At Pitt State, Assistant Professor of Communication Kristen Livingston’s journey came full circle as she returned to the campus that first shaped her as a student. In return, she is now helping shape the campus as an educator herself.
Raised in Neodesha, Kansas, Livingston began her college career at Independence Community College on a dance team scholarship. Like many students, she didn’t begin with a specific career in mind. Instead, she explored a variety of fields like biology, English, and theatre, searching for something that felt right rather than rushing toward certainty.
“General education exposed me to fields I wouldn’t have known about otherwise,” she said. “It eventually pointed me toward Pitt State.”
Pitt State was already familiar long before she enrolled. With both parents and a brother being alumni, the university is part of her family identity. Choosing it felt less like selecting a school and more like continuing a story that’s already in motion.
“I wanted to expand the legacy that helped my family get to where they are today,” she said.
When she arrived on campus, she didn’t know what career she would pursue. What she did know, however, was that connection would define her experience. For Livingston, the most lasting parts of her student years weren’t just specific classes or achievements; they were “without a doubt, the lifelong friendships [she] made in the classroom,” she said. “Many of those classmates are people I still stay in close touch with today.”
At the time, she never imagined she would return to those same classrooms as a faculty member.
“When I first arrived on campus as a student, I never thought I would be a teacher, instructor, or professor.”
That change came later, shaped by mentorship and opportunity. She credits Dr. Troy Comeau with encouraging her toward teaching after completing her Master of Arts in Communication. Early teaching roles at Labette Community College and Missouri Southern State University gave her first experience in front of a classroom, introducing her to both excitement and uncertainty.
“I definitely dealt with strong imposter syndrome back then, and to be honest, I still struggle with it sometimes,” she said. “But I’ve found that with experience comes comfort, and we are forever students ourselves.”
That philosophy now anchors her work in the Department of Communication, where she shows growth, curiosity, and the importance of making students feel seen and capable.
Returning to Pitt State as a professor was a defining moment, and she was driven by the opportunity to contribute rather than by nostalgia alone.
“It was an incredible, full-circle moment,” she said. “I want nothing but the absolute best for our students, and that standard continues to shape me every day.”
Beyond the classroom, Livingston describes the university as a “Gorilla network,” a community built on lasting relationships and shared support that extends far beyond graduation.
“It’s the powerful network of Gorillas,” she said. “Seeing how naturally current and former students connect is such a treat to witness.”
Her personal and professional lives are also closely tied to campus in unexpected ways. She met her husband in 2004 during a Pittsburg Community Theatre production of “Babes in Toyland,” though they didn’t begin dating until years later after reconnecting through mutual friends. Today, they both teach at the university, a partnership she describes as steady and supportive.
“It is truly the best of both worlds,” she said. “He brings out the absolute best in me.”
When asked what she hopes students carry with them after leaving her classroom, her answer returns to a simple but lasting idea.
“I hope they remember that they mattered, and that they still do,” she said. “And that learning is a lifelong endeavor.”
Recently named Communication Department Teacher of the Year, Livingston remains focused not on the recognition, but on the students behind the votes.
“I am incredibly humbled by our students,” she said. “They are the entire reason why I love teaching.”
For her, Pitt State has always been more than a campus. Her story isn’t about a single transformation, but about coming back to a community and a purpose that continues to grow with each new class she teaches.