When you meet Ashley Krause, a senior psychology major, her presence is calming, her nature reflecting.

Krause, who has been a standout student during her time at FMU, is always open and honest about the experiences that made her the person she is today.

Krause, who was born in Kansas, said she and her mom decided to move to South Carolina for a fresh start after Krause graduated high school.

“I kind of had a rough last few years of high school and it was like a big deal to be able to finish for me and I didn’t think I was going to be able to make it that far,” Krause said. “We were really grateful for that and so we decided there’s not much for me, my mom and our dogs in Kansas. We decided to just kind of pick somewhere on the map and move preferably somewhere close to the beach because we’d never seen it before, so we just kind of picked up and moved.”

After Krause and her mom moved to Conway, SC she took a semester off from school before deciding what was next for her.

“When we moved down here I took a semester off, so I was kind of thinking about where I wanted to go,” Krause said. “In that semester, I hated it because I just love school. I live in Conway so I thought about Coastal [Carolina University].”

Krause ultimately decided to attend FMU, which has offered her many opportunities, because it was close to home.

“The ability to grow, and the fact that there were probably many things if I went to Coastal that I wouldn’t have gotten to experience here,” Krause said. “I went to Ireland and to Spain through FMU and those opportunities I wouldn’t have gotten at another school.”

Krause has been very open about her struggles with her mental health and encourages those struggling with similar issues to seek out professional help.

“I’m very upfront about it and that’s why I’m in the field I’m in,” Krause said. “Because I struggled a lot in high school to the point that I was hospitalized, and it shaped who I was. But after getting that treatment and being in a stable place, I’ve become such a different person: more passionate and happier and ready to tackle anything that’s in front of me.”

Krause said asking for help when you need it allows you to see the other side of what you’re going through.

“So, seeking mental health treatment when you need it is very important because life is stressful and there are so many things that get difficult along the way,” Krause said. “But no matter where I’ve been, I know that the beauty of life outweighs any sort of frustration in the moment.”

Krause’s advice to first-year students is to seek out help when they need it and to also learn how to manage their time.

“The biggest thing is time management and making sure that I’m not overbooking myself, which is sometimes very difficult in college, but also that I’m keeping the end goal in sight,” Krause said.

Krause has been involved in a number of student organizations on campus, including FMU honors, Leadership FMU, Psi Chi (psychology honors society), Phi Kappa Phi, the Patriot Mentors and she is also a tutor at the Writing Center.

Krause encourages all students and staff to visit the Writing Center for all of their writing needs.

Outside of school, Krause has four dogs she loves very much and she enjoys cuddling, binge watching Netflix, catching up on sleep and reading and writing about her experiences in psychology.

Krause, who graduates in May of 2020, is currently applying to clinical psychology doctoral programs, with her top choice being the University of Pittsburgh.