Marlena Ragains, dental hygiene sophomore and IUPUI transfer student, explored the unfamiliar campus on her second day of classes in her first semester at IU Southeast.

As a transfer student, Ragains enjoys multiple aspects of IU Southeast that set the school apart from IUPUI’s larger campus.

“I like how small the classes are at IUS. At IUPUI, I could be in a lecture that had a couple hundred people in it. Which made it really hard to focus and take tests,” Ragains said.

Not only did Ragains transfer to IUS because of class sizes, but also because of changes happening at IUPUI. “I decided to transfer to IUS because my major was being changed at IUPUI, and IUS is a lot cheaper. My favorite thing about going to IUS, is that I can get a great education close to home,” she said.

Since Ragains is close to home while going to IU Southeast, she does not have to live on campus. “I do miss living on campus but it’s nice to be able to live at home because it saves a lot of money,” she said.

Ragains decided to major in dental hygiene because it is something she had always wanted to do. “It’s something that I have always loved, I have wanted to be a dental hygienist since I was a kid,” she said.

While there are many students at IU Southeast, Ragains thinks that her attitude and determination will set her apart from others on campus.

In her spare time, Ragains, who is passionate about kids and works with them when she is not at school, likes to watch movies, spend time with her friends, and play with her godson Jorden.

“It’s really rewarding to have a godson,” said Ragains. “It’s like being asked to be a part of the child’s life because their parents want you in their child’s life.”

Once she graduates, Ragains said she sees herself using her degree and her love of children by working at a children’s dental office.