Alumni Association Update

Lifelong lessons: Bobbette Brooks Bell ’87 reflects on how HPU prepared her for the classroom and beyond

By Rebekah Sterling ’18

Bobbette Brooks Bell ’87, Alumni Association president, has many treasured memories of her time as a student at Howard Payne University. She fondly remembers getting popcorn at Dr. Newbury’s house, roaming the halls of Veda Hodge Hall and the anticipation of Homecoming weekend. But most memorable to her are the many ways that HPU prepared her for her future – academically and spiritually.

“One of the greatest takeaways from my time at Howard Payne is the superior education that I received as a student,” she said, “but my professors also did an outstanding job of stretching my spiritual growth.”

Bell graduated with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Since then, she has spent 32 years in public education, 29 of those as a classroom teacher. She currently works as a librarian at Salado High School. Bell emphasized that HPU absolutely prepared her for her role in education.

“I feel like no other university could have prepared me better to walk into the classroom as a firstyear teacher,” she said. “My professors taught me the fine balance of taking my message of faith into the public school and how to have compassion for the students in the classroom. I learned to be fair with my students, because that's how I was treated by the HPU faculty.”

Bell emphasized that her professors always challenged her to do her best – something that has become an important feature of her own teaching style.

“The faculty were certainly committed to helping us pursue excellence,” she said. “Because the faculty at Howard Payne forced me to be my best, I walked into my classroom expecting the best from my students. I knew, in the end, that was what my students would hunger for, what would equip them to be successful and what would make them feel good about themselves.” The influence HPU had on Bell’s future was not limited to moments in the classroom. Her involvement on campus also provided her with invaluable life lessons and lifelong friends.

“The skills that I learned in leadership roles through my involvement with Delta Chi Rho and Student Foundation have proven critical in my career, even though they weren’t really part of my academic education,” Bell said. “The people of Howard Payne are its greatest asset. I made some of my life’s best friends at HPU. They had, without question, the greatest influence on my experience.”

Being an active member of the HPU Alumni Association has allowed Bell to maintain these friendships and to build new relationships with the entire Yellow Jacket family. Most importantly, it has allowed her to be of service to HPU in a significant way.

“I believe my role as part of the Alumni Association is to honor HPU with my time, talent, treasure and voice,” she said. “Our enthusiasm and support of HPU adds value to our careers, degrees and, most importantly, Howard Payne University. It is important for alumni to be active in the Alumni Association because, as students, we depended on HPU for our future. As alumni, HPU depends on us for her future. It is our responsibility to ensure that she continues to ‘tower in her might.’” To find out more about the HPU Alumni Association and related activities, please visit www.hputx.edu/alumni.