Though two years have passed, I can still remember the feel of the nervous turnings of my stomach as my parents drove through the entrance to Geneva College. It was the beginning of what would be a brand new adventure for me as a college freshman. I remember, with vivid clarity, two Welcome Week volunteers standing on either side of the arches, holding up signs with the words “Welcome Home!” painted in big bold letters across the front. And I distinctly remember my mother, with slight disdain in her voice, sniff from the passenger seat: “‘Welcome home?’ Your home is with us, dear, just remember that.”
Though I appreciated the love in those words of hers, as a confused, soon-to-be college freshman, I was not sure what to think right then. Would my new college become my “home away from home” as everyone kept telling me it would? Or would I feel homesick the second my parents dropped me off? What is home anyway? Is it a place, or just a feeling?
When transitioning to a new place that carries such potential, some resistance or uncertainty is natural. Change of any kind can be difficult, and transitioning to college is no small thing. However, as I reflect on that first day two years ago, I believe I have discovered the answer to those initial inquiries. Home is not dependent on the place one was raised, or the college one chooses to attend. Rather, it has everything to do with the people who make the home what it is.
Geneva College is a place of welcome, and I felt that my very first day here as a freshman. Hospitality can be tangibly experienced on campus through the warm welcome everyone receives from faculty, staff and current students. Dr. Calvin L. Troup, president, has commented on the ways even community members have noticed this hospitality demonstrated by the college body. People in the surrounding area have told Dr. Troup they can identify a Geneva student after a mere five minutes of conversing with them simply because of their friendliness and openness of spirit.
It is this hospitality that makes Geneva home for me. Since becoming a Geneva student, I have grown in many ways, as my professors and peers helped guide me on the path the Lord has placed before me. Though there are days where getting up for my 8 a.m. class seems burdensome or I’d rather be doing anything else other than studying for my final, I also wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here; for it is on Geneva’s campus that I feel the greatest sense of purpose. I have my friends, peers and professors to thank for this. Their care and encouragement makes the hard tasks worthwhile. College is so much more than just the schoolwork; it is growing and learning alongside fellow believers and building one another up in love. It is my college family walking alongside me that makes this place home.
Of course, in this life the gift of home is merely a reflection of the home awaiting us at Christ’s return. As wonderful and welcoming as Geneva has been to me, I cannot imagine the wonders that await in our future home with Christ. This college and the community here are but mere shadows of what is promised to us through Christ. Our time here on this campus, whether as students, professors or staff members, prepares us for our future home.
What incredible blessings we have to look forward to with our fellow Geneva brothers and sisters!
Over the past two years, I have been tremendously blessed by the community of Christ-centered believers. They welcomed me into their family, and it is a privilege to be here working and living alongside them. For both graduates and current students like myself, Geneva has indeed become home, and will, Lord willing, continue to be so to future students in years to come. How comforting, inspiring and true is the greeting, “Welcome Home!”
To see if God is calling you to make Geneva College one of your homes, contact the Admissions Office at 800.847.8255 or admissions@geneva.edu.
-Emily Walker ‘20
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Oct 5, 2018
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