to go.”

Move-in Day welcomed not only new students and families to campus, but also familiar faces. At the annual Legacy Photo, new Knox students gathered with their family members who graduated from the College for a group photo.

“We’re over the moon. My husband (David) and I went here, met, fell in love, and have been married for almost 28 years,” said Sarah Custis ’98, who was dropping off her daughter, River. “The campus looks amazing; Galesburg looks amazing. I think she’s going to love it here. Knox has come through big for our family.”

Custis and her husband served on the Knox Alumni Council for at-large members, are St. Louis Knox Club representatives, and still exchange Christmas cards with some Knox faculty members. They are thrilled their daughter chose to attend Knox.

“I’m really excited, I’ve been ready to go to school, and it’s nice to meet all the people here,” River Custis said. “I have a few familiar faces around campus already; my lab professor was one of my parents’ professors, Larry Welch, so I’m excited to have lab with him.”

Tuesday was the main day for moving in students, but McLean and company have plenty planned to keep new students involved at their new home during orientation week before classes start.

“We’ll kick everything off with our welcome and orientation meeting, then (Tuesday night) we have PlayFair, which is a bunch of icebreaker games so people can meet each other and make a connection,” McLean said. “We have Boom Boom Bingo on Thursday, the first time a live DJ will call Bingo here, along with a big dance party, a community movie at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, and then we’re taking over the tailgate area on Saturday. Our goal is to have something fun to do every day during orientation.”

For more photos from Knox College’s Move-In-Day week and New Student Orientation, visit the Knox Flickr page.