A farewell party was held Wednesday, Oct. 26, for CMU Director of Student Life, Mitch Karstens, who is stepping down after being director for four and a half years. Karstens believes the party was a wonderful goodbye gesture.

“It means a lot,” Karstens said. “The conglomerate of people that I have worked with for the last four and a half years that we have worked on projects together and making the student experience better for everyone, so it’s a good opportunity to see all of them and say goodbye before I take off.”

Karstens is leaving CMU to go to St. Cloud, Minn., where he will be working at St. Cloud State University. He decided to chose the college because he was born in Minnesota.

“Minnesota is home for me because I am from Minnesota,” Karstens said. “I am going back to be closer to family all my nieces and nephews are growing and they want me around. It is a great opportunity and job promotion.”

While looking back at his time at CMU, Karstens could not pinpoint one favorite experience, but believes the overall experience was the best.

“I don’t know if there is one single experience that is the best, over the last few years,” Karstens said. “I think there wasn’t a favorite moment, but the conglomerate of the past four years.”

For his coworkers, Karstens leaves behind a big hole to fill.

“He has been great in helping Student Life, he has the energy and the enthusiasm and the love of the students to really make what it has been,” Gail Howe, assistant director of Student Life, said. “He has brought some of the programs up and developed some programs like MAVrides. He really has brought us up, so we hope our new ‘Mitch’ is just as good.”