B Y J E S S I C A C AT L E T T, H P U S E N I O R
“For Howard Payne My All” – thank you! I have so many reasons to love Howard Payne. From the first time I came to Howard Payne, I could tell that this place made up a family. Before that first tour, I was a high school senior whose mother was forcing her to tour a school that she had never heard of. I did not want to be touring HPU. Even though I did not want to be there, my attitude completely changed the minute I stepped on campus. I know it sounds crazy, but I could feel the presence of God on campus. Every interaction I had was confirmation that Howard Payne was the place for me. Of course, when PJ Gramling is the first person you meet, how could you not love HPU? I also loved the fact that HPU is a smaller campus. I was graduating from a class of ten people and did not want to be a student that was just a number to a professor. I wanted to be able to have relationships with my professors. I needed to know that they cared about me and that they wanted to push me toward success. During that tour it was evident that the professors and the staff here truly want what is best for the students. There were several months between the day I first toured and the day I moved into Veda Hodge Hall. On move-in day, August 19, 2015, I was absolutely terrified. I almost threw up in the car on the way to HPU. There were so many times when I almost asked my mom to turn the car around and take me home. But something held me back. When I wanted to turn the car around, I remembered that feeling I had every time I toured HPU. I can’t put that feeling into words. It’s the feeling you get when you have had a hard day, and then you come home and someone you love gives you a hug – a hug that makes the day better. I felt like I was at home, and from that moment I knew I was welcomed into the Howard Payne family. I have matured and grown so much since August 19, 2015, and I believe that is largely due to the fact that the Lord placed me at Howard Payne. What I love most about Howard Payne is that I found a community and
18
LINK / SPRING 2019
H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y
