Emily Walker Hoffman is a senior Communication major with a double emphasis in Writing and Integrated Media. Though home is six hours west of Beaver Falls in the small town of Franklin, IN, Geneva College has stamped a special place in her heart through ways she never would have expected. In fact, growing up in a small, homeschooled, Reformed Presbyterian background, where it seemed every high school senior in her church had Geneva written in their future, Emily at first rebelled against the idea of attending Geneva.

“I wanted to go somewhere different,” she shared. “I wanted to attend a college big enough that I could just blend in, phase out in the crowd.” Certain that Geneva was not the place for her, she agreed to visit the college just once with her family. Not two hours into the visit, Emily knew that God had bigger and better plans for her than the ones she’d picked out for herself. The warm welcome and spirit of unity embodied in the college Admissions and faculty impressed upon her the importance of studying at a small college, where students could have personal relationships with their professors and peers. And that is exactly what Emily has come to love about Geneva.

Though she came in as an English Literature major, Emily changed to Communication during her second semester of sophomore year. Though she loved the English department and her professors, she couldn’t shake the feeling that another major was calling to her. After receiving the advice of some good friends and the encouragement of faculty in both the English and Communication departments, she knew that, despite her fears, Communication was the right fit for her. While transitioning into a new major involved playing a lot of catch-up, she feels tremendously blessed by all those who helped her make the decision. Classes like Interpersonal Communication, Advanced Public Speaking, and Communication Theory have challenged her in ways she never would have expected, and helped her see the world in a new light. The greatest lesson she’s learned from her professors is the importance of living intentionally within one’s community. It doesn’t matter where God puts you; what matters is the posture of your heart, the intentionality behind your words and actions with others.

Outside of class, Emily is the associate editor of the Geneva Cabinet. Harboring a passion for newswriting, Emily had written articles for the paper during her freshman and sophomore year before being hired onto the staff. Alongside interning with the Public Relations department, Emily is grateful for the writing experiences she’s gained here at Geneva. Whether she peruses journalism or another related career after graduation, Emily knows her professors, supervisors, and peers have prepped her well for the future. For Geneva has not only prepared her academically, but cultivated her whole person, mind, body, and spirit. And that is a gift she believes she only could have received at this small, Christian college.