School spirit provides Carlton with cherished lifelong memories

Reflecting upon his Northwest Missouri State University experience, Jared Carlton says cutting the net after the Bearcat men’s basketball team won its 2022 national championship is one opportunity he will never forget.

Carlton, a native of De Soto, Kansas, graduated from Northwest this spring with his bachelor’s degree in instrumental music education. In the fall, he begins his career as a band director at a pre-K-8 school in Renick, Missouri.

Jared Carlton on the Northwest campus. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

Jared Carlton cut a piece of the net as a representative of the Northwest Pep Band after the Bearcat men's basketball team won its fourth NCAA Division II national championship in 2022 in Evansville, Indiana. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

His love for music started at a young age and continued throughout his coursework at Northwest.

“It does help me express myself,” Carlton said. “If words can’t describe how I’m feeling, sometimes I can describe that emotion through music which is really good for me.”

He was a member of the Northwest Jazz Ensemble, the Symphonic Band, the Concert Band and the Wind Symphony. He also was involved with the Bearcat Marching Band, serving as a field assistant last fall, and the Northwest Pep Band.

“I enjoy being a big fish in a small pond,” Carlton said. “Northwest, having those smaller sizes and opportunities to join everything, was really important to me.”

Opportunities with Bearcat Marching Band and the Northwest Pep Band also provided Carlton opportunities to express his Bearcat pride. So it was an honor when Director of Bands Dr. Katy Strickland chose him to cut a piece of the net as the Bearcat men’s basketball team celebrated its 2022 national championship. He has the memento in a frame on his wall.

“Anytime there’s a game day, I go crazy,” Carlton said. “I get tattoos and face paint. I get very emotional about my sports.”

Carlton, who is a member of the National Association for Music Education, also was the recipient of the Vernon J. Barrett Memorial Scholarship in Music for two consecutive years and received the Sarah Groteluschen Memorial Scholarship.

He says his Northwest experiences and involvement in music ensembles have played a big role in the connection he feels for the University and shaping him into the person he is.

“Try everything that you’re interested in no matter what you think your ability is,” Carlton said. “Just go out there, try it, and if it doesn’t work out it’s no big deal. I tried out a whole bunch of stuff and it worked for the better for me.”