It's a long way from Ohio to Mississippi State University, but Aaron and Roseanne Scammahorn consider Bulldog Country their second home.
In July of 2010, the couple sold everything they owned, moved more than 700 miles to Starkville from the Buckeye State, and enrolled at MSU. The road they have taken to get here is a winding one, but the two say they have never been more confident in a decision.
Aaron, a master's and doctoral student in agricultural education, discovered Mississippi State on a high school trip with the Future Farmers of America in the late 1990s.
"I remember it was around Easter, and it was about 70 degrees here. The sun was shining, flowers were blooming, and in Ohio it was cold," he said. "I took a tour of the campus and just loved it."
He earned his bachelor's degree from MSU in 2001 before becoming an agriculture teacher at South Panola High School. After a few years there, he returned to Ohio where he again taught high school ag and reconnected with Roseanne, whom he had competed against as a youngster in local 4-H contests. Roseanne had completed a master's degree at Ohio's Wright State University in 2005 and wanted to continue to pursue an education specialist degree in college counseling.
The two were married in 2008, and Roseanne said Aaron "talked a lot about how everybody at Mississippi State was so welcoming and like family."
They decided to visit MSU together, and Roseanne said she couldn't believe how friendly everyone was as she inquired about pursuing her specialist degree here.
"People I'd never seen before spoke to me as soon as I walked on campus," she said.
Now the two are settled in as house parents for MSU's Farmhouse Fraternity and, as first generation college graduates, living their dream of obtaining advanced degrees in Mississippi.
"We believe we're here for a reason," Roseanne concluded.