HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE SPRING 2021

2021

High Point University THE PREMIER LIFE SKILLS UNIVERSITY

The Innovation Edition

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Embrace the unknown.

Steve Wozniak

Co-Founder, Apple

HPU Innovator in Residence

page 40

Cynt Marshall

CEO, Dallas Mavericks

HPU Sports Executive in Residence

Don’t Limit Yourself. page 44

Stop Waiting and start doing. page 36

Marc Randolph

Co-Founder, Netflix

HPU Entrepreneur in Residence

HPU’s Successful Response to

COVID-19

When the global pandemic began in early 2020, High Point University completed the spring semester online.

President Nido Qubein immediately commissioned HPU’s Health and Safety Task Force to prepare the campus.

Seniors who were unable to complete their final semester on campus were offered a tuition-free master’s degree in Communication and Business Leadership — another example of how HPU is committed to being the Premier Life Skills University.

history — a 5.4% increase from the previous record year.

Summer sessions and the fall semester were safely and successfully completed in person, and the spring 2021 semester began Jan. 11.

The university resumed in-person classes for a small group of Summer Advantage students in July 2020 as a way to test safety protocols and procedures prior to the entire student body arriving in August 2020 for the fall semester. While college enrollment nationally was down by double digits for the fall semester, HPU gratefully welcomed its largest total enrollment in

This magazine was in production when the global pandemic began, and many of the photos were taken prior to COVID-19. HPU has observed all recommended safety protocols throughout the course of the pandemic.

These stories capture the HPU spirit both before and during this unprecedented time.

HPU thanks the committed faculty, staff and students who embodied HPU’s call to action — Choose to Be Extraordinary! — by adhering to safety protocols to keep their campus community healthy.

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EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION Experience HPU’s Innovation Corridor The $250 million investment houses STEM-focused facilities and programs.

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Getting Ahead and Staying Ahead HPU Summer Advantage gives freshmen a head start on leadership and life skills.

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CARING PEOPLE Modeling the Value of Generosity The Class of 2023 kicked off their HPU journey by giving back.

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On the cover: High Point University provides students with unprecedented access to innovators. Just imagine being a student who consistently learns from Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence; Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, HPU's Sports Executive in Residence; or Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph, HPU's Entrepreneur in Residence. When HPU students meet and learn from these global titans, they learn that they, too, can create positive change. They learn the art of the possible.

HPU’S CULTURE OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION High Point University’s educational model is distinctive.

It is highly relevant.

It is innovative.

We’re blessed to be in a position to provide resources in ample supply to ensure every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.

And we are blessed, particularly in these challenging times, to have welcomed the largest enrollment in HPU’s history in August 2020 at 5,600 students strong.

Each brings a treasure of fellowship and stewardship. Thank you.

President Nido R. Qubein

We appreciate being ranked among the “National Top 50 Universities for First Year Experiences” by the respected U.S. News & World Report. As you know, the most critical year of college for any student is the first year.

Beginning their first day on campus, our institution's innovation springs from a relentless enthusiasm to arm students with practical life skills and to develop within them a growth mindset.

We are accomplishing that every day.

EXTRAORDINARY OUTCOMES HPU students are sought after by impressive companies and stellar graduate programs throughout the nation and across our world.

Parents continually share their own stories with me about the transformation they’ve experienced in their HPU student. We love that.

While rankings are an important reflection of our academic and institutional reputation, the one ranking we care about the most is what happens in the life of our students. This includes how they learn, what they do with their life and how much value they extract from their college journey.

While many families today sadly question the benefits of a college education, HPU is thriving.

Yes, thriving. Want to know why?

Because we get it.

And our culture lives it.

After all, we are the Premier Life Skills University.

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Even when COVID-19 brought unimaginable circumstances to reality, HPU modeled life skills and delivered innovative value to all undergraduate students by offering students a tuition-free master’s degree in Communication and Business Leadership as their next step after graduation. And while this response to the impact of the coronavirus was unprecedented in the world of higher education, it’s the type of ingenuity so many have come to expect from the Premier Life Skills University.

The truth is families don’t want to spend money to have their student simply obtain a diploma.

They are eager to invest in an education that nurtures their student into a fruitful, principlebased individual who seeks to contribute positively wherever they are. This pandemic allowed HPU to demonstrate and, once again, model the behavior and actions needed to survive and thrive in challenging times. We

are blessed to have held a successful fall semester on campus with in-person classes. This is what students and parents overwhelmingly wanted. And so we executed the appropriate safety precautions and delivered with faithful courage.

PRACTICAL AND PRINCIPLED Every freshman at High Point University takes my class their first semester. The President’s Seminar on Life Skills is an introduction to the mindset of HPU’s educational philosophy. Some would call it old school. I call it practical and principled lessons for living and thriving in an ever-changing, demanding, global marketplace.

I teach them about the fundamental differences between communicating and connecting, time management and energy management, a "to-do" list and a "to-be" list, service and stewardship, beliefs and behaviors, and how mastering all of these can propel you forward in thought and action.

But I also talk about values, something our campus culture upholds at every turn. We celebrate patriotism.

No country is perfect, but the United States is still a great nation for anyone who wants to work hard, work smart and take responsibility to make extraordinary things happen.

HPU is a God, family and country school. We don’t attempt to hide or diminish that. In fact, while this may turn some away from us, HPU’s celebration of faith and values attracts thousands of families who seek a university atmosphere that continues to instill the values fostered in their own homes.

As our nation wrestles with racial divisions, you'll find an example of our values of equality, justice and fairness on page 90.

AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXCELLENCE We’ve invested $250 million in STEM initiatives (see page 14) focused on programs in engineering, cybersecurity, neuroscience, physician assistant studies, physical therapy and many others.

We want to ensure HPU graduates are not intimidated by life’s obstacles or challenges. Instead, they are ready for life’s best opportunities. This is why we surround students with the technology, the brain trust, the can-do attitude and the types of environments found at many leading organizations across the globe.

$1 BILLION INVESTMENT IN ACCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY With all of HPU’s success, we keep our eyes on the horizon, not in the rearview mirror.

Our $1 billion plan for the next decade is both aggressive and achievable.

Some $700 million will be invested in scholarships to enhance our ongoing commitment to inclusivity — with a special focus on first generation students and veterans — and to assist in making college more affordable.

Another $300 million will be invested in campus facilities, including a new library, academic facilities, student housing and athletic programs.

THE MAGIC IS IN THE MIX At High Point University, we think of our community as a league of heroes, models and mentors. It’s a beautiful ecosystem where everyone is empowered to help one another. Everywhere you look on this campus, you’ll find heroes to admire, models to emulate and mentors to guide you.

HPU’s first Black student, Ammie Jenkins, enrolled in High Point College in 1962.

Our call to action is bold: Choose to be extraordinary.

Last fall, I invited Ammie back to campus to award her an honorary degree. She was welcomed with a standing ovation from HPU faculty and staff. It was a poignant moment — a recognition of Ammie’s bravery as a pioneer. It was also a reminder that we can all do more to heal the divisions, bias and racism that still exist in our nation. HPU is committed to continuing in this imperative work.

If you haven’t visited campus recently, let this be a friendly invitation to discover the magic and the miracle that is High Point University.

And we live it — every day.

Welcome home.

Sincerely, Nido R. Qubein nqubein@highpoint.edu

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Extraordinary Education Compressing Time, Achieving More High Point University knows a thing or two about transformation because HPU has transformed its campus and its culture in an unprecedented amount of time.

Consider that in 2005, HPU was a 90-acre, landlocked campus with 1,450 undergraduate students and a few dozen facilities.

Today, HPU is a 500-acre campus filled with more than 100 state-of-the-art facilities, 5,600 students, stellar faculty conducting high-level research and educational opportunities you won’t find elsewhere.

Need a few examples?

• HPU recently completed its Innovation Corridor and a $250 million investment in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that includes the Webb School of Engineering, the Caine Conservatory, the Wanek School of Natural Sciences and Congdon Hall, which houses the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy. To read more about the exciting developments along HPU’s Innovation Corridor, see page 14.

• HPU offers undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities to all freshmen, regardless of major, as soon as they arrive to campus.

Other schools often require students to wait until they’re upperclassmen to participate in these handson learning experiences.

• HPU students have access to innovators such as Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence; Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence; Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph, HPU’s Entrepreneur in Residence; and many more (see page 36). Why? By learning from these global leaders, students learn the art of the possible.

They learn that they, too, can accomplish great things.

High Point University is committed to equipping students with life skills that prepare them for the world as it is going to be, not as it is. Even the schools that help students master the most innovative technology face the reality that technology eventually becomes obsolete. Yet life skills are timeless.

That’s why HPU has designed an educational model that compresses time. Turn the page to discover how HPU positions students to amass the type of experience that, if left to the natural progression of life, might take decades to achieve.

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Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence, held an interactive Q&A session with students in the Webb School of Engineering during his recent visit.

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During their first semester on campus in fall 2019, Class of 2023 students Grace Todd (left), Kayelin Cosgrove (center) and Kaylee Hanooman (right) discussed the badges they earned through HPU Rise, the university’s exclusive app that guides students through the four-year journey.

Rising to Success HPU’s Rise App guides students through the four-year transformation.

Would you drive across the country without Googling the best route?

Would you make a major purchase without reading the reviews?

Grace Todd, a member of the Class of 2023 from Ohio focused on pre-medicine, certainly wouldn’t.

Todd is a planner. She has a long list of goals that will help her get to medical school. That’s why she utilizes Rise, the university's exclusive app where students view their educational journey and track their progress on their smartphone.

The Class of 2023 began their academic careers with Rise thanks to the success coach team and Dr. Stephanie Crofton, HPU’s vice president for experiential learning and professional development. Now, all incoming classes begin their HPU journey with the app.

Crofton was uniquely positioned to spearhead the custombuilt app. With more than 20 years at the university, she oversees the freshman success coach program and understands the unique challenges new students face.

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One of those challenges is being surrounded with opportunity when freshmen arrive to campus. With Rise, new students can streamline the endless list of options, such as joining clubs, conducting undergraduate research, choosing their major and attending events.

“A roadmap goes a long way,” says Crofton. “College is one of the most important investments in a student’s life, and we want our students to maximize HPU’s transformational process.”

An Extension of Mentorship Rise is a digital extension of HPU’s unique success coach program. Every freshman at HPU has a success coach that serves as a point person and first-year guide. The university knows that students who build a solid foundation early in their academic careers can achieve more during their fouryear journey.

Success coaches encourage students to utilize Rise, too, because it’s always in their pocket, providing digital reminders and incentives for completing important tasks.

Through the app, new students like Todd can see their next steps and earn badges for meeting their goals.

“The app motivates you to accomplish a lot of extracurricular activities you might not have thought about getting involved in,” says Todd. “Earning badges makes you feel accomplished.

My friends and I love that we can keep track of badges we’ve earned in one place.”

Data from the app gives success coaches more touch points with their students because they can view which events are most popular and which badges students most frequently earn.

“Coaches can congratulate their students on earning new badges and offer tips on how to achieve the next goal,” says Crofton. “It’s an effective tool in HPU’s mentorship process.”

A Four-Year Life Skills Transcript The level of mentorship HPU provides to its newest students reflects the university’s standing as a National Top 50 University in First Year Experiences by U.S. News & World Report. The benefits of using the app, however, extend beyond freshman year. When graduation arrives for the Class of 2023 and beyond, Rise will provide a four-year life skills transcript that quickly articulates their journey.

“HPU students gain a wide variety of technical and life skills, and Rise tracks both,” says Crofton. “They can literally print a transcript outlining the skills and experiences they’ve amassed, just like an academic transcript.”

Todd joined Research Rookies during her first semester to bolster the experience she can include on her future medical school applications. The unique HPU program introduces

Inside the Mestdagh Creative Commons, success coaches guide students along their transformational journey. freshmen to scholarly research, which most universities reserve for upperclassmen.

When students accomplish objectives, they scan a QR code to earn badges. Now, when Todd opens her phone, she can scroll through a list of badges she's earned, such as the Research Rookies badge.

While Rise helps students accomplish goals, it also encourages them to explore campus and meet new people. Ryan Roy began using Rise during Summer Advantage (see page 96), a program that gives freshmen a head start on earning academic credit.

“The app encouraged me to experience the campus and take advantage of the resources housed here,” says Roy, a game design major from Maryland. “It provided me with clear direction, like meeting professors in my major and attending professional development events. Having an app that pushes us to go out and experience all aspects of campus is very helpful.” ▲

THE ANATOMY OF A SUCCESS COACH Every freshman at High Point University benefits from a success coach who serves as a guide through their transitional journey into college life. Success coaches help students narrow down their major, construct a path to achieve their goals and lend academic support when needed. Here’s a glimpse at the other important roles success coaches fill throughout a student’s first year at HPU.

ACADEMIC ADVISOR: Success coaches connect with new students before they ever arrive to campus to help them build class schedules. And because it’s common nationally for most freshmen to change their major, coaches help undeclared students identify their major and navigate the curriculum of their academic path. Success coaches also guide students in choosing appropriate classes for their spring semester of freshman year and fall semester of their sophomore year, just before students transition to a faculty advisor.

CARING COACH: When incoming freshmen arrive on campus, they experience a variety of emotions. Often their first time away from home, students feel the need to quickly find their place at HPU. Success coaches answer that call.

Success coaches encourage students to find their own personal niche on campus and designate ways that students can apply and pursue their passions.

CAMPUS CONNECTOR: Success coaches help students make connections with faculty and staff on campus. They refer students to the Office of Career and Professional Development, Student Life, Counseling Services, Financial Aid and other offices on campus to ensure they receive the support and encouragement they need.

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Preparing Students for the World as it is Going to Be HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development helps students translate their skills and experience into successful careers.

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HPU's Office of Career and Professional Development is centrally located in Cottrell Hall with other offices that foster experiential learning and career-building opportunities.

Think about this: Students spend the majority of their lives preparing for college and their career.

When they arrive to HPU, the Office of Career and Professional Development serves as the compass that directs their path, from selecting a major and securing an internship to conducting mock interviews and applying for their first full-time job.

For Logan Kamer, a Class of 2020 graduate who majored in business administration and minored in sales, the Office of Career and Professional Development helped him land a job offer as an account manager with Gartner in Fort Myers, Florida, well before graduating.

Blazing the Trail “HPU is a truly incredible university,” says Kamer. “The ways that you can develop and grow as a person are astronomical at HPU.” Kamer made the most of the resources at HPU and worked with the Office of Career and Professional Development to secure his internship as a global tech sales intern with Gartner for the summer of 2019. The company went on to offer him full-time employment after he graduated.

“From joining the Sales Club and serving as President of Alpha Kappa Psi, to leveraging the Office of Career and Professional Development and learning from global leaders like Scott McKain, HPU’s Corporate Educator in Residence and bestselling author, I have learned so much both in and outside of the classroom,” says Kamer.

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The ways that you can develop and grow as a person are astronomical at HPU. – Logan Kamer, '20, majored in business administration with a minor in sales. Pictured above on the left, he is now an account manager with Gartner in Fort Myers, Florida.

MARKET ENDORSEMENT Employers know better than anyone that HPU students and graduates lead the way in life skills.

Here’s what they have to say about working with HPU students:

“HPU students have the highest business acumen, great communication and confidence in their skills. They are set up for success. The classes they take are very relevant to the business world, and they get hands-on experience. I can see that when they’re in our internship program.”

– Jessica Reed, Campus Recruiter with Gartner

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“We love hiring graduates from HPU, especially for our engineering, operations and purchasing programs.

There is a lot of great talent coming out of HPU, and we look forward to welcoming plenty more.”

– Will Jackson, Supplier Relationship Manager at Volvo

“We’ve always had talented students from HPU. They come with a lot of experience and a great educational background that we’re looking for.”

– Mari Fujino, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Kontoor Brands, Inc., the parent company for Wrangler, Lee and Rock & Republic denim brands

“We’ve had several interns from HPU, and their skill set, professionalism and willingness to complete projects really stood out to us.”

– Andrea Whiticar, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources at Tanger Outlets

Making Connections Regardless of major or career goals, students enter Cottrell Hall with questions and leave with direction. Every High Point University student has the opportunity to hone their interviewing skills and extend their network with the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Here’s just one example: The university dedicated an entire day to career development opportunities, including three Employer Panels and a Career and Internship Expo.

Dressed professionally and carrying copies of their resumes, students met with employers one-on-one and discussed what companies look for in new hires. During the speaker panels, employers covered networking, how to land your dream job, and diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace.

The Office of Career and Professional Development not only organizes a large variety of hands-on learning experiences, but also prepares students to foster positive relationships with employers, which can lead to internships or full-time positions.

“High Point University has given me the confidence to walk up to potential employers knowing that my experiences here are arming me with the skills needed in the workforce," says James Capps, a junior finance and philosophy double major, who is working with the Office of Career and Professional Development to narrow down internship opportunities.

Employers frequently visit HPU’s campus for networking events, where students often find career and internship opportunities.

HPU’s Internship Guarantee

Students are guaranteed to secure an internship after completing HPU’s 24-step professional development program, covering these five major categories:

Each year, the expo provides students with opportunities to network with employers and discuss industry trends in particular fields.

“The Career and Internship Expo is one of the major examples of how our Office of Career and Professional Development educates and empowers High Point University students to translate experiential learning to the professional world as it will be,” says Dr. Bill Gentry, assistant vice president for the Office of Career and Professional Development.

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Data from the Class of 2020. High Point University follows the National Association of Colleges and Employers first destination reporting protocols.

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CAREER EXPLORATION PROFESSIONAL BRANDING NETWORKING RESEARCH INTERVIEW PROCESS AND PROTOCOL

Learn more about HPU's Internship Guarantee at www.highpoint.edu/careerinternships

of graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation, 11 points higher than the national average.

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Preparing with Prime In addition to events like the Career and Internship Expo, HPU provides students with four years of enhanced career preparation inside 1924 Prime.

Inside the immersive fine-dining learning lab, you’ll find students practicing proper etiquette in a setting that replicates an interview situation they may one day experience. In fact, in The New York Times article, “How to Hire the Right Person,” employers say that taking a candidate to lunch or dinner is one of the most revealing and important components of the hiring process.

Inside 1924 Prime, HPU's fine dining restaurant and learning lab, the Office of Career and Professional Development hosts networking opportunities over dinner between students and employers.

While some colleges provide an etiquette class during a student’s senior year, HPU students have four years of opportunity at 1924 Prime to gain life skills that prepare them for any professional setting they may encounter.

Imagine being able to practice your interview skills before walking into a five-star restaurant to meet with prospective employers. At HPU, students have this opportunity through ongoing mock interview events in 1924 Prime, facilitated by local employers from the High Point community.

“We continuously have great employers who want to come to our campus, get to know our students and recruit them for internships and future employment,” says Gentry. “They serve as role models and teachers themselves who give great feedback and career advice to our students.”

Dulbic "X" Xie, an international student from China majoring in sport management, participated in the mock interview series last fall.

“My dream career is to serve as director of community relations for a professional soccer team,” says Xie. “It’s highly likely I will be eating with prospective employers or current colleagues at some point in my career. With 1924 Prime, I’m prepared for any environment that comes my way.”

As a student in Dr. Doug Hall’s sport management class, Xie discussed his career goals with Hall.

“Dr. Hall told me it would be good to share my background and skills with attendees from the Salvation Army because you never know where a connection will lead,” says Xie. Carrying this advice forward, Xie attended the mock interview session and had a successful conversation with the Salvation Army — so successful that he was offered an internship serving as community relations intern for the organization’s youth soccer program.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity with the Salvation Army, the mock interview series and Dr. Hall for sharing his insight on how local nonprofits have connections to the sports industry.”

Appreciating the Journey For Kamer, the key takeaways are patience and persistence.

“My advice is to simply get started and learn to enjoy the process,” says Kamer. “You won’t be able to see what success is down the road or what accomplishments you’ll achieve when you’re just starting out. Take that first step to join that club, make your resume, connect with that person on LinkedIn and work on yourself. With persistence, you’ll reap rewards. My motto is macro vision, what you want long term, plus micro execution, the daily and weekly execution, equals success.”

While the entire staff at HPU played a role in Kamer’s time on campus, Gentry is at the top of his impactful mentors list.

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“His willingness to sit down, listen and offer tailored advice is always encouraging,” says Kamer. “From leadership questions to interview tips, Dr. Gentry has been there for me the whole way. His leadership style and dedication to HPU are what makes this school so great.”

For Gentry, he reflects on the growth he’s witnessed in Kamer.

“I met Logan his sophomore year as he was applying for internships,” says Gentry. “We conducted a mock interview, and he has visited our office many times since. I encourage all students to come early and often, beginning as soon as their freshman year.”

While traditional internships are increasingly valuable, this program gives students a 360-degree view of a company, from entry level positions to executive leadership roles.

Life Skills and Leadership Development Program

HPU's Life Skills and Leadership Development Program includes Coca-Cola Consolidated, Thomas Built Buses, Caffey Distributing and RTI International.

Candidates selected receive a top-to-bottom look at how each business operates, from working alongside an entry-level employee, to shadowing the company’s leadership.

Young Alumni Outcomes

Since graduating, HPU students have commenced many prestigious career and graduate school paths. While their success is too expansive to list here, below is a sampling of where these graduates are now.

Visit www.highpoint.edu/outcomes for more of their stories.

Emiliano Martinez-Don, ’20

Monet Gilmore, ’20 Graduate School: Master's in Public Health at Tulane University Hometown: Mitchellville, Maryland Major: Exercise science with minors in psychology and African-American studies

Merrill Lynch

Occupation: Associate Financial Advisor Hometown: Miami, Florida Major: International business with a concentration in French business; minors in economics and French

Mitch Rissmiller, ’19

Gabrielle Propst, ’19, Law School Graduate School: Law School at Wake Forest University Hometown: Hickory, North Carolina Major: Marketing with a minor in sales

NBC’s “TODAY” Show

Occupation: Production Assistant Hometown: Reading, Pennsylvania Major: Strategic communication and a minor in business administration

Liesel Kreiner, ’19, AT&T Occupation: Fiber Solutions Executive in the B2B Sales Development Program in Dallas, Texas Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Major: Marketing with minors in sales and finance

Grayson Norris, ’20, Medical School Graduate School: Doctor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma Major: Biochemistry

Carly Garr, ’19

Alexandra Vaughn, ’19 Graduate School: Guildhall Master's Degree in Interactive Technology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas Hometown: Reading, Pennsylvania Major: Game and interactive media design with a minor in psychology

NBCUniversal’s GolfNow

Occupation: Brand Management Specialist and Digital Creation Hometown: Kintnersville, Pennsylvania Major: International business with a minor in marketing

Rami Aoun, ’19, Dell Occupation: Inside Sales Representative Hometown: Raleigh, North Carolina Major: Business administration with minors in sales and finance

Sydney Boratto, ’19

Internal Revenue Service

Occupation: Revenue Officer Hometown: West Milford, New Jersey Major: Criminal justice with a minor in computer science

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INNOVATION CORRIDOR HPU’s $250 million STEM investment is complete.

HPU’s scientists call it home.

The Wanek School of Natural Sciences is the hub of HPU’s $250 million Innovation Corridor.

Walk this half-mile stretch of campus, and you’ll see why.

You’ll pass the newly renovated Webb School of Engineering and the Caine Conservatory, a new space for botanical research and a restaurant.

Along the way, you’ll see sculptures of history’s greatest scientists, like Marie Skłodowska Curie and Albert Einstein.

Continue to the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, and you’ll find HPU’s hub for undergraduate students studying biology, chemistry, physics, neuroscience and more in state-of-the-art labs. One of the brightest planetariums in the nation is located inside, too.

Left page: The colors inside the lobby of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences represent elements of the environment, including orange for the earth's core, green for the earth's surface and blue for the atmosphere. Below: Dr. Heather Miller (center), associate professor of chemistry, is one of many faculty leading students in research endeavors inside this new facility.

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A large community space inside the Wanek School of Natural Sciences provides plenty of room for collaboration, as well as private study rooms.

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Next, you’ll find Congdon Hall, home of the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Congdon School of Health Sciences.

They offer doctoral programs in pharmacy and physical therapy, a master’s program in physician assistant studies, and a one-of-a-kind Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab.

The final piece of HPU’s Innovation Corridor was completed this spring with the opening of the Caine Conservatory.

Inside these incredible facilities is a wealth of faculty conducting grant-funded research on stars, stem cells and antibiotic resistant bacteria. They guide students who will one day fill a variety of health care provider or research roles — doctors, dentists, veterinarians and more.

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Now, this part of campus represents the spirit of innovation found throughout HPU.

Tara Jue, ’20, and Ashley Robinson, ’21, have seen the Innovation Corridor come to fruition during their time as students.

INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE WANEK SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

The Wanek School of Natural Sciences reflects the amazing growth High Point University has experienced. The $65 million, 128,000-square-foot facility opened in fall 2019 and features four stories of state-of-the-art lab and classroom space, as well as the Culp Planetarium. Students in biology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry and neuroscience are conducting high-level research in the facility’s innovative laboratories.

The Wanek School of Natural Sciences is named in honor of Todd Wanek, the president and CEO of Ashley Furniture, and Karen Wanek, the board woman of Superior Fresh. They are parents of two HPU graduates.

HPU President Nido Qubein (left) honored Karen Wanek (center) and Todd Wanek (right) by presenting them with a framed photo of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences. The Waneks are parents of two HPU graduates.

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Pictured from left to right are Alan Parker, Punkin Parker, Mary Mahler, Alan A. Parker, Peter Mahler, Janet Fisher and Wayne Fisher.

Mahler Family Promenade The Mahler Family Promenade connects the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, the Caine Conservatory, the Congdon School of Health Sciences and the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy as part of the $250 million Innovation Corridor.

It features a topiary garden and outdoor study areas.

It is named for Peter and Mary Mahler, longtime HPU supporters, along with their daughter, Punkin Parker, her husband, Alan, and son Alan A., as well as their daughter, Janet Fisher, and her husband, Wayne. The Mahlers started PAM Trading Co. in 1983 as a textile business, but have since added injection molding.

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Culp Planetarium A fully immersive experience, the 6,000-squarefoot Culp Planetarium includes a 50-foot dome with a 4K projection screen and a state-of-the-art surround sound system. The facility is equipped with 125 seats and programming to teach astronomy, earth science, anatomy and a variety of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lessons for university students, as well as elementary, middle and high school-age groups in the community.

In 2017, Rob and Susan Culp and their family generously gave $1 million to support the HPU honored dedicated philanthropist, community leader and benefactor Susan Culp, her late husband Rob and her family at a special ceremony inside the Culp Planetarium.

Pictured from left to right are Lee Culp Henry, Susan Culp and Robert G. Iv Culp.

planetarium.

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Insectary An insectary provides unique research opportunities. For example, Dr. Jackson T. Sparks (pictured left), assistant professor of biology, and his undergraduate students study mosquito behavior. Their work can discover new methods for controlling mosquito populations and creating new repellents.

Zebrafish Laboratory More than just a space filled with fish tanks, important stem cell research is conducted in the Zebrafish Lab. Dr. Kristin Ackerman (pictured left below), assistant professor of biology, and students study the regenerative properties of zebrafish in their search for information that could improve the human healing processes.

Astronomy Lab The astronomy lab provides students and professors the ability to remotely work with telescopes in Chile, photograph galaxies and discover new stars. HPU is a primary member of the SMARTS Telescope Consortium, a network of U.S. universities, including Yale, Georgia State University and others, that maintains and operates four research-grade telescopes on Cerro Tololo in Chile. Recently, students assisted Dr. Brad Barlow, assistant professor of astrophysics and Culp Planetarium director, in discovering eight new pulsating stars.

Cell Culture Facility

Featuring the latest incubators, cell hoods and digital microscopes, the cell culture facility is a space for students to conduct research on factors that control the growth of normal and cancerous cells. Professors like Dr. Heather Miller, associate professor of biochemistry who has secured National Science Foundation grants, oversee students and encourage their interest in the study of cell growth.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lab

One of the largest lab spaces on campus, the biochemistry and molecular biology lab allows students to safely work with chemicals and live materials alongside faculty and peers. In this space, students conduct research with a wide range of equipment and technology.

Physics Undergraduate Research Lab In this expansive, collaborative lab space, students learn through classes, laboratory experiments and undergraduate research projects. The lab provides a space for faculty to be innovative, creative and effective in their approach to build a department that launches students into successful careers. Professors and students also gather here to utilize special technology that engages students in hands-on learning, such as 3D printers. 3D printing has applications in many types of manufacturing industries as well as other fields, such as education, interior design, computer science, auto mechanics and medicine.

Part of their transformational journey unfolded here.

Robinson is a biology major from Middletown, Delaware. She has class inside the Wanek School of Natural Sciences’ cell culture facility, where students and faculty conduct research on factors that control the growth of normal and cancerous cells.

“Getting this type of experience and using advanced technology in the cell culture lab is something that I include on my resume,” says Robinson. “We use a lot of high-level technology, which will help me land internships and other opportunities.”

As a computer science major from Marlboro, New Jersey, Jue landed a business analyst internship with Morgan Stanley in New York City when she was a junior. Before she returned to campus for her senior year, Morgan Stanley offered Jue a full-time, postgraduate position.

What helped her stand out? The way HPU prepared her.

“HPU has given me opportunities I couldn't have imagined before coming to college,” says Jue.

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One of those opportunities was working with Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence. Jue minored in graphic design, and when she and fellow computer science majors collaborated with Wozniak throughout the last four years to build a self-driving vehicle, Jue was charged with designing some of the vehicle’s exterior branding.

That stood out to Morgan Stanley’s recruiters.

“Working with Steve Wozniak was one of the most impressive things on my resume,” says Jue. “We’re a group of students at a small university with the ability to work with a well-known and influential technologist. People are impressed when they hear about such an amazing project and mentor.”

But Jue knows that is what happens when students live and learn on a forward-thinking campus.

“It’s amazing to know that there’s always constant transformation in order to be better,” says Jue. “It motivates all of the students to do better because it’s such an amazing environment. We’re surrounded with inspiring people, and there’s always something new happening.”

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Top: Throughout the Innovation Corridor, you'll find inspiring quotes from the technological pioneers of history, including this quote from Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence.

Bottom: The Innovation Corridor is filled with impressive lab space, such as this Physician Assistant Simulation Lab inside Congdon Hall, home to the Congdon School of Health Sciences and Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy.

“We have an environment that emphasizes connection and collaboration.”

– Dr. Angela Bauer, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Founding Dean of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences

Steeped in Scientific Inquiry The facilities are impressive, but Dr. Angela Bauer, vice president for Academic Affairs who first served as the founding dean of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, knows the most important factor in student outcomes is how faculty utilize those facilities when coaching students.

When Bauer and Dr. Brian Augustine, chair of the department of chemistry, were planning for the new facility, they penned “three big ideas” they wanted the facility to foster.

The first big idea? Fostering interdisciplinary projects.

“The facility was designed with an ‘everybody uses everything’ mentality,” says Bauer. “We wanted to see biology and chemistry majors working in the lab together or physics and neuroscience majors sharing what they do and working on interdisciplinary teams. We know that’s how science is conducted in present day and how it’s most effective. Now, we have an environment that emphasizes connection and collaboration.”

And the third idea? Scientific inquiry — a place where faculty are leading the charge.

“Our faculty have an incredible amount of skill, passion and talent,” says Bauer. “They are ramping up amazing research initiatives and contributing to the greater body of knowledge.

We have a diverse group of learners in every classroom, and our faculty are committed to weaving those students into these opportunities.”

It’s a commitment that extends across HPU’s campus. It’s a decision to empower the next generation of change agents.

The second big idea? Ample community space.

“When science majors are hanging out with other science majors outside of class, they pick up the attitude and behaviors of a scientist,” says Bauer. “This is a space where science majors can hang out and do that.”

Students like Robinson can vouch for that. In addition to labs, she frequents the new science facility for studying, group projects, or to tutor students in introductory level science courses.

“It’s a dynamic learning environment with so much space to interact and connect,” says Robinson. “There’s whiteboard space so that study groups have plenty of room to meet any time, and I can tell that the entire facility was designed with students in mind. Every classroom is a bright space where we can focus.”

The Webb School of Engineering, housed in Couch Hall along the Innovation Corridor, received a total renovation that includes new lab space and bright classrooms with a circular design to foster engaged learning.

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INTEGRATING SCIENCE ACROSS CAMPUS Part of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences’ mission is to foster an interdisciplinary connection between the sciences and the entire HPU campus. Here’s a glimpse at some initiatives combining the sciences with the liberal arts.

HPU’s Mobile Lab Funded by an HPU Think Big Grant, the Mobile Lab (pictured above) is a science lab on wheels. HPU students in all scientific majors join forces to take the Mobile Lab to local schools and events where they can share their appreciation for the sciences with local children. The lab also visits events on campus, such as the Department of Theatre’s performance of “These Shining Lives.” The play is based on the true story of women working in a 1920s watch factory and the dangers they faced by using radium to paint glow-in-the-dark numbers on watch faces. The Mobile Lab shared opportunities to explore the properties of radiation and learn more about its effects.

Cell Art Collaborative This ongoing initiative brings local high school students and HPU biology students together to create works of art inspired by science. Most recently, students from High Point Central High School created science-inspired works of art after collaborating with HPU biology majors and faculty. Their creations are often displayed for the public to view during a presentation on the intersection of art and science.

Culp Planetarium Inside the Culp Planetarium, one of the brightest planetariums in the nation, numerous events welcome students, faculty and staff from all departments to enjoy special presentations, such as scripted shows performed by students in the planetarium operations course. The planetarium is also a part of major community events, such as HPU’s Community Christmas, inviting families and children to view Santa’s sleigh flying through the night sky.

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RESEARCH AND SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION

HPU faculty are conducting high-level scientific research across campus while also securing scientific opportunities for students to participate in around the world. This research is receiving national attention while providing students with incredible learning experiences that will benefit their future careers. Below is a glimpse of research projects being conducted on campus.

Dr. Heather Miller

Dr. Meghan Blackledge

Dr. Kevin Suh

Dr. Brad Barlow

Jeff Regester

Dr. Pamela Lundin

Dr. Andrew Wommack

Dr. Heather Miller, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Meghan Blackledge, assistant professor of chemistry, were awarded a $412,000 Academic Research Enhancement Award from the National Institutes of Health through its General Medical Sciences Institute. This is the first NIH grant awarded to HPU’s Department of Chemistry and the first AREA grant awarded to HPU. Dr. Kevin Suh, assistant professor of biology, and students are focusing on the effects of natural products on cancer cells.

They are testing the effect of fisetin, a dietary polyphenol abundant in many fruits and vegetables, on human prostate and cervical cancer cells.

The National Science Foundation, through the Division of Astronomical Sciences, has awarded Dr. Brad Barlow, assistant professor of astrophysics, $350,000 to investigate the effects that small objects, like planets, might have on the future evolution of stars similar to the sun. Barlow’s research focuses on small stars known as “hot subdwarfs,” which are formed when a red giant has its outer layers removed by gravitational interactions with a nearby companion.

Jeff Regester, instructor of physics and astronomy, and David Vestal, junior, were selected by NASA and the Southwest Research Institute to participate in an expedition in northern Australia to collect astronomical observations in support of Lucy, a NASA probe that is currently under construction and due to be launched in 2021.

Dr. Pamela Lundin, Dr. Andrew Wommack and Dr. Meghan Blackledge, all assistant professors of chemistry, received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation program. The grant supported the purchase of a 400 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer to continue undergraduate research in HPU’s new Wanek School of Natural Sciences.

Dr. Andrew Wommack, assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded a $172,000 grant from the Chemistry of Life Processes Program within the National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemistry. This grant will support nine HPU undergraduate research students as they investigate biochemical signaling related to how peptides and proteins use disulfide bonds.

Characterizing these intricate chemical mechanisms is important to better understand exercise-induced stress, cellular function during aging and stages of disease. In addition to inventing new chemical methods for exploring how disulfide bonding affects biological processes, Wommack’s project benefits the training of undergraduate research students.

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Extraordinary Expansion A 10-year commitment from President Qubein and a $1 billion investment continue HPU’s rapid rise.

The crowd that filled the Hayworth Fine Arts Center in fall 2019 rang with applause when High Point University President Nido Qubein announced it.

“I’m very proud of what I’m about to show you,” Qubein told the audience before they saw HPU’s new, 10-year transformational growth plan on the screen.

“This is important to our hearts.”

A chart appeared. It showed a $1 billion investment broken down into $700 million in scholarships and $300 million in campus growth. And it brought audience members to their feet.

“It’s bold, but we know we can do it,” Qubein said.

“We have always believed that if you lead with faithful courage, anything is possible.”

The unprecedented growth HPU has experienced in the last 15 years has proven this to be true.

HPU President Nido Qubein discusses the university's next 10-year growth plan with the media during a major announcement.

The transformational growth plan includes:

10-year commitment from Qubein to continue his leadership at HPU

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$700 million in scholarships focused on affordability for first generation college students and veterans, as well as diversity and academic excellence initiatives

$300 million in construction, including a new library, academic building, admissions center and Division I ice hockey facility

A Town and Gown Think Tank of local leaders committed to ensuring that the city of High Point and HPU continue to thrive together

In September 2019, HPU President Nido Qubein announced a major 10-year growth plan that is carrying the university forward.

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It’s unheard of in higher education. But it’s believable at High Point University, where, in a short amount of time, the campus has quadrupled in size, undergraduate enrollment has tripled, six new academic schools have been established, and a $250 million Innovation Corridor flowing with STEM opportunities was just completed.

“We are not done growing,” Qubein said. “Our transformation has been productive and purposeful.

We are excited to continue our university’s growth and broaden our impact locally, nationally and on a global scale.”

A Foundation of Success To know where HPU is headed, it’s important to remember how far HPU has come.

That’s why Dr. Bob Brown, chairman of High Point University’s Board of Trustees, opened the September growth plan announcement with these questions.

“Can you remember what it was like to drive on this campus in 2004?” Brown asked.

“Can you remember seeing license plates from Texas, Colorado and California driving across campus in 2004?”

“When you think about High Point University in 2004, do you think about what one journalist wrote — ‘an old, dusty college?’”

Everyone knew the answers to the rhetorical questions. HPU was different back then — smaller, quieter and without national recognition. No one expected how much the university would accomplish and how quickly it could change.

Except Qubein. When he became president in 2005, he believed in the potential of the university and the HPU family. He rallied them to create new programs, enroll students from all over the country and live by a call to action that everyone on campus now knows by heart — Choose to be extraordinary.

Dr. Bob Brown, chairman of the HPU Board of Trustees, announces that HPU President Nido Qubein has accepted the board's request to lead HPU for another 10 years.

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$1 Billion Breakdown

HPU’s $1 billion investment over the next 10 years includes:

$700 million in scholarships

focused on affordability initiatives for:

$300 million in new academic programs and facilities will include:

• Diversity

• Proposed School of Nursing

• First generation college students

• Hospitality management program

• Veterans

• Events planning program

• Academic excellence

• Half a dozen other programs • New library • New academic facility • New admissions center • Division I ice hockey facility

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A culture built on energy, strength, momentum and vision took hold.

Some questioned the ambitious vision, even while enrollment soared and the campus expanded.

Fifteen years later, any doubt about how much HPU can accomplish has fallen to the wayside. The proof can be seen and measured.

Brown knows. He’s a native of High Point who served as a former advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela's family and two U.S. presidents.

He’s watched HPU flourish in his hometown under the leadership of Qubein.

“Nido Qubein has influenced the lives of students here at High Point University in a way that only a few great leaders can appreciate,” Brown told the crowd. “He’s a hero, a model and a mentor. He’s shared this stage with some big names, but he shares his time and his energy with the future leaders of our nation. He has brought our state, our city and High Point University more recognition than many ever dreamed about.

“As the chairman of the HPU Board of Trustees, I want to thank Dr. Qubein.”

Turning Points: The ‘Why’ Behind it All After 15 years of serving as HPU president, Qubein remains tireless and unwavering in his work to grow HPU. Consider the fact that in fall 2020, HPU welcomed its largest total enrollment at 5,600 students and completed the semester on campus and in person. These milestones took place during a global pandemic that led Qubein to commission a Health and Safety Task Force, who transformed the campus and implemented safety protocols in a matter of months.

That has something to do with where Qubein came from, too.

“My life is the result of turning points,” he told a reporter from NPR Boston when the station interviewed Qubein for a special series called “Be Kind.”

“Turning points about kindness, stewardship and giving,” he said, “that I learned first-hand from the spirited individuals whose paths I crossed.”

Many of those moments taught him the importance of investing in future generations.

Growing up, Qubein’s mother was his biggest role model. A single mother raising five children, she had incredible intellect and grit that she passed on to Qubein.

“My mother always told me, ‘If you want to be great, walk hand in hand and side by side with great people.’”

Milestone Moment: HPU's Largest Total Enrollment

While it's uncommon for a university president to be a constant presence on campus, HPU President Nido Qubein has always committed to spending time with and getting to know students.

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In fall 2020, High Point University continued to grow enrollment to 5,600 students, the largest enrollment in university history. As part of that, the university welcomed 1,000 graduate students, which is also the largest graduate enrollment in HPU history.

When you have faith, you can move mountains, and we have a lot of faith.

— High Point University President Dr. Nido Qubein

Qubein came to the United States when he was 17 years old. He had little money and little knowledge of English.

He attended a junior college in North Carolina before attending High Point University, which was called High Point College back then.

Throughout his college years, mentors played a powerful role in his life.

Once, an anonymous doctor helped him cover the cost of college tuition.

Later, a woman who worked as a housemother in Qubein’s residence hall helped him buy a car so he could get a job.

After Qubein graduated, he built a successful career in business and also served as a consultant and professional speaker. He traveled the world through his work, but he never forgot those who helped him reach his potential.

He remembers them when he sees HPU students on campus, and he remembers his own journey.

For many years, a scholarship foundation in Qubein’s family name has supported students who want to attend college but may not be able to due to financial means.

He’s carried that passion to HPU, committing $700 million in scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, veterans who serve the nation and students who demonstrate academic excellence.

“We value diversity, academic excellence and supporting veterans, which goes hand in hand with our mission as a God, family and country institution,” says Qubein. “When you have faith, you can move mountains, and we have a lot of faith.” ▲

During events such as Welcome Week, HPU President Nido Qubein can be found engaging with parents and students across campus.

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What’s New On Campus The 15,000-square-foot Caine Conservatory opened in 2020 next to the Wanek School of Natural Sciences. The conservatory is a space for students and faculty to conduct botanical research and propagate plants for the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

In 2021, a new era for Panther pride begins when the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center opens. This facility, which is part of a $170 million development, will be home to HPU’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as a venue for major events, speakers, concerts, entertainment, academic symposia and recreational activities. The Qubein Arena and Conference Center is under construction on HPU’s main campus at the corner of Lexington Avenue and University Parkway. The Arena will include 4,500 arena seats as well as suites, locker rooms, staff offices, concession stands, a merchandising area, media suite, press conference room, weight room, athletic training room, hospitality area, high-tech audio and video equipment, ticket office and a practice gym.

The Conference Center will seat 2,500 visitors and will provide educational and event space for the event management major and a new hospitality management

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The Caine Conservatory opened in 2020 as a multipurpose space where students conduct botanical research and enjoy HPU’s newest eatery, The Butterfly Café.

program while supporting academic symposia, professional conferences and speakers, student groups, community organizations and more. It will have the ability to be subdivided into smaller venues with lighting, sound and video for state-of-the-art presentations.

The Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel at HPU is a boutique, executive hotel connected to the arena and conference center. The hotel will support the new hospitality management program and accommodate a growing number of requests by organizations who specifically want to tour the campus and experience HPU’s unique educational environment and culture. The hotel will be a teaching facility with 30 residential rooms.

HPU Growth – By the Numbers 2004

2020

Growth

217%

Undergraduate Enrollment

1,450 4,600

Graduate Enrollment

223 1,000

Full-time Faculty

108 330

Campus Size (acres)

91 500

(Traditional Students)

Square Footage

Buildings on Campus (new and acquired)

Total Positions

Economic Impact

Operating and Capital Budget

United Way Giving

Study Abroad Programs

348% 206% 449%

650,000

4 million

515% 455%

22 122

385 1,693

340%

$160.3 million

$765 million

377%

$38 million

$260 million

584% 799%

$28,000 $251,700

5 79 1,480%

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HPU’s Spirit Is Amplified

During COVID-19 HPU’s call to action – “Choose to be Extraordinary” – served as the foundation for in-person fall and spring semesters.

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Although we live more than eight hours away, we trust the HPU family with the best interest of our daughter, recognizing When he teaches his Freshman Seminar on Life Skills, HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein shares these words with students: “We aren’t preparing you for the world as it is. We're preparing you for the world as it’s going to be.”

Sometimes, students don’t understand the context to those words until they’ve graduated and entered the workforce. In 2020, however, the context came much sooner.

When the global pandemic began in spring 2020, HPU faculty and staff transitioned at lightning speed to support students virtually while simultaneously building the plan to re-open the campus.

Qubein commissioned HPU’s Health and Safety Task Force to provide a safe fall semester. In August, that was achieved.

And in the middle of it all, students and their parents experienced HPU’s unwavering dedication to student success.

Kyle Michaud and Cassidy White are two examples.

Michaud was a junior when he landed a sales internship and signed an apartment lease in spring 2020, just before the company froze their hiring program. A week after working with HPU staff and faculty, he found a new offer.

And White was a senior about to graduate into an uncertain job market. But a career connection she made as a junior led to her first producer job halfway across the country.

our values mirror one another. We know HPU is committed to a safe environment and appreciate the thought and action of the ongoing Task Force.

– Kristine Antenuci, mom of freshman Angelena Antenuci of Pennsylvania

Continued Commitment to Student Success When the pandemic forced college students to remain home after spring break in 2020 and complete the semester virtually, HPU faculty and staff swiftly pivoted.

The Office of Career and Professional Development’s FourYear Career Plan has long been the foundational pillar that jumpstarts professional development for students. They worked to keep it in motion through one-on-one virtual advising appointments, webinars with employers and more.

“We were still open for business, and students could still connect with their career advisor,” says Gentry. “Whether video conference or phone call, we were here to partner with our students.”

Their efforts helped students like Michaud, now a senior.

When his summer internship was rescinded weeks before he began, he contacted the office and one of his favorite HPU professors, Larry Quinn, chair of the Department of Marketing.

HPU’S HEALTH AND SAFETY TASK FORCE To prepare for in-person classes to resume in fall 2020, High Point University President Nido Qubein commissioned the Health and Safety Task Force to assess, develop and implement a plan to ensure the health and safety of the entire campus community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The task force is chaired by Dr. Daniel Erb, senior vice president for Academic Affairs, founding dean of HPU’s Congdon School of Health Sciences and formerly a professor at Duke University. The task force also includes leaders from the Office of Safety and Emergency Services, the Office of Student Life, facilities management, medical advisors, student leadership and more.

For updated information on HPU’s plan, visit www.highpoint.edu/coronavirus.

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HPU’S TUITION-FREE MASTER’S DEGREE When the pandemic began and the global marketplace was filled with uncertainty, High Point University leaders built a new, innovative graduate degree for students — the Tuition-Free Master’s Degree in Communication and Business Leadership.

Residing in two academic powerhouses at HPU — the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication and the Earl N. Phillips School of Business — the degree was designed to further instill the life skills that will serve graduates well, regardless of their major at HPU or what career path they plan to follow.

During spring 2020 when seniors missed the last half of their final year on campus, the opportunity to return to HPU and receive a tuition-free graduate degree received overwhelmingly positive response. So, HPU widened the opportunity for all students.

Now, any student who completes their undergraduate degree can apply for the Tuition-Free Master’s Degree in Communication and Business Leadership.

The master’s degree complements any academic major by preparing students to communicate with diverse groups of people, solve complex problems, and thrive amid change. It focuses on these core areas:

They helped Michaud secure another equally impressive internship within a week.

“My professors and the staff members have always been willing to help and often check in to ask how I’m doing,” says Michaud. “They really have your back.”

By the time students returned to campus in August 2020 for in-person learning, the Office of Career and Professional Development had a plan in place to safely resume one-on-one advising sessions, host physically distant Premier Life Skills Workshops and offer a Virtual Career Fair, where students continued landing internship and career opportunities.

A Tuition-Free Graduate Degree Meanwhile, the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication and the Earl N. Phillips School of Business joined forces to create a tuition-free graduate degree for students who were now set to graduate into a tumultuous job market. The Princeton Review ranks HPU as a great school for business/ finance majors and communication majors, reflecting the value of this dynamic degree.

Instead of being disappointed about missing part of their senior year at HPU, the Communication and Business Leadership Master’s Degree offered seniors excitement for the opportunity to return in the fall and begin graduate studies at HPU. Designed to further HPU’s commitment to instilling life skills, the master’s degree curriculum is relevant to any industry and transcends technical skills by focusing on complex problem solving, the ability to adapt in times of change and more. Whether a scientist, a communication major, a business major or an interior designer, this master’s degree enhances the ability to grow and lead in every industry.

Nearly 200 students from the Class of 2020 chose to return to HPU for the master’s degree, including Kacey Ruben, who completed her undergraduate degree in May 2020.

• Transformational leadership strategies and tactics • Persuasive negotiation skills • Interpersonal and intercultural communication • Successful positioning skills • Complex problem-solving and decision-making skills Whether a scientist, a communication major, a business major or an interior designer, this master’s degree enhances the ability to grow and lead in every industry.

For more information, visit www.highpoint.edu/graduate

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Students and faculty on HPU's Mobile Lab team offered virtual meetings with HPU scientists for local children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tempered glass and plexiglass barriers have been installed throughout campus.

“I chose to apply to HPU’s Master's in Communication and Business Leadership because it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Ruben, originally from Virginia. “The idea of being able to receive a tuition-free graduate degree focused on communication and business leadership was the complete educational package I never knew I was looking for. I believe this master’s degree, combined with my undergraduate degree from HPU, will put me on the path toward my dream job.”

clinic offers separate entrances for sick and well patients, along with on-site COVID-19 testing capabilities.

Safe and Successful: The 2020-2021 Academic Year

And of course, that group includes the man students call “Dr. Q” — HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein.

Before HPU welcomed its largest enrollment in fall 2020, the Health and Safety Task Force that Qubein commissioned transformed HPU’s campus in a matter of months.

Classrooms were inventoried and reorganized for physical distancing. Event space was transformed into additional classroom space. Visual cues reminded students to wear face coverings and maintain physical distance, and other protective measures, such as plexiglass barriers, were installed throughout common areas.

HPU’s Student Health Services also received a new location at least four times the size of the previous health center. The new

To help educate students on what they need to do, HPU sent communication several times a week to students and parents and also recruited a team of HPU Health Heroes.

This on–campus group of students, staff and faculty models healthy behavior for their peers, such as mask wearing and physical distancing, and provides positive reinforcement for those who follow safety protocols, too.

“You’re important to all of us here, and we’ll do everything we can to balance your classroom learning with your health and safety,” Qubein said in a video to students before they returned. “But you must do your part, too. Of course, I know you will. You’re responsible citizens with civility and respect.

So, I’m counting on you.”

He’s talking to more than 5,000 students and their families, like freshman Elizabeth Kleinknecht.

Kleinknecht hails from Atlanta. She and her classmates spent a month on campus in July with Summer

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Advantage, HPU’s program that gives freshmen a jumpstart on college. They wore a mask everywhere, kept hand sanitizer in their backpack and sat in classes rearranged for physical distancing.

They got used to it and felt safe at HPU. It’s because of what Kleinknecht saw around her — people in masks and health stations that take your temperature, as well as physical distancing signs and hand sanitizers everywhere they look.

“With everything so visual,” she said, “it reminds you that if you can do your part, you can help others.”

Summer Advantage helped ensure that new students like Kleinknecht were ready for the transition to college after completing their senior year of high school online. It also gave HPU’s Health and Safety Task Force time to evaluate and enhance safety measures with only a small amount of students on campus.

All of it prepared HPU staff and faculty to welcome its largest total enrollment to campus in August 2020 to complete the semester in person and in the classroom.

While the world watched to see how institutions of higher education would cope with the pandemic, HPU families sent letters of praise to Qubein and other staff members for making in-person learning not only a possibility, but a priority.

“Although we live more than eight hours away, we trust the HPU family 100% with the best interest of our daughter, recognizing our values mirror one another,” said Kristine Antenuci, mom of freshman Angelena Antenuci. “COVID-19 is the ultimate life lesson for students as they are in control of their future, negotiating self-discipline with newfound independence. We know HPU is committed to a safe environment and appreciate the thought and action of the ongoing Task Force.”

The Costa family, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, took a family photo in front of the new HPU letters during Welcome Week 2020. Their son, Gabriel, pictured center, is a freshman.

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Left: Art Ogden, a gardens technician in HPU’s Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, used flowers from campus to create and deliver colorful bouquets to health care workers during the pandemic. Right: HPU's Sigma Nu fraternity raised funds to purchase materials and make face shields for faculty and staff.

Four Years of Career Preparation High Point University’s four-year career plan set Cassidy White up for success, even during a pandemic.

White was a senior about to graduate in spring 2020 when the world changed. But she had been meeting with her career advisor and her professors to prepare long before that.

During her junior year, she attended a Society of Professional Journalists conference filled with hiring managers. She met a Sinclair recruiting manager, and the two stayed in touch.

In May 2020, White finished her HPU education and headed to Traverse City, Michigan, to begin her career at NBC affiliate WPBN. “This whole experience showed everyone not to take the chance to connect with others for granted,” says White.

“The connection I made more than a year ago helped me launch my career. It’s never too early to start, and you should never be afraid to reach out to people.”▲

Flash forward to the spring of 2020, and that connection became invaluable. While much of the world was experiencing hiring freezes or rescinding job offers due to pandemic shutdowns, White connected with the recruiting manager, who had an open position for a producer.

The connection I made more than a year ago helped me launch my career. It’s never too early to start, and you should never be afraid to reach out to people.

– Cassidy White, ’20, producer at NBC-affiliate WPBN in Traverse City, Michigan

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In his role as HPU's Entrepreneur in Residence, Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph (center) mentors HPU students who are launching their own businesses.

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ACCESS

TO INNOVATORS Global leaders converge on HPU’s campus to create an all-star lineup of mentors.

Every day, people search for inspiration.

They bookmark quotes from the world’s greatest leaders and read articles outlining an executive’s rules for success.

And while many wonder what it would be like to learn directly from the people who have impacted the world, High Point University students are building relationships with those global experts.

For HPU students, it isn’t only about who these leaders are and what they’ve accomplished. It’s about finding a true mentor.

It’s about learning that they, too, can accomplish great things.

It starts with access to innovators.

Changing the Mentorship Game An immeasurable number of moments that spark personal growth and inspire students to dream big are made possible, thanks to HPU’s Access to Innovators Program. Global leaders and industry frontrunners converge on HPU’s campus to connect and work with HPU students.

In his role as HPU's Entrepreneur in Residence, Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph (right) mentors HPU students like Jenna Tarantino (left) who are launching their own businesses.

What does a mentorship moment with these professionals look like on the HPU campus?

Inside HPU’s Belk Entrepreneurship Center, a student works one-on-one with the Co-Founder and first CEO of Netflix Marc Randolph, HPU’s Entrepreneur in Residence, to polish a business pitch.

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During a conversation with Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, HPU's Sports Executive in Residence, students come to understand values-based leadership.

When engineering students work with Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder and HPU's Innovator in Residence, to program their newest prototype, they absorb his commitment to user-friendly experiences.

Inside HPU’s state-of-the-art TV studio, ABC News’ “Nightline” Anchor and HPU’s Journalist in Residence Byron Pitts talks interview tactics with broadcast majors.

With each interaction, students begin to realize their potential. They learn firsthand what it took to create the world’s first Apple computer. They understand how a young college graduate climbs from entry-level to C-suite.

The result? A student body that dreams big and isn’t intimidated by life’s obstacles. ▲ Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence, consults students in a microsession focused on innovation and entrepreneurship.

HPU’s Faculty In Residence Visit www.highpoint.edu/innovators for more information on the global leaders who educate and inspire students to dream big.

HPU's INNOVATOR IN RESIDENCE Steve Wozniak Apple Computer Co-Founder

HPU's LEADERSHIP EXPERT IN RESIDENCE

Mark Sanborn President of Leadership Development Idea Lab, Sanborn & Associates

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HPU's ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE

HPU's JOURNALIST IN RESIDENCE

Marc Randolph Netflix Co-Founder

HPU's SPORTS EXECUTIVE IN RESIDENCE

Cynt Marshall Dallas Mavericks CEO and former Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at AT&T

HPU's BROADCASTER IN RESIDENCE

HPU's GLOBAL ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

HPU's SPORTS REPORTER IN RESIDENCE

Joe Michaels 22-year Former Director of NBC's "TODAY"

Karen Jacobsen The “GPS Girl” and Australian voice of Siri

Byron Pitts Co-Anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline”

Bob Ryan Famed Boston Globe Sportswriter; known as “the Quintessential American Sportswriter”

HPU's CORPORATE EDUCATOR IN RESIDENCE Scott McKain Best-Selling Author, Business Consultant and Trainer

HPU's SALES PROFESSIONAL IN RESIDENCE

Larry Quinn Director of HPU’s Professional Selling Program; former National Sales Training Manager at Xerox; former Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Thomson Professional Publishing Group and Duplex Printing Corp.

Executive Education Top-tier corporations invite leaders and hire consultants to further their employees’ professional development. HPU provides these opportunities to students regularly on campus. Here’s a look at the impact In-Residence faculty have on students:

I was truly inspired by not only Steve Wozniak’s presence, but also by the advice and words of encouragement that he gave us. Working with him helped solidify my love for innovation and technical discovery.

–Parker Ramsey, ’17, IT Associate at Duke Energy

Cynt Marshall is highly respected by so many people, and she brings a warm and welcoming presence. Her knowledge of the industry is amazing, and it’s obvious when she’s with you that she loves to mentor students through all situations.

–Molly Casper, ’21, Sport Management Major

I recognize that working with Marc Randolph is a unique and extraordinary opportunity. His mentorship has proven that he’s not only a visionary, but a person with strong values. Working with Marc Randolph has inspired me to stay grounded in my morals, to never doubt my dreams and to be confident in myself.

–Tyler Thomas, ’22, Marketing Major

Every time he comes to campus, Byron Pitts brings something new. The last time I worked with him, he reinforced the concept of being ‘all in.’ When you’re covering a story on a topic you’re not necessarily passionate about, you have to find ways to get passionate about it and give it 100%. That mindset doesn’t just apply to journalism majors, but is a life skill every student needs to be successful.

–Lexi Sanders, ’19, News Producer at WILX NBC affiliate

Growing up, I would come home from school and immediately turn the TV to ESPN at 5 p.m. for ‘Around the Horn with Bob Ryan.’ I idolized Ryan’s work. As a sports writer and editor for HPU’s student newspaper, the Campus Chronicle, having Ryan as a mentor and working with him directly during my time as a student was eye-opening and only furthered my passion for a career in the sports industry.

–Collin Giuliani, ’19, Sport Law Candidate

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INVESTING IN I N N O VAT I O N 40

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MAJORS AND MINORS

The Webb School of Engineering offers a B.S. and B.A. degree in computer science, a B.S. degree in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity, a B.S. degree in computer engineering, and a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. The school also offers a minor in computer science.

Dr. Kimberly Titus (far left), associate professor of computer science, works with students from her advanced programming class.

The pioneering spirit of HPU’s Webb School of Engineering Inside a completely transformed facility, High Point University’s first cohort of engineering majors finds opportunities they wouldn’t find elsewhere.

Their academic school — the Webb School of Engineering — is a part of HPU’s Innovation Corridor. The corridor represents a $250 million investment in faculty, technology and facilities that foster the university’s STEM programs.

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Dr. Claire McCullough, professor and founding chair of electrical and computer engineering, is pictured second from right as she leads a 3D printer tutorial for students in the new makerspace.

They learn from Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence who serves on the engineering school’s advisory board.

They place highly in national cybersecurity competitions, receive one-on-one mentorship from their professors and have the chance to be true pioneers in the world of engineering.

Just ask Aidan Kelley, a sophomore and one of HPU’s firstever engineering majors.

Born to be an Engineer Before he could even walk, Kelley was bringing his dreams to life. From creating small cities with LEGOs and Thomas the Tank Engine pieces, to helping his dad renovate their family home, the inquisitive, problem-solving nature intrinsic to engineers has always been with him.

Kelley always knew he wanted to come to HPU. However, when he heard the university was starting an engineering program, he jumped at the chance to be one of the first electrical engineering students.

“I went for it. I knew I wanted to do something hands-on in the world of science, and engineering has a lot to offer,” says Kelley. “Engineering affects every aspect of our lives.”

As part of HPU’s Innovation Corridor, the Webb School of Engineering prepares students for the world as it is going to be.

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“In the time I’ve spent on campus, I’ve found that transformation at HPU is second nature,” says Wozniak. “HPU students will be builders. That makes the Webb School of Engineering a great addition to HPU’s excellent academic programs.”

Creating New Curriculum Dr. Michael Oudshoorn, founding dean, and Dr. Claire McCullough, licensed professional engineer, professor and founding chair of electrical and computer engineering, agree.

As Herbert Hoover once stated, “To the engineer falls the job of clothing the bare bones of science with life, comfort and hope.”

With a combined experience of over six decades as educators and more than 15 years each working in accreditation, Oudshoorn and McCullough look forward to growing the Webb School of Engineering and creating the innovators of tomorrow.

“Engineering tops the list of majors with the highest average starting salary,” says McCullough. “From NASA to Disney, engineers have the opportunity to work anywhere in the world, in any industry.”

While many schools have general engineering programs, High Point University provides discipline-specific degrees.

"This requires meeting more stringent accreditation criteria, and I regard it as a more valuable degree," says McCullough.

“Having discipline-specific programs opens doors for our students and makes them more employable.”

“Transformation at HPU is second nature...That makes the Webb School of Engineering a great addition to HPU's excellent academic programs.”

– Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence

Combining the existing computer science major with new discipline-specific programs in computer engineering and electrical engineering, Oudshoorn notes how they all play a critical role in shaping our everyday lives but must also work together.

“Think about your phone,” says Oudshoorn. “All of the software is developed by those specializing in computer science. The hardware, like the chips and circuits, are produced by the computer engineers, while the electrical engineer brings the device to life with power, antennas and telecommunication systems."

You can’t build a device that doesn’t require a large number of disciplines talking to each other. That’s why it’s important for students to collaborate and have a well-equipped space to do so.

“All of us in the program get to decide how we can be successful. Like right now, we’re creating a makerspace to help educate new engineers coming behind us,” says Kelley.

“There’s a lot of freedom in knowing that the school has created the best environment and given us the tools we need to be successful.”

Already finding ways to utilize the makerspace, it’s typical to find students working on class assignments or experimenting with the state-of-the-art equipment, from 3D printers to computer-controlled routers.

“Ty encouraged me to participate in this competition,” says Shealey. “I’m glad I did because now I have real-world experience that will help me better understand the lessons I will be taught in my engineering classes.”

Students in the Webb School of Engineering can elect cybersecurity as a concentration within the computer science major.

“We are very proud of Ty and Ethan for their achievements in this competition and commitment to understanding cybersecurity,” says Dr. Will Suchan, chair and associate professor of computer science. “Cybercrime is a scourge on modern society that demands intelligent and ethical people to fight back. HPU understands this and has invested in faculty and labs to produce a highly-educated cyber workforce for the future of our state and nation.”

Regardless of whether students prefer computer science, electrical engineering or computer engineering, HPU allows students to hone in on their specific interests.

"I see potential, and I see growth," says Kelley. "I see the future of our community, our school and other majors. This is our space, and we can make it what we want." ▲ Dr. Jason Pittman, associate professor of computer science, works with student Grace Crockett in the new cybersecurity engineering learning facility.

Rising to the Occasion Ethan Shealey, a junior computer science major, has already experienced how having resources like these facilities can lead to success. He, along with other computer science students, including Ty Carlson, a senior computer science and physics double major, competed in the 2019 Governor’s Cybersecurity Talent Competition using the knowledge they acquired in the computer science program.

In the first round of the cybersecurity program, Carlson received a perfect score.

Meanwhile, Shealey was one of 24 out of about 2,300 participating students across the nation to receive a perfect score in the second round and was awarded scholarship money.

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Pictured from left to right are Sylvanna Schiefele, Chris Apecechea, Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, Grace George and Parker Murphy. The HPU students, all sport management majors, shadowed Marshall during an externship at the Dallas Mavericks headquarters. They also attended the opening home game of the season with Marshall.

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Prepared by Industry Power Players The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication connects students with the mentors and technology to distinguish themselves in a competitive marketplace.

Grace George stood behind the stage curtain of the Hayworth Fine Arts Center on HPU’s campus.

The High Point University junior was minutes away from speaking to an audience of more than 500 about a unique, career-building opportunity she’d just experienced as a student in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.

She was nervous but excited — a familiar feeling.

Only one week prior, George was in downtown Dallas, Texas, alongside HPU students Parker Murphy, Sylvanna Schiefele and Chris Apecechea.

They were outside the Dallas Mavericks headquarters about to shadow the CEO.

The NBA, NFL, NASCAR, MLB, Under Armour — you name it.

Marshall’s partnership with HPU gives sport management students a distinct advantage.

Not only has she spent time mentoring students on campus, but Marshall opened the doors of her CEO office inside the Dallas Mavericks headquarters to HPU students during the NBA team’s home season opener.

The four students spent a day learning what it takes to operate and lead an NBA team by observing managers across all departments. From the leadership behind ticket sales and finance, to executives in charge of marketing, human resources, player relations and up to the CEO herself, they gained an inside look at how an NBA team runs.

An Innovative Approach to Mentorship This team of four students, all sport management majors, were chosen to take part in an externship with HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence and Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall.

Similar to an internship, externships are shorter experiential learning opportunities made possible by a partnership between HPU and an employer. They give students intensive, practical experience in their field of study.

Sport management, a degree housed in HPU’s School of Communication, is designed to expose students to all facets of the sports world. From digital marketing, to community relations and player management, students graduate from the program and go on to work for some of the nation’s premier athletic organizations.

From left to right, Parker Murphy, Chris Apecechea, Sylvanna Schiefele and Grace George spent the day learning inside the Dallas Mavericks headquarters.

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Logan Carter (far left), a Class of 2020 sport communication graduate, moderated HPU’s Sports Entertainment All-Star Panel, which featured Bob Ryan (second from left), HPU’s Sports Reporter in Residence and former sports columnist for The Boston Globe; Cynt Marshall (second from right), HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence and Dallas Mavericks CEO; and Joe Michaels (far right), HPU’s Broadcaster in Residence and 22-year director of NBC's “TODAY” show.

Murphy walked behind Marshall as she made her rounds through the Mavericks' glass-walled office. Approached by the vice president of sales, Marshall paused to run through a spreadsheet.

“Come in closer,” she told the HPU students. “You want a real look into this role? Here it is. My door is always open and so are my eyes and ears. When someone needs me, I’m here to consult.”

Murphy was amazed. Marshall was accessible, approachable and a true member of her team. He understood instantly why she was brought to HPU as a mentor for students.

“Seeing Marshall operate such a fast-paced organization, especially on the team’s busiest day of the year — you can’t put a value on that,” says Murphy. “You can read about leaders all day but to have close access to one inspires you to do more. I’m walking away from this experience ready to set higher goals and use what I’ve learned in the School of Communication to achieve them.”

More than that, the students formed lasting connections with executives at the Mavericks organization.

Having returned from her whirlwind day of shadowing Marshall, George began to reflect on her experience.

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Standing before fellow students and members of the HPU family to share her story, she understood just how unique the opportunity was.

“It’s hard to believe I go to a university that cares so deeply about the outcomes of its students that they would not only provide us with mentors like Cynt Marshall but also create a means for us to spend a day under her advisement and network with her team,” says George. “It’s a never-ending reminder that HPU empowers us to achieve our dreams.”

George plans to attend law school after she graduates from HPU in 2021. Thanks to her experience working with leaders at the Dallas Mavericks who took the same path, her career goals are much clearer.

“You can’t place a value on mentorship,” says George. “You especially can’t overvalue the impact of mentorship from industry leaders. Knowing where they’ve been, applying their advice and having their wisdom is empowering.”

Professors in the School of Communication not only know how to forge connections with industry leaders but how to capitalize on their skill set to the benefit of all communication students.

That’s why the School of Communication hosted a Sports Entertainment Industry All-Star Panel in 2019 featuring industry experts with diverse backgrounds.

Global Brands Hire HPU Graduates Graduates from the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication become industry leaders in a world that appreciates those who can grow, adapt and render value. Here’s a glimpse at just a few of those successful outcomes: Jodi Guglielmi Associate Editor for People Magazine Hometown: Orlando, Florida Jodi Guglielmi, ’15, gained hands-on experience at HPU that helped her land an internship at Seventeen Magazine as a student, then launch her career at People Magazine after graduation. As an associate editor for People Magazine, Guglielmi has her finger on the pulse of all things Hollywood. From contributing to People’s Oscars issue to covering breaking celebrity news, Guglielmi writes about it all. If you appreciate stories about the entertainment industry and Hollywood, she’s an HPU graduate you’ll want to follow.

John Marsicano Head of Public Relations at Magnolia Network Hometown: Long Island, New York John Marsicano, ’15, leads publicity and communications strategy for Chip and Joanna Gaines’ joint venture with Discovery, Inc. He came to this role after his work as the public relations manager for Magnolia, the brand made famous by the Gaines family and HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.”

Marsicano has quickly made his mark in the communications field.

Mikaela Campbell Associate for NBA Headquarters Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana After majoring in sport management, Mikaela Campbell, ’18, now works with the National Basketball Association in NYC as part of the NBA Associate Program.

This competitive, two-year program for recent college graduates allows Campbell to experience different sectors of NBA headquarters before taking on a single role. At HPU, Campbell was mentored by Dr. Jenny Lukow, professor of sport management. Campbell gained leadership skills on the School of Communication Student Advisory Board and landed internships with USA Track and Field, Under Armour and IMG College.

Kyra Hennessey Global Customer Engagements Manager at Dell Technologies Hometown: Ashland, Massachusetts Hennessey, ’18, joined Dell Technologies shortly after graduation as a member of the company’s highly competitive Marketing Development Program. Since then, she has joined the company’s Global Customer Engagement team and is also pursuing a master's degree at Harvard University. During her time at HPU, Hennessey served as founder of the School of Communication’s own public relations firm, Ascension 336. The student-run agency manages campaigns for several nonprofits and even a few global organizations. She attributes her success to building close relationships with professors such as John Mims, chair of strategic communication.

Daniel Miller Emmy Award-winning reporter at FOX 25 Boston Hometown: Greensboro, North Carolina As an Emmy Award-winning reporter for FOX 25 Boston, the seventh largest television market in the country, Miller has led an acclaimed career since his graduation from HPU in 1998. To honor his alma mater, Miller donated his first Emmy to the School of Communication. In 2010, HPU presented the first-ever Young Alumni Achievement Award to Miller for his work.

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All-Stars, All In As part of the All-Star Panel, Marshall was joined by Joe Michaels, associate professor in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, former director of NBC’s “TODAY” show and HPU’s Broadcaster in Residence; and Bob Ryan, famed sports columnist for The Boston Globe and HPU’s Sports Reporter in Residence.

These all-stars covered the evolution of the sports industry, including how sporting events have become an entertainment experience and what that means from a business, organizational and journalistic perspective.

Logan Carter, a Class of 2020 sport communication major, moderated the panel.

“As a communication student, having access to these innovative leaders, hearing their advice and getting their feedback is one of the best parts of being at High Point University,” says Carter. “I am excelling in the communication industry, and I give all the credit to the amazing faculty and mentors in the School of Communication who have played a key role in growing me into the professional I strive to be.”

Carter was also one of many students who, just weeks after the panel, spent the day with Byron Pitts, ABC News'

"Nightline" anchor and HPU’s Journalist in Residence.

Pitts worked with students in the School of Communication on their storytelling abilities, how to articulate difficult subject matter and how to present themselves as professional journalists.

These connections are purposeful and intended to foster impactful relationships throughout their careers. Industry leaders like Pitts recognize this.

“One of the many things I love about HPU is the intentionality,” says Pitts. “This school understands how to make the most of the student experience by giving them access to the tools and professionals who can launch their careers.”

The consistent mentorship of experts like Ryan, Pitts, Marshall and Michaels in the School of Communication provides more than a launching pad. These experiences are part of HPU’s commitment to holistic education, which creates a foundation for lifelong success.

Another crucial component is providing students with access to state-of-the-art facilities and technology to grow the skills needed to excel in their field of choice.

EVENT MANAGEMENT RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE For the fourth consecutive year, HPU’s event management major was named the best bachelor’s degree in the industry.

across the industry, from social, business, travel, hospitality, tourism and athletic events to community and cultural festivals.

Housed in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, the event management program won the Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award for Best Event Management Bachelor’s Degree. Professors and students in HPU’s student-run event club, Planning on Point, accepted the award during the International Festivals and Events Association Conference.

Students go on to secure meaningful internships, and graduates land jobs with notable companies like Walt Disney World and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For the past four years, HPU has offered a bachelor’s degree in event management, and for those past four years, the degree has been recognized as the best in the world.

Why? Because HPU offers 12 unique event management courses that prepare students to work

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As the first event management program in the world to be housed in a School of Communication, the degree offers innovative courses and experiential learning to prepare students for successful and satisfying careers. In addition to their classwork, event management majors are community partners, collectively volunteering and interning more than 6,000 hours annually with local event-related organizations and facilities, as well as several nonprofit organizations.

Students utilize the School of Communication's new, state-of-the-art esports arena for competitions.

Designed for Innovation Inside the School of Communication, technology rises to meet industry expectations.

the technology and tools to produce, analyze and critique meaningful and compelling games.

A recently upgraded TV studio equipped with 4K cameras and versatile production space is used by students for a variety of multimedia projects.

“No matter what game you play competitively, you are a part of something bigger than just your one game,” says HPU student Dylan Thompson, co-manager of HPU’s esports club team. “You’re surrounded by like-minded people as well.”

And a newly renovated game and interactive media hub gives students interested in game design new opportunities.

The Miriam and Steve Kimsey Game and Interactive Media Lab underwent renovations and now houses three unique spaces — an esports arena, a makerspace and a game and interactive media lab.

This new arena reflects a growing trend in the gaming industry.

Esports (short for electronic sports) is a flourishing playing field not only for personal entertainment, but team competitions as well.

The arena will be used by game design, sport management and sports media students. Inside the design space, they find

While the possibilities for gaming students are obvious, the esports arena and competitions hosted within the School of Communication will provide endless professional development opportunities for all students.

Sports media students will broadcast and offer commentary.

Sport management majors will manage the sponsorship and promotion process.

Like all spaces in the School of Communication, the esports arena provides hands-on, interdisciplinary experiences for a variety of majors. ▲

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Designing Gl bal Connections

Students in the School of Art and Design work with international brands to gain experience.

From all corners of the globe, industry professionals travel to High Point twice a year for the world’s largest home furnishings industry trade show.

It’s not just the local economy that benefits from the 75,000 visitors in attendance. It’s the students in HPU’s School of Art and Design who work for and learn from the design industry’s top leaders.

Within a stone’s throw of campus, students like Emma Lynch, Maelee Arnold and Michaela Mucha jumpstart their careers by working with the trendsetters of the design industry and gaining hands-on experience during the High Point Furniture Market.

From Trade Show to Talk Show Arnold, a senior interior design major from Asheboro, North Carolina, sat on a giant, red velvet couch and smiled for the camera. She couldn't believe her experiences at HPU led to this moment.

– Maelee Arnold, ’19, Interior Design Major

Lynch, a sophomore interior design major, is one of many HPU students working with big-name brands — in her case, La-Z-Boy Casegoods, Inc. “In my HPU design classes, the basic ideas I’ve learned apply to how showrooms are designed,” said Lynch. “Seeing how those lessons are implemented in the real world with furniture layout and spacing helps me understand classwork on a deeper level.”

Employers notice that HPU students like Lynch gain work experience with global companies much earlier than students from other universities. extraordinary education

“I enjoy keeping them on staff,” said James. “We are fortunate to have a talent pool like HPU nearby, and our clients love working with the students.”

The design education and life skills HPU teaches have given me the holistic preparation I need to step into a professional environment.

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Terri James, the director of marketing at La-Z-Boy Casegoods, Inc., loves to hire HPU students during every furniture market because of their professionalism and ability to adapt in a fastpaced environment.

While working in the Lexington Home Brands showroom for her sixth market, Arnold was asked to join America’s favorite home enthusiast, Carson Kressley — a cast member of the original “Queer Eye” — on his new TV show “Couched.”

While Arnold and her peers chatted with Kressley, she realized these opportunities are because of HPU. “As a transfer student, I searched for a well-rounded design school that would push me to execute my best work while providing the life skills needed for today’s fast-paced work environment,” says Arnold. “The design education and life skills HPU teaches have given me the holistic preparation that I need to step into a professional environment.”

From left to right: Emma Lynch, a sophomore interior design major, works with La-Z-Boy Casegoods during the High Point Furniture Market and gains valuable experience for her HPU education. Michaela Mucha, Class of 2018, utilizes her graphic design major for The Walt Disney Studios as part of the creative print marketing team. Maelee Arnold makes a guest appearance on The Design Network’s hit show, “Couched” with Carson Kressley.

NEW DEGREE OPPORTUNITY HPU students in the School of Art and Design can now receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) degree in art or graphic design. HPU recognizes the value of both a flexible liberal arts degree, as well as a professional degree by giving HPU students a one-of-a-kind arts education.

Designing for Disney Many HPU students go on to land impressive internships and careers at globally recognized companies like Disney, Marvel and HBO, to name a few.

Mucha, a Class of 2018 graphic design major, started her career with The Walt Disney World Company in Orlando, Florida.

Today, she works for The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, as part of the creative print marketing team.

leadership and professionalism, and for that I’m incredibly grateful and proud of how HPU has shaped me.”

Whether it’s in the classroom or in a real-world setting, HPU ensures students have access to innovative learning environments. Dr. John Turpin, dean of the School of Art and Design, recognizes that encouraging students to step outside their comfort zone is crucial for innovative teaching.

Mucha uses her education to create digital and print campaigns “Innovation begins in the space of the unknown — often an uncomfortable place for students,” says Turpin. “All programs for Disney and Pixar feature animations, as well as original in the School of Art and Design require students to exist in shows and movies on the Disney+ streaming platform. that space, explore it and use their newly developed skills to “I can go on and on about how HPU has impacted my personal find innovative solutions to problems. We immerse students in our studio culture where right and wrong answers do not and professional life,” says Mucha. “I took advantage of all the exist, only ones that are more creative and defensible based opportunities HPU provided me by working as a designer, on the end goals.” ▲ mentor, leader, intern and more. At HPU, I grew in character,

E X T RAO R D I N A RY E X P E R I E N T I A L L E A R N I N G Along with cutting-edge academic programs, the School of Art and Design offers innovative experiential learning opportunities for students to put the practices they learn at HPU into play. Below is a glimpse of experiences students in the School of Art and Design have at HPU:

Students walked in the footsteps of Walt Disney at Disneyland during an alternative fall break trip. They met and learned from Rolly Crump, one of the original Imagineers who worked alongside Disney’s creator. Crump is responsible for designs like The Haunted Mansion and The Enchanted Tiki Room, and he showed students the impact an arts education can have on a grand scale.

During a once-in-a-lifetime video conference, students learned from MinaLima, the designers who created the signature graphics for the Harry Potter films. The design team is known for imagery throughout the film, such as the famous lightning bolt and newspapers with moving pictures.

Professors took HPU students to New York City to tour Google headquarters and meet famous designers. Students majoring in art and graphic design participate in trips to NYC where they meet leading graphic design artists like Milton Glaser, who was known for creating the iconic “I Love NY” design.

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PROMOTING PRIVATE ENTERPRISE

The Earl N. Phillips School of Business gives graduates an edge with real-world experience.

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What’s the best way to market a protein

Training with the Technology of Tomorrow

bar? That’s what HPU students Jessica

In HPU’s BEACON Lab, students use biosensors to measure brain activity, heart rate, eye tracking patterns and more while consumers look at images on a screen.

Lowrey, a senior marketing major and studio art minor, and Corbin Elliott, recent HPU graduate who majored in music and minored in entrepreneurship, researched in the new BEACON Lab. They tested three colors and three keywords to see what the most effective and exciting options are for consumers.

Their work is a reflection of how the Earl N. Phillips School of Business immerses students in environments that empower them to reach their full potential.

“Using data collected in this lab allows us to see the behavior behind how people react to certain images,” said Ally Patterson, a senior broadcast journalism major. “When we’re creating advertisements, commercials and other projects, we see real-time reactions.”

HPU's new BEACON Lab stands for biometric evaluation, analytics, cognitive observation and neuromarketing.

The lab is a collaborative effort between the Earl N. Phillips School of Business and the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.

“The BEACON Lab gives our students a hands-on approach to research,” says Dr. Larry Carter, professor of marketing and director of HPU’s BEACON Lab. “It is a great step up for students pursuing graduate school to already have research published. While there are large marketing companies that have this type of equipment, very few colleges and universities have access to this cutting-edge technology.”

Students build confidence in settings that reflect Fortune 500 companies. Pictured is the W. Allen Tilley Trading Room with a live stock ticker.

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Top: Jacob Maggioncalda pitched his business plan during the annual Elevator Pitch Competition. Bottom left: Caitie Gehlhausen tied for third place at the event. Bottom right: The top five finalists received start-up funds for their business plans.

While it’s a collaborative effort between the schools of business and communication, any and all schools and majors can utilize the lab.

“It opens a lot of doors in marketing and social media marketing,” said Sabrina Schrader, a junior strategic communication major.

And that’s not all; students in the Earl N. Phillips School of Business learn from faculty with years of practical experience in the field. They participate in national competitions and start their own businesses while taking a full course load. They go abroad to gain a first-hand look at how business is conducted in other countries.

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Pitching and Placing Business students have opportunities to pitch their business ideas on and off campus. Each year during Global Entrepreneurship Week, HPU student teams pitch their business ideas at HPU’s Elevator Pitch Competition. Most recently, Lauren McAtee took first place and received $2,000 for her business plan, Paw Alert, a Bluetooth heart rate monitor that individuals can wear to alert their dog’s collar when its owner experiences a heightened heart rate.

“It felt amazing to present my idea,” said McAtee. “Heading into the competition, I expected to receive experience in pitching. Since winning, the confidence in my idea has

My business wouldn’t be where it is today had I gone to any other university besides HPU. I’m lucky to have constant support and resources right at my fingertips.

– Caitie Gehlhausen, ’20, Entrepreneurship Major and the CEO and Founder of the Socket Lock-It

boosted immensely, and I cannot wait to continue to practice and improve my design and pitch abilities.”

Second place winner William Davis received $1,900 for his idea, Word Flasher, an academic application that can help people of all ages read faster.

“I’m thankful HPU holds events like the Elevator Pitch Competition and invests in creative spaces like the Belk Entrepreneurship Center,” said Davis. “I want to help people read and learn faster than ever before with a focus on those who have learning setbacks, including attention deficit disorder.”

HPU provides other opportunities for student entrepreneurs to earn start-up funds, too. Through the Business Plan Competition, students compete for $25,000 in start-up funds every year. Recent graduate Caitie Gehlhausen, an entrepreneurship major and the CEO and Founder of the Socket Lock-It, won first place and a combined $14,000 in the two most recent competitions.

The funds served as a spring board for her future success. Gehlhausen has since competed in two national competitions, including the Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO), where she received $5,000 to support her business. Gehlhausen also competed in HPU’s Elevator Pitch Competition, where she tied for third place.

“My business wouldn’t be where it is today had I gone to any other university besides HPU. I’m lucky to have constant support and resources right at my fingertips,” says Gehlhausen. “Offering numerous opportunities like these, the university has supported my efforts to share Socket Lock-It with a broader audience, and this funding will allow me to help even more users so they no longer have to choose between the cardholder and phone grip.”

In addition to competing in global competitions, HPU business students have the opportunity to uncover insights on how business practices vary around the world.

Uncovering New Horizons Abroad During a four week “Maymester” trip, Dr. Miguel Sahagun, assistant professor of marketing, and Dr. Cindy Hanson, associate professor of marketing, lead students through a study abroad experience in Spain.

While abroad, students combined their classroom studies with experiential learning.

“Being able to immerse ourselves in the business practices and culture of the country of Spain is what truly makes this trip so unique,” said Patrick Horn, a marketing major and sport management minor at HPU. The students visited the Cathedral of Guarda in Portugal and the medieval castle Alcazar of Segovia in Spain, where they learned the castle was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle in “Snow White.”

“In the classroom, we talk about the importance of history and culture, but it really comes to life for the students when they experience these historic sites through various experiential learning activities,” said Hanson. “It is so rewarding to see the students’ understanding grow through these experiences.”

Whether in class, through a club or competition, and even abroad, the School of Business provides experiential learning opportunities, showing students how to solve problems, take risks and develop tools that will make them marketable in the jobs and careers that they love.

“At HPU, we encourage and support our students with first-class mentors and access to capital for ideas and opportunities to do things undergraduates never get the chance to do,” said Troy Knauss, assistant professor of the Practice of Entrepreneurship at HPU. ▲

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Learn Here.

Lead Anywhere.

The David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences gives students the network and experiences to build confidence beyond the classroom.

Inside a large envelope, Jacob Lancaster, HPU Class of 2020, skimmed the upper portion of a letter from his first choice graduate school — Duke University’s School of Divinity.

He spotted it.

The sentence began, “We are proud to extend admittance…”

And below that, there was more.

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His acceptance was accompanied by a full-tuition scholarship — an award he hadn’t expected, but wasn’t entirely surprised by.

“I was excited, of course,” says Lancaster, a religion major in the David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences.

“Who wouldn’t be? But the acceptance and scholarship are just a confirmation of my journey and of how well HPU has prepared me. That’s something I already knew.”

“It’s not just about passing an exam, completing a paper or earning a degree for professors. It’s about personal outcomes.”

-Jacob Lancaster, Class of 2020 Religion Major and Duke Master's of Divinity Student

That’s the kind of humble confidence HPU students in the College of Arts and Sciences develop. They know that HPU has prepared them to excel in life beyond their four years on campus. They know they’ve been equipped to stand out.

Making a Mark Years of involvement with his hometown church, attending youth camps in high school, and leading Bible study groups grew Lancaster’s dream of becoming a Methodist pastor.

Having a clear vision of his career, the next step was finding the university to get him there.

He knew what he needed; a college that would provide a quality education, small class sizes, close connections and impactful mentors.

Enter High Point University and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Students are pushed to channel their talents into research and creative works that will not only result in powerful resumes, but leave a mark on this world.

Guided by faculty who conduct impactful research and create experiential learning opportunities, students grow.

In a recording studio, students produce a podcast debating topics entirely in French for their French 3000 class.

Students work alongside Broadway musicians in a musical performance class.

English majors read poetry with elderly community members — an effort to aid memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Lancaster saw opportunity when he visited HPU and met professors in the College of Arts and Sciences. The element of community involvement, the chance to test himself, and the professors themselves far exceeded his expectations.

Professors in the David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences mentor their students inside and outside the classroom, ensuring they grow academically and holistically.

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Mentorship became a defining part of Lancaster’s journey. He can name a list of mentors that’ll number nearly 10.

The Rev. Dr. Christopher Franks is one. Franks is an associate professor of religion and philosophy, as well as HPU’s pre-ministry advisor.

Franks helped Lancaster find involvement on and beyond campus to grow his experience. Lancaster soon found his place in HPU’s Chapel and with HPU’s Board of Stewards, a student group that helps shape the weekly worship services and organize service projects that benefit the city of High Point.

“Professor Franks takes what he teaches inside the classroom and shows students how to apply that in our careers,” says Lancaster.

“He’s given me scenarios and assigned research that benefit me far beyond a single paper or assignment. It’s not just about passing an exam, completing a paper or earning a degree for professors. It’s about personal outcomes.”

HPU Theatre and Dance Takes Top Spot HPU’s Department of Theatre and Dance, housed in the David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences, was named among the Top 30 College Acting and Performing Arts Programs in the country for 2019-20

by OnStage Blog, one of the most-read theater websites in the world.

Franks grew Lancaster, and he was there when Lancaster landed an internship with Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

Lancaster spent the summer before his senior year cultivating his ministry skills as the pastoral intern. He credits his internship experience with helping him standout to graduate schools.

Franks was one of the first people Lancaster told about the Duke scholarship — a culmination of all that Franks has helped him accomplish and a sign of Lancaster’s appreciation.

The selection was made based on the department’s commitment to experiential learning and unique “Maymester” offering that combines a classroom study of Shakespeare and his works with a twoweek study abroad trip to London.

“Being ranked among such renowned national programs is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff,” says Doug Brown, associate professor of the Department of Theatre and Dance. “Because we place such a strong focus on equipping students with critical life skills, our program has evolved to include this experiential learning opportunity through the ‘Maymester’ program.”

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Jacob Lancaster, a Class of 2020 religion major, is attending Duke University's School of Divinity on a full-tuition scholarship.

From Campus to Capitol Hill

Lancaster understands the resources and encouragement found inside the College of Arts and Sciences. It’s unique to HPU. Yet, it’s a story found time and time again amongst the students on campus.

Each year, students and graduates from the David R. Hayworth College of Arts and Sciences find themselves involved in policy making, campaigning and networking with our nation’s leaders in Washington, D.C. Here’s a glimpse at just a few of those internships and career outcomes:

Ashley Smith, ’19 Major: Criminal Justice Litigation Technology Specialist U.S. Attorney’s Office

Crafting Confidence Meghan Lemmo was drawn to HPU by the impressive student outcomes she heard about when she toured. Graduates were going on to work for renowned companies.

Hannah Ryans, ’17 Major: Political Science Scheduler Office of Congressman Steve Cohen

“HPU is like no other,” says Lemmo. “I always knew I wanted to work for Disney. When I heard of the amazing opportunities and companies people work for post-graduation at HPU, Disney being one of them, I knew I had to attend.”

Delaney Crampton, ’17 Major: Political Science Policy Associate Washington Center for Equitable Growth

But when Lemmo arrived to HPU from Moorestown, New Jersey, she found herself homesick.

On August 26, 2015, she walked into the classroom of her first-ever college course: “Introduction to Human Relations.” She was shaking and overrun with nerves until her human relations professor Dr. David Bergen approached.

Jessica Vedrani, ’21 Majors: Criminal Justice and Political Science Data and Operations Fellow Climate Action Campaign

“Dr. Bergen had a warm welcome that made me feel safe and right where I needed to be,” says Lemmo.

“He saw my nerves and took me under his wing.”

Hannah Huemme, ’18 Major: English Deputy Mid-Atlantic Finance Director Republican National Committee

After that day, Bergen became Lemmo’s biggest cheerleader as she pursued not only a degree in human relations, but her career goals. He was there for her when she doubted herself and reminded her of the tools she had to conquer her goals.

Scott Miller, ’13 Major: Political Science Constituent Advocate U.S. Senate

Professors pushed and encouraged Lemmo to follow her dream. They equipped her with life skills and coached her through interviews that led to internships and eventually to her dream job with the Walt Disney Company in Anaheim, California.

Corinne King, ’20 Major: Political Science Intern U.S. House of Representatives

Today, she works with a team that creates and delivers training and leadership programs for all Disney employees.

Gary Beck, ’13

“HPU taught me that my dream job is always possible,” says Lemmo. “They never doubted me, and they worked to craft my confidence. Coming from HPU, I feel that I can go anywhere I set my mind to.” ▲

Major: Political Science Director of External Affairs U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Pictured is HPU's 2019 Summer STEM Camp. This exciting tradition is one of many ways HPU students work with local children.

Empowering Teachers: The HPU Way On a city bus, on their way to talk to more experts in Washington, D.C., about education, they saw the tweet from U.S. Rep. Ted Budd.

That morning, they told Budd about the difficulties teachers face. And these students — all HPU graduates pursuing their master’s degrees in education at HPU — shared their insights.

Right around noon, they read Budd’s tweet, and they were wide-eyed. Their own legislator from North Carolina sat with them for 30 minutes in his Capitol Hill office, and he listened. He wrote: “I was grateful to meet with graduate students from @HighPointU today. All of them will be entering the N.C. school system soon and are eager to educate the next generation of leaders in our great state.

We discussed Title II funding and professional development opportunities.”

The HPU graduate students could barely contain their excitement.

“He heard us!” one exclaimed. “He really heard us!”

Dr. Allie Blosser, who was sitting with them, felt excited, too. Her students could see how a new university program could not only help them network, but give them the confidence they need for the classroom — and beyond.

“They’re hooked now,” she told herself.

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HPU’s New Educational Outpost in D.C. Ask education majors what draws them to the Stout School of Education, and they’ll talk about student-teaching before they’re seniors and earning a master's degree in one year instead of two.

They’re also drawn by the prowess of their professors. There are many. Here are a few: Dr. Shirley Disseler has showed dozens of graduates how they can use LEGOs to educate students in everything from science to English.

efforts prepared their students to adapt as educators during an unprecedented time in any classroom. Blosser is part of that innovative talent pool.

She helped create the school’s newest major in education studies and established a partnership with the Washington Center to help master’s candidates get a national perspective every spring on the business of education.

In 2019, Blosser took nine students to become HPU's inaugural Washington Center class. During those two weeks, she saw them blossom. They developed pride in their chosen profession, unafraid to speak up for what really matters.

Dr. Leslie Cavendish has helped her own students become Maleia Meadows and Amber Pearson can back that up. mentors to local children in two elementary schools through a Two Students, Two Teachers tutoring program known as Two Degrees, Five Years Book Buddies.

In Room 503 at Northwood, an The Stout School of Education offers elementary school in the city of Professor Rosie Tarara oversees numerous B.A. to M.Ed. programs for students looking to earn an High Point, a sign reads, “Miss HPU’s Education Fellows program undergraduate and a master’s Meadows' Class, Where Every and helps guide exemplary students degree within a span of five years.

Scholar Is A Star.” toward becoming teachers.

Programs include a master's in

Meadows is beginning another Meanwhile, a host of professors help educational leadership, elementary math lesson for 19 third graders. mid-level professionals receive their education and special education.

She’s helping them with one of doctorate in educational leadership the academic tenets of STEM, the every year. Since the program began acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. She in 2016, 156 students have received their doctorate. then takes three students to her desk.

Then came the global pandemic last spring. Through virtual Time for individual attention. meetings and phone calls, professors saw how all of their

Dr. Allison Blosser (front row, far right), assistant professor of education, took nine students to Washington D.C. for a new partnership with the Washington Center.

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EDUCATION MILESTONES The Stout School of Education is home to stellar faculty and students conducting a variety of research and service projects.

Below is a glimpse of their recent accomplishments.

16,000

local children have experienced HPU’s unique LEGO Showcases, STEM Camps, Robotic Build Competitions and more. During these complimentary events, HPU faculty and students utilize LEGO Education products, which they receive early access to, and lead activities designed to help children master STEM concepts.

A $4.4

million grant

from the U.S. Department of Education was awarded to HPU and N.C. A&T State University.

Known as the Teacher Quality Partnership Grant, the two universities are working to improve the instruction of high school math and elementary school STEM programs in a local school district. A total of 100 teachers will complete the program over the next few years.

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“I want you to stay with me,” she tells one. “Don’t just circle your answers.”

Meadows is from Greensboro, North Carolina. She’s the first in her immediate family to graduate from college, and she’s always wanted to be an educator since her fifth-grade teacher showed her the power of math.

Her time in Washington, though, showed her the power of her own voice.

“When you meet people who influence policy, you want to show them that classroom teachers aren’t just sitting there watching students color,” says Meadows, who graduated in May with a master’s degree in education with a concentration in STEM. “They need to understand what makes education possible. It’s bigger than us, but we should have a say in it.”

Pearson understands. She’s from Magnolia, Delaware, and she’s wanted to be a teacher since she was 6. The Washington Center experience showed her more reasons why, like the quote she spotted on a sign from cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

To Pearson, it was more than just words.

“I thought that was the perfect explanation of why we were there,” says Pearson, who graduated in May with a master’s degree in education with a concentration in literacy. “We’re all committed to making change.”

educators

received their doctoral degrees in educational leadership from HPU in the last five years.

Since 2016, three doctoral degree recipients have become school superintendents, and one was named dean of a community college.

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Maleia Meadows, '19, is a teacher at Northwood Elementary in the city of High Point. She is committed to providing her students with one-on-one attention.

extraordinary education

Pearson teaches first graders at High Point’s Union Hill Elementary, and she believes in that kind of advocacy.

So does Meadows.

They both learned that at HPU and in D.C. The tweet from Budd told them something they won’t soon forget — their voice counts.

“It shouldn’t be a scary thing to ask for what you need because the kids in the four walls of your classroom are the most important thing,” Meadows says. “They’re 8 and 9 years old, and they shouldn’t have to ask for what they need. We need to do that.” ▲

Through Book Buddies, education majors and local children come together for a variety of activities.

Pictured center is Dr. Shirley Disseler, STEM coordinator and associate professor of elementary and middle grades education. She organizes numerous LEGO events for local children.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

–Margaret Mead, Cultural Anthropologist

The Guiding Light of ‘Reading with Ruby’ Last spring, after the global pandemic ended her student-teaching internship, Ruby Esposito went home to Byram, New Jersey.

But she didn’t stop teaching.

She created a YouTube channel called “Reading with Ruby.” She recorded videos of herself reading her favorite books and posted them online for the firstgraders she worked with at High Point’s Fairview Elementary.

The idea came from Dr. Allie Blosser, Esposito’s professor. Esposito liked it. Yet, she wondered if her videos would captivate any student, parent or educator.

She soon found out.

Fairview’s on-site tutoring coordinator called with a message.

Thank you.

Ruby Esposito, '21

“It warmed my heart,” says Esposito, a senior double majoring in education studies and nonprofit leadership and management. “It made me feel like I was able to play a small part during these hard times — to bring some light.”

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Skyler Prillaman (left), a junior on the women’s soccer team, participates in a jump test with Dr. Brett Pexa (center), assistant professor of athletic training, and Daniel Aube (right), a second-year athletic training graduate student.

Jumping to

Healthier

Heights

HPU’s Congdon School of Health Sciences has an app for that.

When the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks walks into HPU’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab and says her team’s trainers need to see it, you know it’s a great space to study athletic performance.

That’s what Cynt Marshall, the CEO Mark Cuban recruited for his NBA team, said when she visited.

“This place is literally saving lives,” said Marshall. “Both performance enhancement studies and preventative measures are being studied here. This is amazing to me.

I’m blown away, and I want our trainers to see it.”

The faculty in the lab have a strong reputation for working with professional athletes and conducting high-level research to prevent injury and improve athletic performance.

Take Dr. Brett Pexa’s research for example.

Wellness and Workload Pexa, an assistant professor of athletic training, is working with students on an app he designed. The wellness and workload app he implemented with HPU’s men’s and women’s soccer teams can track a student athlete’s performance and physical and mental health.

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“The app measures the soccer teams on their amount of sleep, stress levels and readiness on performance,” says Pexa.

During the fall 2019 soccer season, each student athlete received a text reminder in the morning and in the evening after practice to take a brief survey. Overall, the data can show how a specific athlete is feeling on a daily basis.

“It gives us a quick snapshot of what the athlete is thinking, and it is very usable information,” says Pexa. “The next piece is clinical. We download this data and put it into a report that’s color coded and easy for the coaching and training staff to understand.”

“The software program he created has been a tremendous asset to our program and the overall performance of our players,” says Brandi Fontaine, head women’s soccer coach.

“We utilize this information to prepare our training sessions and get the best out of our athletes.”

If an athlete is reporting more soreness than usual through the app, Pexa will consult with the team’s strength coach and encourage the team to participate in a longer warm-up stretch.

“This information is instrumental in our preparation because it allows us to help maximize our athletes throughout their entire HPU career,” says Fontaine.

Connecting with Community HPU's Congdon School of Health Sciences is filled with caring people committed to making a positive impact in the local community.

HPU’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies partnered with Guilford County EMS to conduct ventilator training using HPU’s high fidelity mannequins in the department’s Center for Medical Simulation.

HPU’s Department of Physical Therapy has given out more than 2,000 pounds of food to patients in the Pro Bono Clinic since the clinic's food pantry opened in May 2018.

And the athletes have appreciated its impact.

“Our coaches can see how sore we are, and they can gauge how we practice each day,” says Skyler Prillaman, a junior and women’s soccer team member. “Overall, this makes us a better program because having this information is an asset to our performance.”

“Dr. Pexa understands the business computing software, while Dr. Ford and I focus on the physical and biomechanical variables that help prevent injuries on the field,” says Waxman. “You usually don’t see departments of physical therapy, exercise science and similar areas work together like this. What we’re doing is a unique model for higher education right now.” ▲

Research Presented Nationally Daniel Aube, a second-year athletic training graduate student from Long Island, New York, assists Pexa with research. Using data he and Pexa collected, Aube created and presented an abstract at the National Athletic Trainers' Association Conference.

“The biomechanics lab was my biggest draw to HPU,” says Aube. “The resources in injury prevention and my experience here at HPU give me a major advantage in an athletic training career.”

Pexa encourages more students to get involved in research opportunities like Aube has.

“Research provides our students opportunities to present at national conferences,” says Pexa. “After Daniel presents at this summer’s conference, it will help set him up for his coursework beginning in the fall, as the measurements we found will be a part of next semester’s optimizing athletic performance class. Getting students included in research is absolutely imperative in their educational journey.”

The biomechanics lab was my biggest draw to HPU. The resources in injury prevention and my experience here at HPU give me a major advantage in an athletic training career.

– Daniel Aube, Athletic Training Graduate Student from Long Island, New York

Cynt Marshall (left), CEO of the Dallas Mavericks and HPU’s Sports Executive in Residence, tours the Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab and greets students and faculty.

Taking Teamwork Further Pexa’s research also reflects the mission of the lab to help athletes accomplish more while remaining healthy. That’s why he partners with faculty in HPU’s departments of physical therapy and exercise science.

“It was almost too easy for me to collaborate with Drs. Kevin Ford in physical therapy and Justin Waxman in the department of exercise science,” says Pexa. “They had a lot of physical measures they needed to collect, and, together, we did that in HPU’s biomechanics lab.”

Waxman’s research is focused on testing a portable force plate system to help make athletic performance more efficient.

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TaShawn Marshall (left), a pharmacy student, works with Bob Law, a local resident in the Longitudinal Patient Experience Program. By pairing students with community members on a long-term basis, students understand how to care for patients over an extended period of time.

Compressing Time for Future Pharmacists By caring for a community member, Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy students are prepared to provide long-term care.

If you overheard the conversation between Sara Hall, a fourth-year pharmacy student, and Ann Grey, a community member, you’d think they were lifelong friends.

“How was the birthday party?” Hall asks.

“Look at this cake,” says Grey, pulling out her phone to show Hall a picture from her grandson’s birthday. “He loves yellow trucks.”

The relationship they’ve built in the last two years through the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy’s Longitudinal Patient Experience Program reflects the type of relationship Hall will have with her future patients someday.

As a pharmacist, Hall will be responsible for caring for a community. She’ll help the same patients every day, getting to know them as their needs change over the years.

She’ll utilize her scientific knowledge, but also the ability to communicate well with others and provide long-term, quality care.

She’ll be prepared to treat each patient as an individual.

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Learning Life Skills Outside the Classroom Pharmacy students are paired with residents at nearby Pennybyrn and River Landing retirement communities so they can experience patient care over an extended period of time.

“The purpose of the program is for our students to develop life skills outside of the classroom,” says the program’s director, Dr. Phillip Stafford. “We want to make sure our students excel on the didactic side, but it’s so important to develop their interpersonal skills, too.”

Students meet regularly with their residents as they begin to provide care.

“I don’t know of any other pharmacy school that offers a four semester, long-term program,” says Stafford. “This is truly a longitudinal program because it offers more than just a snapshot. Over time, the conversations get more personal between the student and resident.”

Grey’s husband, Sandy, is paired with Carrie Lutheran, a fourth-year pharmacy student.

Lasting Effects of the Longitudinal Patient Experience Program

“It didn’t take long for me to be impressed with the program,” says Sandy. “Carrie has shown me the value pharmacists provide. It has increased my appreciation for High Point University.”

The Greys, Hall and Lutheran say that two years provides great experience in this type of educational program. The spring 2020 semester was Hall and Lutheran's final semester in the program.

Support from Students Lutheran has met with Sandy for the last two years, and their relationship continues to grow.

“The first semester with your resident is about getting to know each other,” says Lutheran. “After that, we are focused on keeping up with each other, and I help answer his questions.”

The students discuss physical implications in the health care system, fall prevention and positive lifestyle choices that impact their resident’s health, among other things.

“It has enhanced my understanding of what pharmacists do and the value of their skills, particularly those of us at this stage of our lives needing more medications,” says Sandy.

“The end of this semester was hard,” says Hall. “It was difficult to say goodbye to Ann within the program, but it wasn't a real goodbye. We still talk and text.”

When the pandemic began, the program transitioned to virtual meetings and phone calls as a safety precaution. The experience continues to provide lessons students will take into their future careers.

“The program has helped me personally grow into the pharmacist I want to become by introducing me to a patient that I now have a close relationship with,” says Lutheran.

“Being involved in my patient's life has shown me what it’s like to be on the other side of the pharmacy counter.” ▲

Being involved in my patient’s life has shown me what it’s like to be on the other side of the pharmacy counter.

– Carrie Lutheran, Fourth-Year Pharmacy Student

Relevant Research The Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy has a variety of research projects underway. Here’s a glimpse.

Dr. Julie Cooper, associate professor of pharmacy clinical studies, is researching cost-related medication underuse and multidisciplinary team communication.

Her goal is to reduce medicationrelated problems and improve patient outcomes for patients transitioning from hospital to home.

Dr. Cale Fahrenholtz, assistant professor of basic pharmaceutical sciences, is researching new ways to treat and prevent certain cancers and improve current treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. His goal is to find new therapies for cancers currently lacking adequate treatment.

Dr. Robert Coover, assistant professor of basic pharmaceutical sciences, is researching how to slow the growth of tumors found in the nervous system of children under 10 years of age. Coover’s goal includes providing less toxic treatment options for young patients.

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Study abroad programs span six continents and more than 30 countries. Students are pictured in Sicily, Italy, in the top photo and bottom right photo. The bottom, center photo shows students in Isla Damas, Chile. In the bottom left photo, students explore Bangkok, Thailand.

Going GLOBAL Putting Life Skills into Practice

Imagine meditating with Buddhist monks in Thailand, spending the day with endangered penguins at the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve in Chile, or witnessing a performance of "The Odyssey" at a Greek theater in Italy.

For students at High Point University, these dreams became reality through HPU’s Office of Global Education. While Thailand, Chile and Italy are among the places HPU students can travel through study abroad programs, the opportunities available span six continents and more than 30 countries.

HPU instills critical life skills to prepare students for the world as it is going to be. Students like Emily Nagle and Olivia Wease put these skills into practice through study abroad programs around the world.

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Learning to communicate with other people, solve problems, have flexibility, and work with people who are different than themselves broadens the lens through which students see the world.

– Dr. Claudia Femenias, Professor of Spanish

International Opportunities Abound Nagle, a recent HPU graduate who majored in broadcast journalism with a minor in French, immersed herself in the culture of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam through HPU’s Buddhism and Culture in Southeast Asia study abroad program.

HPU offers an abundance of study abroad programs, including this Southeast Asia program. The program is attached to a spring semester course and takes students abroad during the month of May. This type of experience gives students a chance to learn abroad with direct engagement and mentoring from a faculty mentor.

“In Chiang Mai, Thailand, we visited an elephant sanctuary,” Nagle says. “My class got the chance to feed, bathe and learn about the care of protected elephants, the national animal of Thailand. Overall, my experience abroad in Southeast Asia brought me so much knowledge about a different culture. This experience challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and gave me more confidence in The Office unfamiliar environments.”

Olivia Wease, a Class of 2020 exercise science major with a minor in Spanish, selected the “Chile in a time of transformation: A Cultural Challenge” program to improve her Spanish; however, what she took away from the experience was so much more.

time later in the evening,” says Wease. “During classes, I got to interact with Chilean students and got to know them really well, creating lifelong friendships.”

Putting Life Skills into Practice “While many students have apprehension before the trip, it’s incredible to witness their transformation,” says Carolyn Adams, assistant professor of Spanish who co-teaches the course. “They are more confident, and many of them immediately plan their next trip upon the conclusion of the semester.”

When studying abroad, students utilize the life skills they honed on campus.

“Upon arrival to Chile, we require the students to complete several activities designed for them to find things they may need, to communicate and to explore,” says Dr. Claudia Femenias, professor of Spanish who co-teaches the course of Global and travels with the students.

“Learning to communicate with Education offers 71 study other people, solve problems, abroad programs, including have flexibility and work with 56 semester-exchange or people who are different than themselves broadens the lens affiliate partnerships and 15 through which students see the faculty-led Global Experience world and how they manage “Maymester” programs. that world.”

“One of my dreams has always been to travel to a Hispanic country for an extended period of time to work on my Spanish speaking skills,” says Wease. “I was nervous about living with a host mom who didn’t speak English, but my professors helped me to be more confident with the language.”

Study abroad experiences provide an opportunity for students like Wease to learn about other cultures, remain flexible and step outside of their comfort zones.

“Having the experience of living with a host mom was amazing. She was so sweet and loved talking to me and my housemate, Lauren. I learned a lot about Chilean culture from her and got to experience La Once every night, which is tea

Throughout the semester, students keep a journal and complete cultural immersion activities. From enjoying authentic Chilean cuisine, to visiting an observatory, each student comes away with different perspectives and experiences.

According to global survey reports, it is projected that most large corporations will want to hire people who have international experience in the future.

“The ability to thrive and succeed in a multi-cultural, international environment is a life skill we all need in the 21st century,” says Jeff Palis, director of Global Education.

“It’s important to see things from different perspectives and broaden our point of view.” ▲

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HPU Research Helps Students

Dream Big

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Student research projects are presented to the entire campus each year during the High Point University Undergraduate Research and Creative Works Symposium (High-PURCS).

At age 11, Sawyer Lyons knew he wanted to be a doctor.

He sat beside a doctor at his older sister’s dance recital, talked to her for 10 minutes and turned to his mom with the news.

Three summers ago, Lyons began assisting Grider with research during HPU’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program. In 2019, Lyons presented his research at a conference at Duke University. Grider, director of HPU’s neuroscience program, was right there with him.

“I want to do what she does,” he told her.

“It’s good to know you’re not alone,” Lyons says.

HPU is helping make that happen. Lyons, a senior biology major from Hartsville, Pennsylvania, intends to go to medical school, and he believes his 18 months of neuroscience research with Dr. Michael Grider will prepare him well.

That, Dr. Joanne Altman says, is crucial. She should know.

Altman, the founding director of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works at High Point University, has seen her share of students blossom because of a mentor.

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During HPU's Summer Research Institute (SuRI), students summarize their research projects during an elevator pitch competition and receive feedback from faculty and staff.

Pictured is student Aleah Hayes (left) sharing her research with Chris Dudley (right), senior vice president for institutional advancement, during SuRI 2019.

“We’re their parachute, their safety net,” she says. “We push them past their comfort zone to do things they don’t think they can do.”

The result? Confidence grows.

“When someone has unwavering faith in you,” Altman says, “it builds faith in yourself.”

Dr. Brian Augustine, chair of the Department of Chemistry, and student Kaylee Campbell discuss her research project during High-PURCS.

FINDING THAT EDGE When students participate in research at HPU, they always work with a professor. They learn something new and hone a raft of workforce skills employers and graduate schools want.

Studies show that employers hire students who are critical thinkers skilled in communication and problem solving, and with 2 million college graduates flooding the job market every year, students need some sort of edge.

Altman says research does that. At HPU, the Premier Life Skills University, nearly 2,000 students take part in research every year, and they see the benefits.

Students like Aurora Jacques and Aleah Hayes can vouch for that.

INSTILLING PASSION Ask Jacques about her growing interest in law, and she’ll mention her books on criminal justice.

They fill two shelves in her apartment.

“That’s been the spark,” she says. “I’m not a lawyer yet, but it’s my responsibility to learn as much as I can to plan for a career where I can make a difference.”

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Jacques found that spark the summer of her sophomore year, thanks to Dr. Thomas Dearden.

She interviewed 40 inmates and 10 detention officers at the High Point jail as part of Dearden’s research. Dearden wanted to see if an educational tablet the inmates use could reduce reoffending rates, give them marketable skills and improve their lives.

That research was part of HPU’s Summer Research Institute.

Jacques lived on campus, worked with Dearden and interned at the local public defender’s office, where she shadowed attorneys and helped with cases.

HPU Research: The Confidence Builder

That experience helped her land an internship at the Institute of Justice, a nonprofit law firm in Arlington, Virginia. Because of her work with Dearden, she worked as the firm’s only strategic research intern.

Taylor Tidman is sharp.

Jacques graduated in May and headed to law school where she wants to answer big questions like, “What does justice actually look like?”

She came to High Point University as a Presidential Scholar. She majored in finance, entered the Honors Scholars program and joined HPU’s business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi.

She began asking those big questions at HPU, all because of her research.

“It helped me realize that when you critically look at problems, you can’t rely on anecdotes,” she says. “You want it to be data-driven.

I’ll carry that with me for the rest of my career.”

Still, she was full of questions her parents couldn’t answer. They didn’t go to college.

She was the first in her family, and as she says, she wasn’t “super confident” in herself.

LESSONS LEARNED

When she graduated a semester early in December 2019, she felt much different.

Hayes will carry her experience at Duke University for the rest of her life.

Ask her how that all happened, and she’ll mention research.

She’s a junior and a psychology major from Harrisburg, North Carolina. On a Sunday before Thanksgiving, she went to Duke to present her research on the social media influences of female politicians.

It started with HPU’s Research Rookies, the program that introduces freshmen to research opportunities right when they arrive. By her second semester, Tidman joined professors Randy Moser and Miguel Sahagun in their marketing research into franchises.

Like Lyons, she was ready. She had worked for months with Dr. Martin Kifer, chair of HPU’s political science department, and she had practiced her delivery for weeks.

But as she stood in Duke’s gallery in her new tweed jacket, she felt the pull of nerves. It was her first conference, and she worried about talking to countless strangers.

She never stopped.

Today, Tidman works in a downtown office in Tampa, Florida, where she’s a budget analyst for SkyBridge Tactical, a defense contractor. HPU helped her get there.

Up walked Altman.

“It’s not going to be as bad as you think it is,” Altman tells Hayes.

“Just breathe.”

“A big part of it is the confidence,” she says.

“Professors Moser and Sahagun gave me that. They treated me as an equal.”

Nearly two hours later, after talking to dozens of people, Hayes knew Altman was right.

“All you have to do,” Hayes says, “is get your first words out.” ▲

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Coaching Students Toward Confidence Why I teach students to trust their training in times of uncertainty

By Professor Larry Quinn, Chair of the Marketing and Sales Department, Director of the Professional Selling Club and HPU’s Sales Professional in Residence

If you ask CEOs to share the most important trait in business leaders, many will say it’s the ability to adapt in high pressure situations. One example we all know too well is the global pandemic. It forced change upon nearly every employee in the nation.

At HPU, I have the honor of chairing the department of sales and marketing, and I’m also the director of the Professional Selling Club.

Before coming to HPU, I spent decades in the corporate world as a national sales training manager for Xerox and vice president of sales and marketing at Thomson Professional Publishing Group and Duplex Printing Corporation.

And before that, I was a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve, where I served as an aircraft commander and instructor pilot.

In both experiences, I faced moments of uncertainty.

While serving in Vietnam, my life and the lives of my crew sometimes depended on the decisions I made during those moments. That’s when I learned an important lesson — I learned to trust my training.

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Embracing the Unknown At 23 years old, I found myself commanding a four-engine aircraft with 22 naval soldiers on board during a secret mission in Vietnam. It was 2 a.m., pitch black and we were in the monsoon season. At 10,000 feet, two engines suddenly failed.

Then the third started winding down. I couldn’t hold altitude.

The obvious and worst case scenario was crash landing straight ahead in the jungles of enemy territory. I had the clarity to remember that an aircraft carrier was stationed just 30 miles south of me in the South China Sea, and in training, I’d seen a video about a plane like ours that landed at sea and floated for weeks. I radioed the aircraft carrier and asked them to launch a helicopter that could lay out a line of flares. With the makeshift flare runway, I was prepared to skim the plane down for a water landing.

I announced my plans to the crew. I could hear the panic from sailors in the back as the plane started to go down. When we were 10 feet above the sea, I realized we were gliding on a pocket of air. If I kept the power on, that air beneath the wings would actually carry us.

Instead of trying to land in the water, I changed course, made a turn to the west and flew the aircraft at 10 feet for 100 miles back to our base where we landed firmly on the concrete.

Companies like Gartner and General Electric have entered partnerships with HPU to have first access in hiring our talented seniors.

— Larry Quinn, Chair of the Department of Sales and Marketing

It wasn’t until I put my feet on that concrete that the thought of being afraid crept into my mind. In the air, I leaned on my training. I trusted that my flight school instructors had done their job to prepare me. I had confidence in my own abilities, which allowed me to adapt.

And that night, I learned the secret of how to make quick decisions under extreme pressure.

The secret is to let go of what’s not really there — fear. We create our own fear, and that’s what we have to let go of.

That’s the secret.

Let go of fear and trust your training.

These lessons carried through to my career in sales. At HPU, I strive to instill this level of training in our students every day.

Practicing Preparedness Inside Cottrell Hall, we have sales simulation labs. I love watching students test their personal pitches inside these spaces. Our video technology records them while pitching, but it also records the reaction of the client to whom they’re pitching.

For my newest students, it can be intimidating. They will make mistakes in the practice phase because they are building the foundation that keeps them calm during moments of the unknown.

It’s just like being a pilot in the cockpit of a simulation.

Eventually, when students land a job interview or their first big client, they’ll be well-practiced and ready.

As the Premier Life Skills University, HPU gives students the skills they need to excel in their careers. I’m here to guide students to that realization, and I often draw from my time as a pilot to lead them. Sometimes, that involves putting them through rigorous practice or offering constructive feedback.

Other times, it’s looking my students in the eye and saying, “You can do this. I believe in you.”

I encourage them to visualize success and plan a route to get there. At the same time, I encourage them to always scan for the unknown. They know they’ll have to deviate and improvise a little bit, but if they make their decisions grounded in what HPU has taught them, they know they will thrive.

It’s this ability — having the confidence to quickly adapt — that sets HPU students apart.

Employers confirm this. I travel with our Professional Selling Club to competitions all across the nation, and you should hear how judges rave about the preparedness of our students.

Already, companies like Gartner and General Electric have entered partnerships with HPU to have first access in hiring our talented seniors. They know HPU graduates have been trained to thrive in a world where change is the only constant.

I’m proud to play a part in that. ▲

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LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP with Nido Qubein and Josh Groban

President Nido Qubein interviews some of the world’s most influential thought leaders and change agents who are drawn to the High Point University campus. Their conversations focus on leadership, innovation and values that prepare HPU students to lead lives of success and significance. These topics are also the focus of Qubein’s Seminar on Life Skills, which he teaches to all freshmen.

The interviews are open to the entire community, filmed in front of a live audience, aired on public television, and shared online with viewers around the world. Printed below is an excerpt of Qubein’s interview with Josh Groban, internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter and actor. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity and can be viewed in its entirety at www.highpoint.edu/series.

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QUBEIN: Your mother was a teacher, and your father was a businessman. How did you become who you are, and when did you begin singing?

GROBAN: I was exposed to the arts by my parents when I was young. I was shy, so I would lock my bedroom door and sing in my room. I didn't begin singing in front of others until seventh grade, when a music teacher gave me an assignment to sing for all the students at a cabaret show. I received a standing ovation. That was the first time my mom and dad heard me sing, and I realized that music needed to be a part of my life. It was something that helped me express myself.

QUBEIN: What is the lesson for students and young people who are starting but have anxiety and fear? What pushed you out of your comfort zone?

GROBAN: You learn to gauge what is good fear and what is bad fear. That’s something that comes from experience. When I first began, any kind of fear made me hesitate and think, “I don’t know if I want to be part of this.” But you learn more as you put in more hours. When it is the kind of fear that is energy producing because you want so badly to succeed but fear you might fail, that’s the good fear. That is the kind of fear that you can harness into an energy that produces excitement. You can use it to work hard and go for it.

QUBEIN: Do you have a mentor or a coach who you work with regularly?

GROBAN: I do work with a coach, and I’ll never stop working with a coach because I believe it’s important to have someone outside of yourself to listen, recognize bad

Access to innovators Steve Wozniak Apple Co-Founder, HPU’s Innovator in Residence

Byron Pitts

Co-Anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline,” HPU's Journalist in Residence

habits and look for things that get stuck in your own head. I also try to get inspired by other singers as often as I can so I can continue to grow. I’ve also been very fortunate because my parents raised my brother and I with great values. They taught us to give back and not to count all our chickens before they hatch. If it wasn’t for them and the amazing teachers that taught me responsibility, I would have made many more mistakes. I was very fortunate to have a lot of good mentors.

QUBEIN: You’ve led a life full of success. How do you also focus on leading a life of significance?

GROBAN: Balance is important, and learning about balance took me a long time. Making time for things other than ambition, such as relationships, is important.

Whether friends, mentors or otherwise, hone those connections. They’ll provide a safe space for you to make mistakes and grow emotionally and socially. Also make time for the things that recharge your soul. You’ll put out more inspired work, and you’ll connect more with people through your work.

QUBEIN: What have you learned about failure and regret?

GROBAN: Those moments teach you what you’re able to come back from and that it’s okay to be human. Other people won’t remember your missteps as you do. They’ll remember when you do something great that connects with them and affects them positively. That sticks way longer and deeper than any slip up. The hard part is deciding to do it again after you make a mistake. Surround yourself with people you can bounce ideas off of during the darker moments in your life to help you get back up. ▲

High Point University students learn from world-renowned thought leaders who are attracted to HPU’s campus. Watch HPU President Nido Qubein interview these change agents for HPU’s Innovator Series online at www.highpoint.edu/series.

Dr. Michio Kaku Co-Founder of String Field Theory

Biz Stone

Twitter Co-Founder

Dr. Condoleezza Rice

66th Secretary of State

Dr. Carol Dweck

Stanford University Professor of Psychology, Author of “Mindset”

Gen. Colin Powell Former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

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The Parent What I wish every parent knew about finding the right university for their student College is a crucial time in a young adult’s life.

What campus will be the best home for them?

Who will be their mentor? How can they make the most of the next four years? While high school students must consider these questions when choosing the right university, HPU knows that parents are working alongside them, diligently searching for the same answers.

HPU mom Anne Warfield (center) is pictured with her husband Paul Cummings (back) and her two HPU students, CeAnna (left) and Michaela (right).

Meet Anne Warfield of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She is the mother of two HPU students, junior CeAnna Cummings, an actuarial science major, and sophomore Michaela Cummings, a biology major. Anne and husband Paul Cummings have noted a remarkable transformation in their daughters. Below, Anne reflects on her daughters’ HPU journeys thus far:

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Q. How did your family discover and ultimately choose HPU? A. We watched HPU over the years as it transformed into the campus it is today, and when CeAnna finally reached college age, we knew it was time to tour. That was all it took. She fell in love with it. We toured other private universities, and she had been dead set on going to college in California.

What changed her mind was HPU. Everyone she met was supportive. The campus was state-of-the-art and student-focused. HPU develops the whole student with a forwardthinking, experiential learning model. She felt that HPU was designed for long-term success, not just for her college education.

Michaela, our youngest, wanted to make her own mark and initially aimed to be different from her sister. We sent her down to be with CeAnna for a weekend. After her first day on campus, she told me, “I want to be here.” She connected instantly with the other students, and I think that speaks to the caliber of people attending HPU. In CeAnna’s residence hall, there are four sets of HPU siblings on just her floor. That showed me it’s common for one sibling to attend HPU and the next sibling to be attracted to HPU’s quality education, too. It also showed me that HPU is attracting students with strong family values who see family as an asset. A university that attracts students with such values fosters a family atmosphere. Now, both my daughters see everyone at HPU as their family.

Perspective: Q: What sets HPU apart from other colleges?

A. I believe we send our students to college so they can change the world. We want a kinder, gentler world where people appreciate and value one another. I don’t see college as a chance for my children to just learn academically. I assess a college based on who my child can become there. HPU addresses the whole student and not just the intellectual being. If we’re going to change the world, we need people who think bigger and want to grow and stretch. High Point University takes students through that transformational process.

Q: How have your daughters transformed during their time at HPU? A. I’ve seen CeAnna magnify who she was in high school.

She was very involved in school activities and in church.

At HPU, she’s challenged herself to increase that level of involvement. The environment has inspired her to make the most of every opportunity. Today, she’s involved in religious life, and she tutors fellow students in math. She participated in HPU in the City: New York, a career development trip, last fall. These are a few examples of how HPU has instilled in her the confidence to step forward into who she’s going to be. For Michaela, I’ve watched her assert herself and embrace who she wants to be in just a short time on campus, not just because her sister is doing it, but because she feels inspired at HPU to set big, personal goals without doubts that she will achieve them. It’s beautiful to see.

What do you tell parents and high school students who are considering HPU? A. If you’re looking for a campus that will hold your student accountable and stretch them personally and intellectually, then HPU is the place for your family. You won’t find another university that emphasizes life skills. Other universities aren’t interested in who students are going to become

HPU develops the whole student with a forwardthinking, experiential learning model.

– Anne Warfield, mother of HPU students CeAnna and Michaela Cummings outside of their campus. HPU wants to impact the world by creating extraordinary individuals, and if you come here, you’ll become one of those. It’s a much bigger goal and larger vision. We’ve visited a ton of different colleges, and I haven’t found one that’s in the same league of thinking. If you want to put your student in a university that’s going to invest in character, community and country, I don’t know of another university that does all of that.

Q: Tell us about an HPU experience or impactful moment for your family.

A. There are so many, but I can pick two. Both of our daughters participated in the Presidential Scholars Weekend, and it made a huge impact on our entire family.

I was amazed at how HPU didn’t treat them as students.

They were treated as business professionals. College is a big investment, and they were told to treat this investment as an opportunity to become the best version of themselves. I was blown away at how HPU immediately nudged them into adulthood. Then, there was move-in weekend. You don’t just drop your student off and leave.

HPU made it a true transition by inviting our family in with wonderful events and softly seeing families out with a closing ceremony. That entire process wasn’t seen as a drop off, but a transition from one phase to the next. ▲

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PARENT PERSPECTIVE

So many parents write letters of appreciation about how HPU has transformed their student’s life. Featured here are a few, brief excerpts.

Your student will have no problem transitioning to college life at HPU. HPU thinks of everything — they are the ultimate version of college.

– Paul Cupo, father of sophomore Kelly Cupo, a pop culture and media production major from Rochester, New York

At HPU, students are exposed to the best of what the world has to offer, including great academics, culture, decorum and more. It is truly an incubator of knowledge, life skills and experiences that will produce the next generation of innovators and leaders.

– Jeanne Ricciardi, mother of senior Tess Ricciardi, a history major from Denver, North Carolina

Trying to tell a new family about HPU is like trying to explain how chocolate tastes to someone who has never tasted it before. You just can't put into words how great it is. You have to dive in and see it for yourself. You will not be disappointed.

– Shawn Kapper, father of sophomore Carolina Kapper, a mathematical economics major from Dover, Ohio

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HPU is a values-based institution led by a visionary leader and exemplary faculty. It instills the expectation of striving for the very best at all times. The facilities are top-notch with more to come each passing year.

The university also instills the importance of community service and giving back.

– Marjorie Black, mother of junior Cheyse Lattie, a psychology major from Durham, North Carolina

What HPU teaches goes beyond the four walls of the classroom. Unlike other higher education programs, HPU’s primary focus is to not only help your student become the best person they can be holistically, but to have a successful future beyond college. The transition from high school to college is seamless thanks to the guidance of the success coaches and staff helping in the transition. HPU emphasizes student independence while providing the tools to help the students succeed. The education students receive is invaluable, but the discipline and personal initiative fostered here and the connections made beyond campus set HPU apart from the rest.

– Diann Stathakis, mother of sophomore James Stathakis, an exercise science major from Anderson, South Carolina

HPU always exceeds our greatest expectations. After every visit, we leave HPU with a renewed reassurance that it is the perfect school and atmosphere for our son.

He is loving his classes, extracurriculars, friends and everything about HPU. Our son has many friends from his residence hall who participate in many activities, but they all feel at home. I am thankful for the great lengths that HPU has taken to create a great place for my son.

– Kerri Johnson, mother of sophomore McKinley Johnson, a chemistry and biology double major focused on pre-medicine from Dahlonega, Georgia

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The Classroom

COACH

For marketing students, Dr. Miguel Sahagun approaches teaching with a coach’s perspective in mind.

Dr. Miguel Sahagun, assistant professor of marketing at HPU, knows the key to kicking off new classes each semester is starting with teamwork.

His style of teaching closely emulates different elements of sports, like the importance of practice, working together and solving problems.

“Dr. Sahagun has taught me more about marketing than I could ever imagine,” says Shomaker. “He always offers suggestions and advice to engage students and makes us his top priority. He gave me the opportunity to join his undergraduate research team for my last two years at HPU to help me grow as a marketing professional and student.

Without Dr. Sahagun, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m very thankful for his mentorship and guidance.”

“Throughout my tenure as a professor, I have learned the one industry everyone can relate to — sports,” says Sahagun. “I use sports as my teaching methodology because I know everyone can understand the analogies, and it is the only field where individuals accept the fact that they have to practice to learn and master the craft.”

Additionally, Sahagun takes this model outside of the classroom during a four-week “Maymester” trip. Most recently, Sahagun and Dr. Cindy Hanson, associate professor of marketing, traveled with students in the Earl N. Phillips School of Business to Spain to immerse themselves in the marketing trade on an international level.

Sahagun compares each component of his classes to practice sessions.

During their time in Spain, students combined their classwork with experiential learning, utilizing space in the University of Salamanca to attend classes Monday through Thursday and traveling to different regions of the country to immerse themselves in various marketing practices on the weekends.

“If students follow the process I have developed, they will not need to study,” says Sahagun. “The assignments and class structure are designed to expose students to material several times and make them think about it from different angles, just like an athlete in practice.”

During each class, or practice session, students work together in groups to determine the questions that are most important for the class to address.

“This prepares them for the real world,” says Sahagun. “When students begin their careers, they will be put on a team and have to learn how to work best with people who are different from themselves.”

Asking students to work with others to think critically about an issue is just one component of the most important lesson students will learn in Sahagun’s classes — the ability to problem solve. For Sahagun, it is imperative to equip students with critical life skills.

“The one who does the work also does the learning — that’s my mantra,” says Sahagun. “I always ask questions and engage the students so they are learning without being lectured.”

Because Sahagun is such a great mentor, students like Joseph Shomaker, a senior majoring in marketing, seek out opportunities to learn from him beyond the classroom.

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“Being able to learn the business practices and culture in Spain is what truly makes this trip so unique,” said Patrick Horn, a marketing major and sport management minor at HPU. The students traveled to Segovia, Spain, to visit Alcazar of Segovia, a medieval castle, which they learned was inspiration for the castle in Walt Disney's “Snow White.”

“In the classroom, we talk about how history and culture play into varying aspects of marketing, but it really comes to life for the students when they participate in experiential learning activities like this,” said Hanson. “It is so rewarding to see the students’ understanding grow through these experiences.” ▲

Without Dr. Sahagun, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m very thankful for his mentorship and guidance.

– Joseph Shomaker, Senior Marketing Major and Undergraduate Research Assistant

Connecting Generations through Creative Writing HPU students study holistic health care through the power of poetry.

Allison Walker and her English students traveled a short distance from campus each week to the Pennybyrn at Maryfield retirement community. There, she watched relationships flourish.

Allison Walker

Having taught in the English Department at HPU for almost 10 years, Walker knew that forging connections between HPU students and the elderly would have a lasting impact on both groups.

That’s why Walker taught the service learning English course, titled “Narrative Medicine in Action.” The class hosted group poetry and creative writing workshops for retirement community residents who have memory loss or chronic pain. Studies show that the act of writing and reciting poetry can help in both cases.

From experience with her grandmother’s health care, Walker created the class to show students the power of empathy and holistic medicine. The class also provided students with a toolbox of self-care strategies to help them navigate their own health narratives, as well as those of their loved ones.

Arts and Sciences Working Together Along with their time at Pennybyrn, Walker worked with honor students on a creative arts therapy workshop at Operation Xcel.

The after-school program for middle school students is located near campus at Welborn Academy of Science and Technology.

The program integrates STEM teaching through a LEGO program housed in the Stout School of Education. This partnership is a great example of different disciplines across campus working together for the benefit of the community.

Between her narrative medicine course and the creative arts therapy workshop, some of her students, such as Noah Coates, have identified their future career paths through these service learning experiences.

Coates, ’18, majored in biology and minored in English. Taking Walker’s narrative medicine course opened a new door for him, and he credits her as one of his most impactful mentors at HPU.

“She helped me realize that you need compassion and the willingness to listen in order to be successful, no matter the field you pursue,” says Coates, from Douglassville, Pennsylvania.

By combining his biology major with his passion for writing, Walker says Coates embodies the spirit of narrative medicine — an interdisciplinary approach that combines the arts and sciences.

Coates now works in clinical trials at Veracity Logic as a project manager and attends graduate school for biostatistics at the University of Florida. His HPU experiences, including a unique research project he developed with Walker’s guidance, helped him get there.

Conducting Narrative Medicine Research As a sophomore, Coates received the George T. Barthalmus Undergraduate Research Grant, awarded to 10 students at North Carolina universities. His project was titled “Psychological Benefits of Narrative Medicine on Older Adults.”

Coates focused on ways to improve a patient’s need for personal interaction and human empathy in an era of technological growth. He found that writing can provide psychological, emotional and physical health benefits.

"Stronger emotional and mental health has been shown to improve the immune system in patients, so indirectly, physical symptoms improve as well,” says Coates.

Walker’s goal is to create a dynamic environment where students grow their passions while creating positive impact in their community. When that happens, students build the confidence and abilities to compete for research grants and pursue opportunities, just as Coates did.

“Noah saw first-hand how narrative medicine works,” Walker says. “The impact of the grant was felt among the fellow student scholars his work continues to inspire, but also among a community in need of empathic health care. It was a wonderful thing to see Noah grow his experience into a passion he further pursued.” ▲

Professor Walker helped me realize that you need compassion and the willingness to listen in order to be successful, no matter the field you pursue.

– Noah Coates, ’18, Project Manager at Veracity Logic

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Dr. Nahed Eltantawy, associate dean and associate professor in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication, was selected to serve as a Fulbright Specialist at Izmir University of Economics in Izmir, Turkey. The Fulbright Specialist Program sends U.S. faculty and professionals to serve as expert consultants on curriculum, faculty development, institutional planning and related subjects at academic institutions abroad for two to six weeks.

Dr. Robert E. Moses, associate professor of religion, was elected to the Society of New Testament Studies, an academic society founded in 1939 to further New Testament studies internationally. Moses has several published works, including his first book, titled “Practices of Power: Revisiting the Principalities and Powers in the Pauline Letters,” and several research articles in major, international peer-reviewed journals.

Garret Hill, a Class of 2020 biology graduate, won the 2019 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Jerry K. Taylor Excellence in Military Research Award. This award was presented by the Environmental and Occupational Physiology Special Interest Group at the 2019 ACSM annual meeting, which took place in Orlando, Florida.

THIN SLICES

Grace Crockett, a junior triple majoring in computer science, marketing and business administration, with a minor in sales, recently interned at Microsoft. She worked as the programming instructor to teach underprivileged children, ages 7 to 15, how to code using JavaScript. She worked 50 hours a week, teaching the kids how to program basic commands, make their own website and eventually, create their own game.

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Dr. Dandrielle Lewis, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences, was appointed as an associate editor of Mathematical Association of America’s (MAA) FOCUS newsmagazine. MAA is the world’s largest community of mathematicians, students and enthusiasts. FOCUS is published six times a year for MAA members and includes news about mathematics and the mathematical community, in addition to articles about new ideas in mathematics and mathematics education.

Leadership speaker and best-selling author Mark Sanborn, who is the president of the leadership development idea lab Sanborn & Associates, was named HPU’s Leadership Expert in Residence. Sanborn joins other global leaders in residence who serve as mentors for HPU students, including Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU’s Innovator in Residence. Sanborn has authored eight books, two dozen training programs and shared his expertise around the world through more than 2,600 presentations.

Seventeen students and two faculty members traveled to Orlando, Florida, to present their research at the American Chemical Society national meeting in 2019. Students presented their original undergraduate research topics that ranged from making better solar cells to disarming antibiotic resistance in bacteria and understanding how HIV uses human proteins to infect cells.

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THIN SLICES

Mikaela Seemann, a junior working toward a B.S. in biochemistry and B.A. in French from Marietta, Georgia, was recently awarded the 2020 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, totaling $7,500. The Goldwater Scholarship is considered the most prestigious undergraduate scholarship in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering in the United States. Seemann is mentored by Dr. Meghan Blackledge, assistant professor of chemistry, and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry after graduation.

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Dr. Brett Woods has been appointed interim dean of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences.

In his new role, Woods leads efforts to develop the curriculum for biology, chemistry and physics majors. He joined HPU in 2016 as director of Health Professions Advising and associate professor in the Department of Biology. In 2019, he was appointed chair of the Department of Biology.

Dr. Kevin Ford (left), interim dean of the Congdon School of Health Sciences, and seniors Jordan McClung (center) and Anika Weisbrod (right), traveled to Calgary, Canada, where the students presented their research at the International Society of Biomechanics. Their research focused on ankle sprain history in high school football players and types of treadmill technology used to capture human movement while a patient is running.

Dr. Sadie Leder Elder, associate professor of psychology, was published in the Children and Youth Services journal for an article she coauthored, entitled “Prevalence of Adults Who Are the Targets of Parental Alienating Behaviors and Their Impact.” Using three nationally representative online survey panels from the United States and Canada, the research revealed more than 40 million American parents and 3 million Canadian parents feel as if they are the targets of parental alienating behaviors.

THIN SLICES

Dr. Brad Barlow (center), associate professor of astrophysics, and two of his students traveled to Hendaye, France, to present their research at The Ninth Meeting on Hot Subdwarfs and Related Objects. Nathan Grinalds (left), a senior, and Kyle Corcoran (right), a member of the Class of 2019, gave a joint presentation on research they have been conducting to uncover new compact binary star systems using information from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft.

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Dr. Doug Hall has been appointed to assistant vice president for Diversity and Inclusion. He coordinates diversity efforts with departments across campus and serves as part of the President’s Leadership Cabinet. Dr. Hall has worked at HPU for nearly seven years, starting as a success coach, progressing to career advisor, adjunct professor, and most recently, assistant director for the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Terry Chavis joined HPU as director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Chavis teaches cultural competency as a life skill by overseeing educational programming for multicultural affairs and by promoting equity for multicultural and diverse populations.

Four music and theater majors were selected for the Promising Artists of the 21st Century Program, an invited performance tour sponsored by the Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericano in Costa Rica. Seniors Demetria Hale and Jerry Hurley and Class of 2020 graduates Madison Steiner and Corbin Elliott were tapped for the highly selective program that takes U.S. students to Costa Rica for a week of performance and cultural experiences.

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THIN SLICES

Dr. Comfort Boateng, assistant professor in the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy’s Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, is one of only 16 recipients of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy’s (AACP) New Investigator Award. She is recognized for her project titled, “Dopamine D4 Receptor Antagonists for Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder.”

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Inspiring Environment Your surroundings shape your behavior.

It’s true that High Point University’s campus is ranked among the Top 10 Most Beautiful in the Nation by the Princeton Review. When families visit HPU, they first notice the beauty. They enjoy taking photos with sculptures of history’s noblest leaders that line the Kester International Promenade. They enjoy immersing themselves in an environment that radiates excellence.

But the longer they spend at HPU, the more they understand that everything has a purpose to educate and transform our students. After all, students rise to the level of their environment.

That’s why every corner of HPU’s campus is designed to educate and inspire.

The Slane Student Center is filled with bright, circular furniture that fosters connection and collaboration. Students broadcast live shows in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication’s full-size TV studio. Cottrell Hall, where the Flanagan Center for Student Success is housed, offers Silicon Valley-style conference rooms where students can practice professional presentations.

And the list goes on.

All of these elements reinforce the core values instilled in students — personal initiative, generosity, gratitude, mentorship, civility, patriotism, respect and more.

Families appreciate HPU’s campus because it reflects a holistic learning environment — inside and outside the classroom.

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Cottrell Hall is HPU's hub for professional development. Inside this state-of-the-art facility, open collaboration areas and glass walls invite students to connect with offices such as the Dwyer Office of Career and Professional Development, the Norelli Office of Global Education, the Belk Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works.

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Honoring HPU’s First African American Student Ammie Jenkins came to High Point College in 1962.

HPU President Nido Qubein awarded her an honorary degree in 2019. This is her extraordinary story.

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Ammie, you have been a champion, and you have turned that into purposeful endeavors throughout your life.

— HPU President Nido Qubein

As the great-granddaughter of a former slave and first African American student to attend High Point College, Ammie Jenkins is a hero, model and mentor for others.

Jenkins came to High Point College in 1962, in the midst of the civil rights movement, and was the first African American to be integrated into the college. While enrolled, she was a member of the university’s “Tower Players,” where she appeared in Tennessee Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire.” After college and before returning home, she had a successful career as a computer programmer and businesswoman.

Today, Jenkins is one of North Carolina’s most dynamic advocates for Black farming and landownership. She is the founder and executive director of the Sandhills Family Heritage Association (SFHA). Her passion for the land is personal, as her family lost its farm in 1954 after the death of her father.

At the age of 14, she went to work and helped raise six brothers and sisters before attending High Point College.

people in your life. You may not have finished your degree here, but all of us here today wish to bestow upon you an honorary degree. This is exceptionally rare. We don’t provide honorary degrees often. This is a precious gift from our hearts to your heart to show that you have been a champion, and you have turned that into purposeful endeavors throughout your life.”

Many members of Jenkins’ family were in attendance, and the HPU alumna spent the day touring campus and marveling at HPU’s transformation.

“It was the most pleasant surprise that I could have had,” said Jenkins, who joined Qubein on stage during the event. “I really feel humbled by the honor, and I’m so happy that this is something I can share with my biggest cheerleaders — my family and close friends.”

Her achievements have not gone unnoticed.

During a faculty meeting that kicked off the 2019-2020 academic year, High Point University President Nido Qubein presented her with an honorary degree.

Her grassroots efforts focus on celebrating and strengthening the heritage of Black farming in Cumberland, Lee, Harnett, Richmond, Moore and Hoke counties.

Many African Americans, like Jenkins, lost their land through racial intimidation and suffered as a result, so Jenkins founded SFHA to address the issues of loss of land, livelihoods and cultural heritage.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am that you have chosen to come and be with us today,” Qubein told Jenkins. “I’m convinced you have influenced so many

Jenkins is particularly proud of the SFHA’s service learning projects for students, which allow them to develop business and life management skills. ▲

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10

mable Moments on HPU’s Campus Everything on HPU’s campus serves a purpose. From the 28 botanical gardens with 3,700 taxa of plants, to the inspirational quotes and historic sculptures along the Kester International Promenade, HPU’s campus is strategically designed to surround students with learning opportunities. This means HPU is also filled with Instagrammable moments.

Check out these inspiring places you can’t miss the next time you’re on campus!

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Larger-than-Life HPU Letters HPU pride radiates from these giant, purple letters that stand 12 feet tall, 6 feet deep and are crafted from rolled plate stainless steel. Located next to the Slane Student Center, you can't miss this essential photo opp for everyone on campus.

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The DREAM BIG Chairs The DREAM BIG Chairs are rocking chairs that stand 16 feet tall on the hill in Hayworth Park. You can climb them, spread your arms wide and take photos of yourself embracing what these chairs represent—the opportunity to dream big and embrace what life throws your way, confident and unafraid.

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The Pop Up Art Wall

This wall outside the Slane Student Center is ever-changing.

It displays colorful art with inspiring messages that change with the seasons, making it the perfect photo op.

Pro tip: Catch it on your way to the Slane Café or Starbucks.

4 Atlas

Its proper name is "Olympic Strength," but everyone on campus calls it "Atlas." This sculpture features Atlas holding an Olympic globe, which rises 35 feet in the air. The entire sculpture weighs over seven tons and is sure to make a great photo.

Pro tip: Prospective students can find this photo op at the end of their visit because it’s right next to the Wrenn undergraduate admissions building where their campus tour will conclude.

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David R. Hayworth Park Waterfall This waterfall is located in the middle of campus and serves as a place of solitude, reflection, fellowship and natural beauty. It’s used for outdoor concerts, student meetings and occasionally even classes. It is a tradition for students to place their hands in the David R. Hayworth Park waterfall to bring good luck for the year ahead.

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Historic Sculptures Lining the Kester International Promenade Have you ever wished you could have your photo taken with Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, William Shakespeare, or Martin Luther King Jr.? Well, now you (almost) can! Sit with one or many of history’s noblest leaders. These are the world’s original influencers, and dozens of them line the Kester International Promenade in the form of bronze sculptures.

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Double Helix

The larger-than-life DNA Sculpture is located in Congdon Hall — a 220,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art health care education facility that shines from floor to ceiling with innovative lab spaces and technology.

Instagram caption suggestion: HPU is in my DNA!

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Tree of Knowledge Located in front of Roberts Hall, this sculpture is another symbol of HPU’s commitment to extraordinary education.

Pro tip: Snap a photo here during these three milestone moments: the day you visit HPU for the first time, during your freshman year move-in day and then again in your cap and gown on graduation day. #TransformationTuesday #FlashbackFriday

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?

Did you know that more than 100,000 people are attracted to HPU each year?

Go www.highpoint.edu/visit to schedule your visit to one of the most beautiful campuses in America.

MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS IN THE NATION

The Princeton Review

#9

9 Culp Planetarium Have you visited the brightest planetarium in the country? You can when you step inside HPU's Culp Planetarium, equipped with incredible astronomy, earth science and anatomy presentations.

Instagram caption suggestion: HPU is my launch pad!

10 Cottrell Amphitheater It’s hard to beat this amphitheater sunset, but this photo favorite is a must-get no matter the time of day! Take your place at the top of the amphitheater stairs and use this breathtaking view of Cottrell Hall as your backdrop.

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Summer Advantage offers opportunities for new students to connect. Pictured are 2019 Summer Advantage students holding the American flag during the National Anthem at a High Point Rockers baseball game.

Get Ahead. Stay Ahead.

HPU Summer Advantage gives freshmen a head start on leadership and life skills.

While many incoming college freshmen may spend their summer vacation relaxing, HPU Summer Advantage students jump-start their college careers.

Some colleges offer a weekend-long, overnight program that gives a peek into college life, but HPU Summer Advantage is a four-week, on-campus program where students earn up to eight credits and engage in a variety of social and professional development activities.

Students gain confidence and form relationships with their HPU success coach and world-class faculty, meet new friends from all corners of the world, explore HPU’s campus and already feel right at home when the fall semester begins.

Family Found For Rylee Preston, ’20, the thought of leaving home early for college made her anxious.

Even so, she committed to Summer Advantage. On day one, she met her new HPU friends and began the transition to college life months before her first semester.

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“It was one of the best summers of my life,” says Preston. “I felt so confident. It really was the best time.”

Myles Brown, now an involved junior, found his home at HPU quickly thanks to Summer Advantage — the program that set his on-campus involvement in motion.

Brown works on campus as a first-year navigator, a leadership role he received through a recommendation from his success coach, with whom he worked closely during Summer Advantage. Brown also plays on the intramural basketball team, a group he first connected with during Summer Advantage.

In addition, he serves as a university ambassador, introducing prospective students and their families to the HPU campus through guided tours. It’s a role he was chosen for based on recommendations he received from professors and staff he grew close to during Summer Advantage.

“So many incoming college freshmen have limitless potential but struggle to find the outlet,” says Brown. “Summer Advantage is small enough that you can do the things you want to do as soon as you arrive to campus.”

To learn more about Summer Advantage, visit: www.highpoint.edu/summeradvantage

The Benefits of Summer Advantage Research demonstrates that students who have completed Summer Advantage achieve higher GPAs and produce higher graduation rates.

Insights from the more than 3,000 students who have successfully participated in HPU’s unique, nationally-recognized program highlight numerous advantages:

HPU President Nido Qubein (second from left) greets 2019 Summer Advantage students.

• Avoiding freshman anxieties by

Brown isn’t the only one who sees the program’s impact. His father recognizes it too.

quickly making new friends

“Early involvement within the Summer Advantage program accelerated key and crucial learnings for our son,” says Darris Brown, Myles Brown’s father. “It quickened his campus acclimation and expedited his path toward a successful college career.”

• Earning credits toward

Outcomes like Preston and Brown are what motivates Jim Scott, assistant professor of the practice of communication and director of the Summer Advantage program.

• A smooth transition to college

Cultivating a Campus Community

• Top choice of dorm room and

Scott oversees not only the academic side of Summer Advantage, but also the social aspect. Partnering with the Office of Student Life, Scott arranges events for students across and off campus, such as social gatherings, movie nights, cookouts and an evening spent cheering on the High Point Rockers, the city’s professional baseball team.

He’s seen recent high school graduates evolve into independent, empowered young adults during Summer Advantage.

graduation • Improving self-confidence and adult life class registration • Familiarity with campus and community • Improved study skills • Customized coaching from faculty mentors and upperclassmen

He’s watched shy students grow into campus leaders and witnessed untapped potential recognized and cultivated.

• Higher GPAs with greater

“Summer Advantage enables students to understand that they can do it,” says Scott.

“They feel like sophomores by the time they start their freshman year, and before you know it, they’re referring to people on this campus as their family.” ▲

• Enjoying special activities,

retention and graduation rates

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HPU’s Gardens: Beyond Beauty Dr. Patrick Vigueira knows what he has with the nine plant collections, 28 gardens and the arboretum at High Point University.

He has the perfect place to help his students understand science.

Last fall, he taught a science inquiry class to sophomores in HPU’s Honor Scholars program, and he had them collect leaves from HPU’s magnolia tree collection.

In a fourth-floor lab in the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, they froze the leaves. Then, they crushed the leaves into a fine green powder using a mortar and pestle for a research project mapping the trees’ DNA sequence.

The lessons didn’t stop there. Vigueira, an assistant professor of biology, wanted to acclimate his students to science and show them the merits — and fun — of hands-on research.

Pictured above: As soon as they arrive, guests are greeted by beautiful plants at the Rankin Welcome Garden, located at the main entrance to campus.

Pictured left: A variety of plants explode with color throughout the year in Hayworth Park, including these purple tulips that bloom in the spring.

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There is a reason for everything, and it made me realize HPU wanted to give back to us — the students.

– Madison Myers, Actuarial Science and English Writing Major

The class surprised Madison Myers. She’s from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and through Vigueira’s class, she discovered the subtle richness of one of HPU’s biggest assets — the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

“I didn’t know the small details about the gardens until this class,” says Myers, an actuarial science and English writing major. “There is a reason for everything, and it made me realize HPU wanted to give back to us — the students.”

Mariana Qubein, HPU’s First Lady and creator of the gardens, couldn’t agree more.

“Nature is a classroom in its own way,” she says.

“Students love being outside. It’s a change from being inside."

Professor Scott Raynor has also discovered that.

HPU’s Overlook Garden, located next to the Millis Athletic and Convocation Center, is a blend of azaleas, hydrangeas and camellias. The garden overlooks the High Point Greenway and athletic fields.

HPU Book Captures A Botanical Gem High Point University has released a 342-page book that showcases the gardens created over the last 15 years by Mariana Qubein, the university’s First Lady.

Titled “Planting Seeds of Greatness,” the book has eight chapters that share the beauty and purpose of the Mariana H. Qubein Arboretum and Botanical Gardens through essays, stories, quotes and hundreds of photographs.

“It’s an illustration of how people put their energy, their heart, their resources and their brain trust to make HPU’s campus extraordinary,” Qubein says. “God makes these gardens flourish and grow as they have in nature, and we are grateful.”

To purchase a copy, visit the HPU bookstore or go to engage.highpoint.edu/hpugardens. All proceeds will benefit HPU’s Extraordinary Education Fund.

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Kit Connelly (left) and Madison Myers (right) work with plant materials in the Wanek School of Natural Sciences to map the DNA sequence of magnolia trees on campus.

“A Part of Me” As chair of HPU’s art and graphic design department, Raynor has used the gardens to stimulate the creativity of his students in the most imaginative of ways.

Last fall, his students collected leaves and other detritus from the gardens so they could immerse themselves in a process first used when Michelangelo painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

It was for Raynor's printmaking class. He wanted them to create what he called “Bountiful Botanicals” and use improvisation to create a piece of art with a printing press.

He wanted them to rely on instinct as well as their eye.

Priscilla Frasier was one of his students. She’s from Greensboro, North Carolina, and she graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in studio art and a minor in graphic design.

Priscilla Frasier, ’20, creates a print using ferns and tree clippings from the Dr. E. Roy Epperson Garden.

For Raynor’s printmaking class, she collected ferns from the Dr. E. Roy Epperson Garden beside the Hayworth Fine Arts Center and prickly leaves from a Hinoki Cypress tree shadowing the stairs at Couch Hall.

“I see it as a part of me, not a piece of art,” she says.

Then, with Raynor at her side, she created print after print and worked a press with a brake and something that looked like a ship’s wheel. At first, she got frustrated. But over time, she learned. She got it. What she created with blue and green oil paint was beautiful.

Patrick Moore, the gardens’ coordinator, understands. He grew up surrounded by plants, so plants are personal to him. He’ll be working in the gardens when he’ll see something, pull out his phone, take a photo and post it to Instagram.

People marvel. Moore knows why.

“I look at plants like they’re paint,” he says. “They can do so many great things.” ▲

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Extraordinary Environment for Worship When the Charles E. Hayworth Sr. Memorial Chapel received an incredible renovation thanks to the generosity of David R. Hayworth, the son of the chapel’s namesake, a grand re-opening ceremony was held. Students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate the Hayworth family’s support of HPU and their new worship space.

Printed below are words shared by Christine Watt, ’20, during the grand re-opening.

By Christine Watt

Today, as I stand before you all, I reflect on the impact this worship space has on students.

Honestly, I feel a little silly because I know that I am preaching to the choir when I speak about the importance of environment. One look at High Point University’s campus, and it is obvious that you all understand. Nonetheless, it bears repeating, so here it is: Environment influences thought and action.

I was sitting on a plane when I was trying desperately to write this reflection, and I couldn’t because it was so cold. I’m talking absolutely frigid. Here I am, an English and theater major with a deep love of words, and I could hardly form a coherent sentence. Environment influences thought.

How does it influence worship?

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Fostering Faith Religious life opportunities are abundant at HPU. Throughout the year, HPU students share their faith through fellowship, service and many campus traditions. Here’s a glimpse.

HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein (left) and Rev. Preston Davis (right), minister to the university, presented David R. Hayworth (center) with a commemorative photo of the Charles E. Hayworth Sr. Memorial Chapel during a special ceremony.

Studies have shown repeatedly that more people leave their faith during college than any other period in life. What is it about the environment of academia that leads to such a mass exit?

Wouldn’t it be great if I had the answer to that question?

Unfortunately, I don’t. And while I don’t believe it lies in a specific type of flooring or pews that don’t wobble, I can’t help but wonder what the worship spaces we provide to students say about our values and our priorities.

Consider my environment on the plane. I was cold and cramped in the typical airplane seat. It was stuffy, and the air smelled like plastic. An airplane has a function — travel, but it doesn't reflect anything beyond the necessity of that function. I would never choose to spend time in that space outside of its function.

Environment reflects value.

I know I speak for all of the chapel leadership when I say that first and foremost, we value students and their experience and connection to God in this space. I feel it every time I walk in those doors. I feel loved, I feel welcomed, and I pray to God that each week others feel the same.

I don’t want the chapel to be a place where students sit and shiver.

I don’t want them to feel unable to participate in worship because they can’t read the lyrics on a screen, or because the stage isn’t wheelchair accessible, or because the pew is uncomfortable.

Students are hounded by literally thousands of distractions every day. I want this to be a space where we can all be still and know.

Mr. Hayworth, thank you for your generosity. Thank you for supporting the renovation that has provided this beautiful, new worship space as an extension of the love and community that fills the chapel. The changes here are not merely aesthetic. They make a difference. They support the spiritual growth of students.

They have blessed me, and through God’s will, they will continue to bless students for years to come. ▲

The Board of Stewards, the student group that leads the services inside the Charles E. Hayworth Sr. Memorial Chapel, raised $20,000 for community organizations, including $10,000 for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program and $10,000 for the MLK Oratorical Scholarship of the High Point Minister’s Conference.

HPU’s Hillel hosts celebrations for all major Jewish holidays, including a Hanukkah dinner at 1924 Prime, a Passover Seder dinner and activities such as challah making and the traditional decoration of the sukkah. Recently, the group’s annual service project focused on planting 700 daffodils in memory of children who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

HPU’s Catholic Campus Ministry hosts Catholic Mass on Sundays at 6 p.m. The organization also offers weekly activities and semester retreats.

Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other faiths utilize the Multifaith Prayer and Meditation Space in the Chapel. The Interfaith Dinner Club hosts events such as the annual Iftar and brings students of all walks of life together to learn from each other.

HPU’s Chapel and Religious Life Office led students on two pilgrimages that explored the intersections of spirituality and service.

During a 2019 trip, students spent a week in New York City exploring different communities of faith by visiting various churches for service and worship, touring the United Nations and meeting with other faith leaders. In fall 2019, a group of students walked 93 miles in Spain from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela, which is the culmination of the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route. During the walk, they participated in an ecotourism project called Recycling Path with nonprofit organization Ecoembes.

Through several choirs and musical opportunities, including the Chapel Choir, the Collision Contemporary Worship Band and the Genesis Gospel Choir, students utilize music as a vehicle to express and strengthen faith.

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The 2019 CARE Team included the following university leaders: (top left to right) Minister to the University Preston Davis, Assistant Vice President for Student Life Scott Wojciechowski, Director of the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services Rebecca Berger, Resident Director Kirby Jones, Director of Student Conduct Joshua Rich, Interim Director of Security Derek Stafford, (bottom left to right) Director of Learning Excellence April Cosner, Assistant Vice President for Residence Life Erica Lewis, Senior Vice President for Student Life Gail Tuttle, Director of Multicultural Affairs Brittani Hunt and Director of Student Success Britt Carl.

Meet the HPU CARE Team They might not wear capes, but these superheroes help students overcome challenges.

High Point University is a home away from home for students and one of only three private universities in the state to have a full-time medical doctor. The doctor and team of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses and certified medical assistants see students for anything, from treating acute illnesses to helping manage chronic medical concerns.

In addition to the health care providers on staff, the university has a team dedicated to ensuring student safety and advocating for their well-being — something both students and parents can appreciate.

When students aren’t feeling well or need someone to talk to, the CARE Team is committed to providing support, encouragement and the resources needed to be successful.

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We are part of the village that plays a critical role in shaping the person students will grow to be.

– Gail Tuttle, Senior Vice President for Student Life

The HPU CARE Team is comprised of HPU’s all-star leaders, who meet weekly to triage and address CARE alerts.

“We are part of the village that plays a critical role in shaping the person students will grow to be,” says Gail Tuttle, senior vice president for Student Life.

Comprised of staff across resident life, student life, student conduct, security, counseling, student success, multicultural affairs, athletics, accessibility, health services, academic services and ministry, the CARE Team works together to support students during one of life’s largest transitions.

“When someone joins our family, we want to be supportive, welcoming and helpful to their success,” says Tuttle. “That’s what the CARE Team is all about. We provide support both in and out of the classroom with a multifaceted approach and involvement from intentional, functional areas on campus.”

Britt Carl, director of Student Success at HPU, values crosscollaborating with counterparts in other departments.

“When the CARE Team meets weekly, we share insights with other offices and get a holistic view of how a student is doing,” says Carl. “This is the key differentiator of our program and really equips us to serve the students’ best interests.”

From academic support and the spectrum of emotions felt during the transition to college, to personal issues unrelated to school like the death of a close friend or relative, the CARE Team is there to support all areas through a student’s college experience, as it is likely their first independent journey away from home.

“We see students for a variety of reasons. For some, it is a quick check-in, while other students may require more time and resources,” says Carl. “We are preparing them for life both during and after college by helping them adapt and build essential life skills.”

Because the CARE Team allows anyone to submit a CARE alert online, students truly are supported by the entire campus community.

“It’s great that parents, faculty and staff can submit an alert,” says Carl. “They are the individuals interacting with students on a regular basis and can immediately identify behaviors that are atypical so we can quickly address them.”

The CARE Team also plays a role in impacting rules, regulations and safety drills on campus.

“We discuss campus happenings and assess any trending topics that may require action, like vaping,” says April Cosner, director of Learning Excellence at HPU. “With the national increase in health issues and deaths related to vaping, we think about the best ways to address this.”

The CARE Team brings individuals with different perspectives together; however, there is one thing they all have in common.

“Our team is comprised of good people with the knowhow to anticipate and solve problems to ensure the HPU community continues to thrive,” says Cosner. ▲

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Miss USA 2019 Cheslie Kryst brought her Homecoming Tour to HPU to share her work with Dress for Success, a nonprofit that empowers women to achieve economic independence. She spoke to students about her career as an attorney, and she also greeted military veterans during HPU's 2019 Annual Veterans Day Celebration.

The Stout School of Education hosted its 2019 community LEGO Showcase event, “Come Build with Us: Experience STEM Engineering,” transforming the HPU Community Center into a LEGO learning lab.

The annual HPUniverse Day, hosted by the physics department, is a chance for kids and their families to explore science through an astronomy-themed event.

THIN SLICES

HPU awarded more than $20,000 in prizes at its fifth annual Piano Competition in 2019, made possible by a $1.1 million gift from Randall T. Johnson, a native and resident of High Point and member of the HPU Board of Visitors. Ji-Hyang Gwak (pictured above) was announced the first-place winner of the $10,000 prize.

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The Eastern Music Festival (EMF) Young Artists Wind Ensemble visited campus in 2019 to perform an entertaining mix of wind band favorites, from classical overtures and Broadway hits, to blockbuster soundtracks and celebratory marches.

International Motor Sports Association race car driver Dylan Murry featured HPU on his Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT4 during the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Race at Virginia International Raceway. The partnership was made possible by the sponsorship of David and Christy Cottrell, parents of HPU alumna Leah E. Rose.

JoJo and Two Friends performed at the Fall 2019 Concert. They join a lineup of impressive artists who have performed at the fall and spring concerts, including T-Pain, DNCE, Calvin Harris, Daya, Cheat Codes and many other chart-toppers.

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THIN SLICES

Each year, HPU's faculty, staff and students celebrate Earth Day with various sustainability and wildlife organizations from the surrounding community. Pictured is the 2019 celebration.

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The New HPU Arena:

A Dream Realized

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Orlando “Tubby” Smith loves High Point University, his alma mater.

He donated money to renovate the Millis Center locker room. He knows that gym. From 1969 to 1973, he wore Nos. 20 and 41 for then-High Point College. He played guard, started all four years and became the school’s seventh leading scorer with 1,589 points.

He came back often to visit old friends and support his alma mater. During a 2005 visit to campus, he came back with an idea.

At the time, Smith coached basketball at the University of Kentucky, and his team played in an arena that could seat as many as 24,000 fans. HPU still played in the Millis Center, his old hoops home. The capacity? Only 1,750 seats.

Smith had a question for HPU’s new president, Dr. Nido Qubein.

“When are you going to build a new arena?” he asked.

“You could do so much with a new arena. It would be a great window into the university.”

“We’ll get there,” Qubein responded. “Trust me.”

Smith did.

“Dr. Qubein had a dream, a vision,” Smith says today.

“He’s made a believer out of me.”

HPU’s New Flagship Stand at the corner of Script Street and Panther Drive on campus, and you'll see the dome.

It’s painted seafoam green and dwarfs everything around it.

Construction workers freckle the top.

The dome is the architectural signature of the biggest construction project HPU has ever undertaken. When it opens, the L-shaped building will become the flagship of High Point University.

It will contain an arena, a convention center and the 30-room Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel, the learning lab for HPU’s newest major, hospitality management. It will also have offices, luxury suites, a practice gym, a four-star Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and an atrium with a large fountain.

The $170 million project also includes development to Panther Drive, where families will be greeted with a new Welcome Center. It all happened because of donors like Dr. Qubein and his wife, Mariana, as well as Jana and Ken Kahn, for whom the hotel is named. Coach Smith and his wife, Donna, an alumna of High Point College, got involved, too.

The Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center will also be home to the Donna and Orlando "Tubby" Smith Court.

For Smith, it’s more than just a donation.

“I was lucky to have Above: NCAA Championship-Winning Coach Tubby people invested in my Smith is a regular presence on HPU's campus. life, like all my professors Left page: During a moment on the sidelines, here,” he says. “My Smith works one-on-one with Jamal Wright. parents always told me, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ I’ve been blessed.”

Tubby’s Place Recruits come to HPU to play for Smith.

He’s a Hall of Fame coach who steered Kentucky to a national title in 1998, and he’s only the second coach in history to take five teams to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, or the Big Dance.

Recruits get starry-eyed over that. They also get starry-eyed over the new arena.

Denny Slay II, a senior guard from Woodbridge, Virginia, has heard about the arena for four years. Now, his first game in the arena is approaching for the 2021-2022 season. He can’t wait.

“It’s the embodiment of what we want to see happen at High Point,” Slay says of the arena. “We want to put up a banner, and we want to be the first team that goes to the NCAA Tournament. We believe we can do it here.”

Like Slay, John-Michael Wright has dreamed of playing in a big arena in front of a big crowd since he was 6. Now, he will.

“It’ll make us work harder,” says Wright, a sophomore from Fayetteville, North Carolina. “And the harder we work, the better we’ll get.”

The arena symbolizes HPU’s expansive vision. It also represents the new hardwood home of the man students know as “Tubby,” the farmer’s son from Maryland.

Smith has coached basketball for nearly a half century. But he’s never opened an arena — until now. And he’ll do it at his alma mater with a court bearing his name.

“I plan on being here for a while,” he says. “I love this game, and I love the kids. Empowering young people — that’s what I get out of it.” ▲

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Joe and Amanda Budd Generously Give $1 Million to HPU 110

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Supporting the Arena, Conference Center and Hotel Joe, ’83, and Amanda Budd, of WinstonSalem, North Carolina, have graciously given $1 million to High Point University, with $750,000 going to support the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center, and $250,000 directed to the Richard P. and Sylvia Budd Endowed Scholarship.

The university will honor the Budds’ generosity by naming a student suite for their family in the Qubein Arena. Joe's parents, Richard, ’63, and Sylvia Budd, established the Richard P. and Sylvia Budd Endowed Scholarship in August 2013 to provide assistance for students majoring in communication or business.

“The Budd family has been a part of HPU for many years, and they have established deep roots with the university,” says HPU President Nido Qubein. “We are deeply grateful for the philanthropic values of the family. The future is always bright for HPU when we have extraordinary partners like Joe and Amanda, who share the same vision of success and support as we do.”

Joe Budd represents the second of three generations of the Budd family who have graduated from HPU. Joe graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Joe and Amanda’s son, Alex, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2018 and a Master of Business Administration in 2019. Joe currently serves as CEO and chairman of their family business, The Budd Group, which has been based in Winston-Salem for more than 50 years.

“I am so proud that my family has a lasting commitment to the university that has given us so much,” says Joe Budd. “I am grateful HPU instilled in me the values of hard work and giving back to communities in which we work, and I got to see my son share those same experiences when he was a student at HPU.” ▲

Those listed below have generously supported the growth of the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center, and the Jana and Ken Kahn Hotel at High Point University, as of Aug. 1, 2020. Additional gifts to the project will be recognized throughout the facility as the grand opening nears.

Anonymous Family of a Current HPU Student Sara J., ’91, and Herbet H. Adkins Amanda and Joe, ’83, Budd, P’18 Vivian and Gary Biesecker Kathryn M., ’66, and Mickey W., ’64, Boles, P’94 Patricia P., ’63, and Douglas L., ’61, Brackett The Christman Company Church Interiors Audio and Video, Inc. CJMW Architecture Anna and Matthew K., ’04, Cromer Linda, ’63, and Bill, ’62, Davidson Janet and E. Vance, ’61, Davis Kristy S., ’95, and Christopher H., ’94, Dudley Earl Foster Bradley, Edi, Porter and Parker Gibson Marion H. Gibson, Jr., ’75 Velma T.* and Rayford B., ’63, Grant Roy A. Grant, ’63 Jeanette P.*, ’61, and H. Richard, ’61, Hallman Hanes Construction Debra J. and Louis B. Hoffman Jr., P’12, P’14, P’18 Kelly and George W. Holbrook , P’03 Sally B. and Joseph Kenneth W. Hughes Jana and Ken Kahn, P’22 Jane and Gene, ’66, Kester Ilderton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Jamestown Engineering Beverly D., ’58, and Joe McCabe Katherine K. and David L. Maynard Mercer Architecture Gloria and Dan, ’60, Odom Heidi Smith-Passarelli and John G. Passarelli, P’21 Julie and Mark Phillips Nido R., ’70, and Mariana, ’77, Qubein, P’10, P’13 Barry C. Safrit Samet Corporation Susan R. and Michael D. Samuel Donald A. Scarborough, P’08, P’10 Elizabeth M. and Albert H., ’80, Seymour Amy, ’84, and David, ’81, Smith, P’13, P’15 Donna, ’76, and Orlando “Tubby” Smith, ’73 Sandra D. and Kenneth D., ’69, Smith Anne Kerr, ’60, and Dr. Lawrence C. Walker* Jerri F. and Mark A., ’83, Webb, P’21 Stephanie and Barry Zekelman, P’19 * = Deceased P = Parent

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HPU Club Sports:

Where Life Lessons Take Hold

Members of the club women’s soccer team, one of 34 HPU club teams, celebrate a hard-earned goal.

They’ve played forever, these sports they love.

They started when they were young. They traveled with teams nationwide to compete, represented their high schools against a cross-town rival or played against someone else through a computer screen.

When they came to High Point University for an education, they also came to compete.

They joined one of HPU’s 34 club sports teams. They became one of hundreds of students involved and learned about life beyond the thrill of competition.

Dylan Thompson can vouch for that.

Finding Community, Finding Self Thompson calls it “The Arena.”

He walks into a huge purple room with 24 computers and a ceiling two stories high. This is home to HPU’s esports team.

Last year, the team had 11 players. Today, they have at least 75 with 50 more expected to come throughout the 2020-21 school year.

The increase is from the popularity. More than 2.5 million people play organized, competitive video games worldwide.

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The big purple room on the first floor of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication helped increase the size of the team, too.

As president of HPU’s esports team, Thompson knows what esports did for him.

“In high school, I was the quiet kid,” says Thompson, a junior international relations major from Cary, North Carolina. “I never approached people I didn’t know or had conversations

The club rowing team practices at Oak Hollow Lake, located just a few miles from campus.

with strangers. But I’ve now learned how to work with people, write professional emails, delegate and manage my time.”

“Everyone is excited about life,” he says.

“I could shoot a 95 and still be happy I’m here.”

Thompson has also learned how to deliver impromptu presentations, like with Dr. Virginia McDermott, the school’s dean.

‘It Takes A Village’

“Dr. McDermott brought in a bunch of really important people, and she turned to me and said, ‘Dylan, tell them what the program is all about,’” he said. “I did. I never would have done that in high school.”

Finding Friendship Hayes Esposito, a sophomore international business major from Bullard, Texas, plays golf. And he’s good.

In November, he played in the National Invitational in Oklahoma. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Club Golf Association, the tournament brought together the country’s best 351 nonvarsity golfers from 56 schools.

Esposito came within a stroke of winning the whole thing.

“I lost to someone from Stanford,” Esposito says. “I’m OK with it. I played my game.”

Esposito loves his sport. He’s played since he was 5, and as a member of HPU’s club golf team, he hears his teammates say often, “Let’s go hit nine holes.”

It’s not just about practice. It’s about friendship.

Maddy Gehrhardt is happy, too. And grateful. She remembers.

It was a Sunday afternoon in Durham, North Carolina. She was playing goalie for the club women’s soccer team, and HPU was taking on Duke University. The second half had just started when Gehrhardt blocked a ball from going into the net and fell backward.

The fall broke her right arm.

Ballroom Dancing Baseball Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Bass Fishing Equestrian Esports (video games)

Everything else is a blur to Gehrhardt, but not to her coach, her teammates and the university.

Field Hockey

Her coach, Kara Thaggard, went with her to the hospital, and her teammates huddled around their captain, Ashlyne McComb, a junior from Denver, Colorado. She settled their frayed nerves.

Men’s Gymnastics

“She’s going to be OK, and we’re going to be OK,’’ McComb told them. “Let’s make her proud. Let’s do this for her!”

Thaggard contacted Jacob Crawford, HPU’s club sports athletic director. He then called Gehrhardt’s mom and gave her constant updates on her daughter’s condition as she drove 12 hours south from their home in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

When she arrived on campus early Monday morning, HPU arranged a place for her to stay. She stayed to help her daughter recover.

Today, Gehrhardt has a deeper appreciation of HPU. She wasn’t forgotten.

Everyone — her teammates, her coach, Crawford, the Office of Student Life and her sorority sisters in Alpha Chi Omega — made sure of that.

Jacob Crawford (left), director of club sports, and Hayes Esposito (right), a member of the club golf team, are pictured during a tournament.

HPU’s 34 Club Sport Opportunities

“I was a freshman, and I had all these people looking out for me and making sure I had everything I needed,” says Gehrhardt, a business administration major. “It was a real sense of community.

Like I said, it takes a village.” ▲

Men’s Golf Women’s Golf Women’s Gymnastics Men’s Ice Hockey Men’s Jiu-Jitsu Women’s Jiu-Jitsu Men’s Lacrosse Women’s Lacrosse Paintball Men’s Powerlifting Women’s Powerlifting Men’s Rowing Women’s Rowing Men’s Running Women’s Running Men’s Soccer Women’s Soccer Softball Men’s Swimming Women’s Swimming Men’s Tennis Women’s Tennis Ultimate Frisbee Men’s Volleyball Women’s Volleyball

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Caring People Surrounding students with heroes, models and mentors The spirit of generosity is evident in the work the High Point University family completes in the community.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students, faculty and staff organize the annual Day of Service alongside community members and contribute 1,500 hours to 46 projects.

When the anniversary of Sept. 11 arrives, students — some of whom lost family members in the attacks that occurred even before they were born — place thousands of American flags across campus and gather for prayer and fellowship.

During fall and spring breaks, students and staff travel to Guatemala to install stoves for families and to Haiti to build homes.

When a member of their campus dining team is in need of a new car, students raise thousands of dollars in support. Pictured to the right are Abby Wood (left) and High Point University students Luke Ivey (left of center), Curt Walker (right of center) and Jack Rieckelman (right), who raised money for Ebony Macon (center), HPU dining team member, to purchase a car.

These are just a few examples of the ways the HPU family contributes 110,000 hours of annual service. Their efforts reflect the Biblical scripture of Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is required.” The scripture is painted above the entrance to the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, where students often pass.

It reflects a foundational element on campus — caring people.

HPU faculty and staff know that you can’t merely teach values; you must model them. The entire campus culture is based on this belief: Faculty and staff live. Students watch. And students learn.

To discover more, turn the page and follow #HPUCares on social media.

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Pictured are Abby Wood (left) and High Point University students Luke Ivey (left of center), Curt Walker (right of center) and Jack Rieckelman (right), who raised money for Ebony Macon (center), HPU dining team member, to purchase a car.

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Each year, students express their gratitude to veterans during the university's Annual Veterans Day Celebration. While the event was held virtually in 2020 due to the pandemic, featured here are photos and interviews with veterans from the 2019 celebration.

A God, Family and Country Institution HPU’s Veterans Day Celebration represents the values the university proudly celebrates.

Bob Lanier didn’t know if he wanted to come, but he did. His grandson asked.

He flew from his home in Florida, slipped on his blue Vietnam veterans cap and sat at Table 84 in the Millis Athletic Center for one of the biggest annual events at High Point University — the Veterans Day Celebration.

More than 1,200 veterans came to the 2019 celebration, and Lanier was one. He sat with his wife, Dee, and his grandson, HPU student Joe Maronski.

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Lanier is a Marine veteran who lives in Florida, and his 12-month tour of Vietnam ended in December 1966. He doesn’t talk about it, even when his grandson convinced him to buy the blue Vietnam veterans cap two years ago.

Back then, he came home to insults. More than a half century later, he still remembers how much that stung. So, on the first Friday in November, Lanier sat at Table 84 beside his grandson and listened.

He listened to HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein. In front of a huge American flag, Qubein talked about the important principles veterans have taught the nation — the essence of service, leadership and sacrifice.

He listened to retired Col. Leon “Lee” Ellis, a fellow Vietnam veteran, a fighter pilot and a former prisoner of war. Ellis talked about what he learned in a cold, dank cell: resilience, responsibility, accountability and the importance of being connected to a community.

And he listened to Rev. Frank Thomas, a U.S. Army veteran. Thomas came to the stage for the benediction and started with: “For all those Vietnam veterans in the audience, I want to say, ‘Welcome home.’”

Lanier’s lip quivered. Maronski saw it.

He knew.

“He realized the world is different from when he came home,” Maronski said days later. “That thought catapulted him. He knew he could move forward and be at peace with everything that had happened.”

At the end of the two-hour ceremony, Herman Gant couldn’t get over Clark, a bald eagle, flying back and forth over the crowd — and right above his head.

Gant is an Army veteran from Greensboro, North Carolina. He served nearly three years in Korea right after World War II. He came to HPU’s ceremony with his family, including his grandson, HPU senior Douglas McCollum.

They sat near the front at Table 38 to help Gant hear, but what he saw is what really got him.

“Oh Lord, that was such a wonderful thing,” Gant said minutes after

the ceremony. “It made me feel so thankful.”

HPU HONORS VETERANS

The brothers of HPU’s Kappa Alpha Order were thankful, too. They raised $20,000 to buy an all-terrain track chair and donate it to Steve Slate, High Point resident and Army veteran battling ALS. Holden Quinn, a KA brother who helped organize the fundraising campaign, spoke about it from the stage. After the ceremony, he and fellow fraternity brothers met Slate for the first time.

THE 2019 VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION INCLUDED:

They found Slate sitting in his new chair, surrounded by his family. Slate can’t talk well, but they saw it in his face. The chair changed Slate’s life.

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The ceremony changed Lanier’s life, too. Afterward, he called his daughter, Maronski’s mother.

They talked for more than an hour about the ceremony. Days later, in a telephone conversation from his home, Lanier was still exuberant about what he heard at HPU.

AMERICAN FLAGS DONATED TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, NONPROFITS AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

It came from students, faculty and staff everywhere he went.

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“Thank you for your service.”

That still chokes him up.

VETERANS

“You don’t hear that coming out of college campuses around the country, and that is very refreshing,” he said. “And for me, it made me feel better about what I’ve accomplished in my life. It gives closure to a lot of guys like me to just hear people say, ‘Welcome home.’” ▲

AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE

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In the last five years, HPU’s Kappa Alpha Order has raised over $50,000, which funded the purchase of a track chair for a wounded veteran in 2016 and 2017. Having raised $20,000 in 2019, the group purchased and presented a track chair to U.S. army veteran Steve Slate.

VOLUNTEERS

MADE IT POSSIBLE

“HPU is a God, family and country school.”

– HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein

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Mentoring Youth Through “One! Two! Three!”

It’s a Wednesday afternoon at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point, where a group of middle school students are counting while stretching before they run laps around the track.

“It’s really important to stretch before and after each run,” Ashley Banegas tells the group.

Banegas, a senior and HPU Bonner Leader, co-created the Macedonia Milers program to encourage youth to stay positive and healthy.

Ashley Banegas helps middle school students stay healthy.

Service to others is ingrained in HPU’s culture, and the HPU Bonner Program is one example. As part of the National Bonner Foundation, HPU’s Bonner Program provides students from low-income families the opportunity to work as volunteer coordinators for local nonprofits. HPU Bonner Leaders like Banegas earn skills that will benefit their future careers, while also positively impacting community organizations.

“With Macedonia Milers, we encourage active, healthy lifestyles,” says Banegas. "While running is a great way to start, we also teach them healthy tips about nutrition each week.”

Banegas met with the students every Monday and Wednesday afternoon. They began with warm-up exercises before they hit the track.

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A Holistic Health Care Approach Each Bonner Leader is assigned to help specific nonprofits in the community. For Banegas, her passion to connect with youth began through her work at the Macedonia Family Resource Center and the Community Clinic of High Point.

At the Macedonia Family Resource Center, she works with the director on various improvement projects. At the Community Clinic of High Point, where the uninsured receive free treatment, she is involved in daily tasks such as updating the website, developing social media platforms, translating Spanish to English for patients and preparing charts for the clinicians.

Banegas is a neuroscience major with a psychology minor and a civic responsibility and social innovation minor. She hopes to build a career where she can provide holistic health care for all patients, regardless of their financial situation.

Ashley Banegas (second from right), an HPU Bonner Leader, works with the Macedonia Milers, a program led by HPU students who encourage local youth to stay healthy.

the Macedonia Milers “Seeing how much the clinic impacts community members and residents in the area is really inspiring,” she says. “It makes me want my own practice so I can provide care for patients who don’t have health insurance.”

The Caring Coach Banegas implemented her holistic approach when she and fellow HPU Bonner Leader, Gabby Kozlowski, formed the Macedonia Milers.

“Being a Bonner Leader, I’ve realized how much service impacts a variety of areas,” says Banegas. “Whether it be in medicine, policy or nonprofits, HPU has shaped my whole perspective of what service truly is.”

While Banegas is running the track encouraging her fellow Milers, Lisa Miller watches her son, Alyn, take the lead in the group.

“Coach Ashley has been a great mentor and has focused on life skills like courage, leadership, self-esteem and faith,” says Miller.

“The lessons each week mean just as much as the running.”

And when Alyn isn’t running around the track, he will tell you how Banegas has impacted him.

“She teaches me new things and has shown me new perspectives on how to be healthier,” says Alyn. “She is my mentor.”

An Idea to Run With Banegas is also a Bonner Student Congress representative.

Last year, she had the opportunity to share the success of HPU programs, like the Macedonia Milers, with the Bonner Student Congress during its national meeting, which was held virtually due to the global pandemic. The group provides information, energy and opportunities for student leadership within the national Bonner Program.

The combined volunteerism of Bonner Leaders and the entire HPU family totals 110,000 service hours each year.

Other college chapters will learn from the success of Banegas and her fellow students.

“I have learned what being a Bonner Leader in the community means,” says Banegas. “The students that we are working with tell us that they admire the HPU Coach Ashley has been a great mentor and has focused on Bonners, and this motivates basic life skills like courage, leadership, self-esteem and faith. us to continue and expand the Milers running club and The lessons each week mean just as much as the running. other efforts.” ▲

– Lisa Miller, a Macedonia Milers mom

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Building Character,

Changing Lives Class of 2023 built 150 bikes for children in the community

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Pictured left: In 2019, the Class of 2023 began their HPU journey by building bicycles for local children.

During High Point University’s 2019 Welcome Week, new students had the opportunity to kick off the year by making an impact in the lives of local children. Students worked together to build bikes and present them to the children, yielding 150 bikes.

“Students have been on this campus for one day, and they’ve already built a bike for someone,” said HPU President Nido Qubein. “Last night they were in this gym together signing the University Honor Code, which says they will take care of this university, be the finest person they can be, take care of humanity and reach out to help others to make a difference in this world. And today, they're doing that.”

Working Together to Make a Difference Students gathered in the James H. and Jesse E. Millis Athletic and Convocation Center and worked together to assemble the bikes. Lisbeth Ramirez, a High Point native and biology major with a pre-med concentration, was her team’s captain and had big responsibilities with leading her classmates.

Later in the day, 150 children were surprised with new bikes.

“Donating the bikes was like giving a gift to your closest family member,” says Ramirez. “When we saw their faces light up, we realized the value of all our hard work. We knew this would impact local children, so we gave it our all.”

Paying it Forward The bikes will have an infinite impact on the local community, as the children share these gifts with others.

Treyson Hood was excited when he walked into HPU’s Millis Center to find a bicycle waiting for him.

“I plan to ride it and teach others to ride the bike,” said 10-year-old Hood. “I’m thankful for all that the students did and for letting us have these bikes.”

HPU students Anna Atkins, from New Jersey, and Abigail Peterson, from Minnesota, presented a bike to 10-year-old Kaira Miller. For Miller, receiving the bike meant replacing one she previously lost.

Above: Members of the Class of 2023 and HPU President Nido Qubein (right) presented bikes to local children to kick off the academic year.

Planting Seeds of Possibility Many children also enjoyed the experience of coming to HPU’s campus and being surprised by HPU students.

For Kenny Mack, vice president of operations at the Boys and Girls Club, this day was about more than getting a bike for the children. It was about planting the seed of attending college in their mind, too.

“It’s exciting because the kids are getting ready to go back to school, so to give them this experience on a college campus when they may not have thought about going to college before is important for their growth,” said Mack. “All the kids love their bikes, so it’s an exciting surprise for them before a new school year.” ▲

When we saw their faces light up, we realized the value of all our hard work. We knew this would impact local children, so we gave it our all.

– Lisbeth Ramirez, Biology Major

“I love the color because blue is my favorite,” said Miller.

“My brother is here, too, so when we get home, we’re going to tell everyone we got bikes today.”

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Each year, students complete 1,500 hours of service on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Events in 2021 were held virtually or physically distant.

Featured on these pages are the projects completed during the January 2020 event.

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Instead of taking a day off from classes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students have the opportunity to organize and participate in 46 service projects throughout the city.

and “Mirror mirror on the wall, there’s a leader in us all.”

The HPU Women’s Lacrosse team volunteered together at the Heroes Center on a variety of projects, from cleaning and painting, to building a hydroponic system.

In January 2020, more than 600 HPU students and faculty contributed 1,500 hours of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day — part of the 110,000 hours of service the university contributes annually. Service projects included painting cabins at a nonprofit organization that supports veterans, packaging 2,000 boxes of food for local children experiencing food insecurity, improving community gardens, painting murals at local schools, preparing and serving meals, landscaping and more.

“Being able to work as a team off the field to make a difference and give back to the community is rewarding,” said Brielle Prouty, HPU senior strategic communication major.

“It truly is a day on, not off. As I look around and see so many of my fellow classmates here giving their time and their gifts, I am thankful.”

These opportunities allow students to make connections in the community and get to know the people they share a home with. And it shows — community members appreciate the support HPU students provide.

“As High Point’s university, we are committed to serving our city and making it a better place,” says Rev. Mary Beth Foust, assistant director of civic responsibility and social innovation. “We are grateful for the opportunity to connect students with our community partners through service projects and carry the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through all that we do.”

“We had more than 25 HPU students who were here throughout the day,” said Brad Bowers, executive director of West End Ministries. “The amount of work students provide in a five-hour time frame would normally take us a month.

The volunteers are able to do so much, and it’s a big help to us.” ▲

At Northwood Elementary School, volunteers painted inspirational quotes on the bathroom walls, including “Have courage and be kind,”

The amount of work students provide in a five-hour time frame would normally take us a month.

– Brad Bowers, Executive Director of West End Ministries

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Elementary students from Montlieu Academy of Technology enjoyed a Fall Festival organized by HPU students in 2019. The event included games, face painting, food and educational activities.

Through the HPU Cares Fund, the university donated 14,000 bottles of water, 5,000 ponchos and 4,000 meals to local organizations. HPU also made a $50,000 gift to the United Way of Greater High Point, bringing the university's total annual United Way donation to $300,000.

Students, faculty and staff placed 2,977 American flags on campus in honor of the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001.

THIN SLICES

The Student Government Association gathered to make a difference for children in the local community by stuffing 750 stockings for the Salvation Army’s 2019 Annual Stuff a Stocking Campaign.

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Nine recent college graduates are dedicating a year of service to the High Point community as AmeriCorps VISTAs. For the eighth year, HPU is hosting VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America), who provide thousands of service hours to local organizations.

Each year when new students join HPU’s Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy, they dedicate a day of service to the city as part of their orientation. In fall 2020, new pharmacy students made blankets for the Cover the City Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to cover the homeless population with warmth and love.

The university welcomed the High Point Police Department Youth Leadership Academy, which connects teens with community resources and service opportunities to gain a fresh perspective on leadership and service.

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Zeta Tau Alpha sorority planted a pink ribbon garden on HPU’s campus to honor those who have been affected by breast cancer. The sorority also sold plants during Zeta’s Think Pink Week to raise awareness and educate individuals on breast cancer prevention in alignment with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

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More than 300 students ran or walked a collective 1,000 miles around HPU’s Vert Stadium as part of its 1,000 Miles for Kids event in 2019. Funds raised exceeded $31,000 and were donated to the YMCA of High Point to empower and support kids in the local community.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, HPU donated personal protective equipment to emergency workers, including more than 14,000 masks, isolation gowns, shoe covers, surgical scrub brushes, alcohol prep and 49,000 nonsterile gloves.

A group of students traveled to Spain during the 2019 fall break to take part in Fall Pilgrimage — a week of programming intersecting spirituality and service that allowed students to explore different communities of faith on the Camino de Santiago, known in English as the Way of St. James and as one of the world's oldest pilgrimage walks.

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Students volunteered and helped plan the 2019 37th CROP Hunger Walk in High Point to raise money and help the hungry.

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The Professional Selling Club donated dozens of Thanksgiving meals to families through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater High Point.

Each year, HPU welcomes thousands to celebrate the sights and sounds of the holiday season for Community Christmas. The ninth annual event, held in 2019, included complimentary visits with Santa, hot food, Christmas decor and more.

HPU continued hosting its Annual Christmas Drive in December 2020. For 14 nights, thousands of visitors drove through campus to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season safely from their vehicles. The event boosted the spirits of community members during the global pandemic.

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Emily Yacuzzo, ’20, received the 2019 Community Impact Student Award from the North Carolina Campus Compact. Yacuzzo is one of the 22 students across the state to be honored for making a difference in her community. She served with HPU’s Bonner Leader Program for four years and successfully helped start the after-school program at Macedonia Family Resource Center in High Point.

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Elizabeth Miller Strickland Donates $12 Million to HPU Endowment This is the largest endowment gift ever made to HPU. High Point University received a $12 million gift from Elizabeth “Betty” Miller Strickland in 2020. The gift was announced in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which guarantees a woman’s right to vote.

“I deeply believe in High Point University and want students to realize their dream of attending a God, family and country university can come true.”

– Elizabeth “Betty” Miller Strickland

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This transformational donation, representing the largest gift to HPU’s endowment in its 96-year history, will establish the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s Leadership Fund and the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Endowed Scholarship Fund. These initiatives will provide scholarship assistance to students with financial need and opportunities for women.

“We have a commitment to broaden our impact locally, nationally and across the globe,” says President Nido Qubein.

“This includes identifying the impact we can have in promoting equity in all forms, and Betty Strickland has generously provided us the opportunity to demonstrate specific leadership in the advancement of women. We can achieve this with faithful courage and the willingness to empower students, especially our young women, to become strong leaders of tomorrow. We are forever grateful for Betty’s generosity and commitment to help students pursue a holistic education at HPU.” Betty attended High Point College, where she was crowned Miss High Point College in 1952. She was also named Alumna of the Year during the 2020 Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony.

She strongly believes in investing in an education that equips students with the values HPU upholds.

“HPU has come so far since I attended, it’s unrecognizable,” says Strickland. “I want to be a part of the values being taught and fostered at the university.”

Betty and her late husband, Bob, who passed away in 2018, met when she was only 12 years old at a Boy Scout party and later married in 1952.

“We were best friends,” says Strickland about her 66-year marriage to Bob. “When you marry your best friend, you just have fun and we did.”

After serving in the United States Navy, Bob began a two-year commitment as Lowe’s director of advertising that turned into a 40-year career, with Bob retiring as chairman of the board of Lowe’s in 1997. He was named chairman emeritus in 1999.

“He loved anything to do with education,” says Strickland.

“I wish I could share the excitement of this gift to HPU with him, but I know it is something he would support wholeheartedly.”

Strickland’s support of HPU comes months after Qubein announced a 10-year, $1 billion transformational growth plan that includes a commitment of $700 million for scholarships.

“I deeply believe in High Point University and want students to realize their dream of attending a God, family and country university can come true,” says Strickland. “My husband, Bob, and I have always believed that you don’t go to college to simply learn how to make a living, but you also go to college to learn how to live. HPU’s mentorship model and practice of equipping students with life skills allow that to happen.”

About the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s Leadership Fund

Council will steward Mrs. Strickland’s mission, intent and values, and will work to identify and overcome barriers women face in leadership roles, entrepreneurship and economic opportunities, and education.

The desired outcome associated with the creation of the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s Leadership Fund is to provide inspiration, mentorship and opportunities for young women to achieve their dreams. The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Leadership Council will develop seminars and programs focused on issues relevant to women in business, leadership and entrepreneurship.

Each year, The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Trailblazer Award will be given at Honors Day to a graduating female student who epitomizes the qualities of hard work, passion for service, perseverance and determination. The winner will be required to donate a portion of the cash award to a charity of her choice.

About the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Endowed Scholarship The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Endowed Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships for students of all genders, with a focus on students returning to High Point University, who demonstrate both financial need and a background of success on campus in their early college years.

In recognition of this gift, and in recognition of the importance of scholarship in philanthropy, High Point University created the Elizabeth Miller Strickland Scholarship Plaza. The Scholarship Plaza celebrates, recognizes and inspires existing and future endowment donors, while also providing a location for students to reflect on the impact of philanthropy in their own lives and academic pursuits.

Three sculptures depicting recent HPU graduates in their cap and gown will serve as a reminder of the importance of philanthropy in education.

The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Women’s Leadership Fund will provide a platform to inspire the achievement of gender equality.

A newly formed Elizabeth M. Strickland Women’s Leadership

The Elizabeth Miller Strickland Scholarship Plaza was dedicated in December. Pictured from left to right are Cynthia Strickland Graham, Elizabeth "Betty" Strickland’s daughter, Betty Strickland and HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein.

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FACES OF

ENGAGEMENT

Get Involved!

The caring support provided by High Point University’s alumni, family and friends is the foundation from which students’ dreams are launched into a lifetime of success and significance. Those featured below represent the faces of many who give of their time, talent and resources to make an impact at HPU. This group provides a small glimpse of the dedicated individuals who have joined together to sustain lifelong connections through HPU’s global network.

Fred Miller, HPU Parent • CAREER CONNECTOR Senior Program Manager, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Fred Miller, the parent of HPU 2020 graduate Chelsea, has been involved as a Career Connector through the HPU in the City program. Career Connectors build a bridge from HPU to the business community by creating internship, job shadowing and informational interview opportunities for students. In October 2019, Miller hosted HPU students at NCMEC in Alexandria, Virginia, to explore the various opportunities available throughout this national and international nonprofit organization.

“As professionals, we are aware of life skills developed at High Point University, including the ability to interview and be interviewed, deliver effective presentations and network,” says Miller. “Also, HPU pays attention to the value of other life skills, such as professional dress, executive presence, eye contact and a firm handshake. I’m continually amazed at the positive impression the students make when they visit. I appreciate the opportunity to showcase HPU students within my organization.”

To create connections for HPU students, visit engage.highpoint.edu/Career-Connector.

Dr. Leni Fragakis, ’12, ’13 • ALUMNI PEER AGENT Fifth Grade Teacher at The Arts Based School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Leni Fragakis connects with her HPU classmates as an Alumni Peer Agent and encourages them to support student scholarships and their alma mater with an annual gift, as well as to give their time and talent. She also serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. Fragakis has recently defended her doctoral dissertation, titled “The Perceived Impact of an Arts-Integrated Curriculum on the Academic Achievement of Fifth and Sixth Grade Students with Disabilities.”

“At HPU, part of our extraordinary experience is learning how to practice gratitude and give back to others throughout our careers,” says Fragakis.

“This lesson continues to inspire me to provide opportunities for future HPU students.”

The Alumni Peer Agent program uses a peer-to-peer model of personal outreach to classmates and networks. Join the program today at engage.highpoint.edu/Peer-Agent.

Engage with HPU!

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Visit engage.highpoint.edu/get-involved to explore how you can best connect your talents and passions with your love for HPU.

Hunter Fleming, ’18, ’21 • YOUNG ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT HPU’s Physician Assistant Studies Program Hunter Fleming is a young alumna who encourages her fellow classmates, teammates and young alumni to become more engaged with HPU. As an undergraduate student, Fleming was a member of the HPU women’s basketball team and majored in exercise science and Spanish. These experiences led her to pursue a medical career, and she is currently a graduate student in HPU’s physician assistant studies program. Fleming is a member of HPU’s Young Alumni Council and also volunteers in the Peer Agent Program.

“Staying involved with HPU allows me to remain committed to the university and greater High Point community, which is where I plan to serve as a physician assistant after graduation,” says Fleming.

Jump-start your involvement as an HPU Young Alumni at engage.highpoint.edu/Young-Alumni.

Chad Hartman, ’01, ’06 • LEAGUE OF LOYAL ALUMNI Vice President, Development and Corporate Alliances, USO As a member of the League of Loyal Alumni, Chad Hartman has generously supported the university with an annual contribution for more than three consecutive years. The League is a way to honor and celebrate alumni who consecutively give to the university on an annual basis. Hartman is a member of the Alumni Board of Directors, serves as a mentor to students in the Earl N. Phillips School of Business and has made a planned giving commitment to HPU through the Sterling Society.

“Giving annually to my alma mater is important to me and my family,” says Hartman. “This token of support is my way of impacting the university that means so much to me.”

Members of the League of Loyal Alumni receive a membership card that provides exclusive discounts and privileges, an exclusive car decal, recognition at select HPU events and more. To learn more, visit engage.highpoint.edu/TheLeague.

1,697 Gifts

THANK YOU TO OUR

#DAYFORHPU DONORS IN 2020 SAVE THE DATE • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

Join us on campus and across the globe in supporting student scholarships on High Point University’s fourth annual #DayforHPU. Show your support by: • Hosting an event in your region on March 23 to celebrate with families, alumni and students • Serving as a Social Media Ambassador and sharing your network with us on this important day • Raising the bar with an individual or group challenge gift To learn more, visit engage.highpoint.edu/dayforhpu

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Celebrating Traditions

HPU Homecoming provides opportunities to reconnect.

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HPU honored Gene Littles, a member of the Class of 1969 and retired NBA player, and his family at a bench dedication ceremony during Homecoming 2019.

High Point University welcomed alumni from around the globe for Homecoming Weekend 2019 on Oct. 25-27. They participated in a variety of activities, including longstanding traditions and new experiences. Several notable events included a show hosted by HPU’s Charcoal Pony improv comedy troupe and a cappella groups; several shows in the Culp Planetarium inside the Wanek School of Natural Sciences; and Oktoberfest held at Truist Point Stadium, home to the High Point Rockers, the city of High Point’s professional baseball team. One featured event in 2019 was the Homecoming tailgate followed by an HPU purple and white men’s basketball scrimmage. The events brought together alumni, students, faculty and staff.

The annual Alumni Awards Ceremony is one of the highlights of the weekend. Hosted by the Alumni Association inside Congdon Hall’s Callicutt Auditorium, the ceremony honored HPU alumni who have made outstanding accomplishments and demonstrated a commitment to their communities and the university. The 14 HPU alumni award recipients are featured on the following pages.

The Alumni Chapel Service brings alumni and current students together for fellowship and worship.

Homecoming

2020

Due to the global pandemic, Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, held Oct. 23-25, was reinvented as a set of virtual experiences coupled with social media engagement.

Many of the signature events for all members of the HPU family are still available at

Opposite page: Top: Alumni returned to campus for the 2019 Homecoming Weekend, which included a variety of events such as class reunions and fireworks at Truist Point baseball stadium.

Bottom: Young alumni participated in a career panel, where current students asked them questions about life after graduation.

engage.highpoint.edu/homecoming.

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David L. Francis, ’55 Lifetime Achievement Award Francis worked at Marsh & Associates in Charlotte, North Carolina, for 35 years and later served as CEO before his retirement. He remains in Charlotte and is a lifetime member of the HPU Board of Trustees. Francis has generously supported HPU by giving to the David L. Francis Lecture Hall in Phillips Hall and the David and Betty Francis Endowed Scholarship.

Richard D. Callicutt II, ’81 Alumnus of the Year Callicutt is chairman of the Carolinas and Virginia for Pinnacle Bank. He currently resides in High Point, North Carolina. A long-time supporter of HPU, Callicutt serves as a member of the HPU Board of Trustees. He also has generously given to HPU by establishing an endowed scholarship in honor of his mother, Barbara Frisbee Callicutt, and naming the Callicutt Auditorium in Congdon Hall.

Jacina R. Hayes, ’94 Alumni Service Award Hayes is the primary advisor to the general counsel on legal operations for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. She currently lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and has served for the past six years on the Alumni Board of Directors. Hayes moved to Washington, D.C., to pursue a government career after graduation. There, she received five appointment promotions in nine years serving under four House clerks and a six-month assignment within the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.

Katrina D. Ramey, ’08 President’s Award Ramey is the vice president and assistant corporate secretary for Truist Financial Corporation. She currently resides in East Bend, North Carolina. Ramey attended HPU as an evening degree student and graduated in 2008. She has worked with Truist for the past 18 years with multiple promotions.

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Ten distinguished young alumni, who graduated within the past 10 years, were honored in 2019 with HPU’s Top 10 Under 10 Young Alumni Award for their outstanding achievement in their profession and their community.

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Christiana B. Weber, ’13: Staff Physical Therapist at an in-patient rehabilitation center at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Alexandra C. Trenary, ’14: Founder of June St. George, a custom rug and pillow company in North Carolina

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Jaime M. Schultz: Professional Baseball Player for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, the affiliate team for the Los Angeles Dodgers

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Michael J. Pfeiffer, ’12: Cardiovascular Perfusionist at Centra Health in Lynchburg, Virginia, and pursuing a master’s degree in health care management

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James T. Mestdagh Jr., ’18: Author of “Untether” and Founder of the JT Mestdagh Foundation in Michigan

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Molly E. Mays, ’14: Director of Textiles for Rizzy Home in Charlotte, North Carolina

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Rebecca M. Irvine, ’13: Special Education Teacher at Lane Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia

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W. Daniel Costello Jr., ’09: District Sales Manager for Forrester in Boston, Massachusetts

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Leah M. Caffey, ’16 and ’17: Assistant General Manager at Caffey Distributing in North Carolina

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Thomas M. Belk III, ’13: Owner of TB III’s Pickup Service LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina

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FROM TO Samantha Garrison, ’16, created Emmy-nominated work for “Game of Thrones.”

With a peak viewership of 43 million fans, the HBO fantasy drama “Game of Thrones” is easily classified as an international phenomenon.

While millions of dedicated viewers can quickly recall where they were and how they felt during each longawaited season premiere, very few can say that they were on a red carpet with the cast.

Even fewer can say that they work for the production company behind the creative powerhouse — HBO. Samantha Garrison, a 2016 High Point University graduate, is one of them.

EMMY-NOMINATED WORK Inside HBO’s New York City office, the marketing team steps in once filming wraps on a show. Various players discuss important post-production marketing elements — gaming experiences, social media filters and interactive apps to enhance fan involvement.

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as lead producer on multiple Snapchat lenses for programs like “Game of Thrones,” “Euphoria” and “The Righteous Gemstones” and lead producer of the “Game of Thrones” Amazon Alexa 1P experience.

“Hey Alexa, what is ‘Game of Thrones?’”

Yes, Garrison made that possible.

Garrison was most recently part of the HBO creative team responsible for developing the Emmy-nominated “Game of Thrones: Beyond the Wall” virtual reality fan experience.

What’s it like to attend the Emmys and be nominated for one of television’s most coveted awards?

She walked the red carpet, entered the theater and took her seat for the two-hour ceremony right in front of “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

“It's a surreal feeling,” says Garrison. “I'm extremely grateful and humbled that projects I work on are being recognized and that I had the opportunity to attend so early on in my career.”

A little more than three years after graduating, Garrison’s career trajectory is impressive. But, when she talks about her time at HPU, it’s understandable.

CRAFTING CONFIDENCE AT HPU Garrison came to HPU from the small town of Pittsgrove, New Jersey.

“At HPU, we were always encouraged to be bold when looking for career opportunities,” says Garrison.

Garrison saw HPU as an outlet to discover her potential.

HPU's campus was small enough to feel like home but had all the resources of a larger university. She applied Early Decision to HPU, and the world opened up for her.

Instead of searching, applying and waiting, Garrison took a proactive approach to landing her job at HBO.

Garrison majored in strategic communication, a degree housed within the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. There, she benefited from the mentorship of Professor Phil Watson. He provided constructive feedback while pushing her to reach her full potential.

Today, she recalls lessons from his advertising and media communications classes when storyboarding ideas for her next project.

After graduating in 2016, she made the move to New York City and set a self-imposed deadline for finding a career.

“I emailed the vice president at HBO,” says Garrison. “I told him that I found the position, thought I’d be a great fit and wanted to deliver my cover letter directly.”

Her bold move and HPU education helped her get the job. ”HPU pushes students beyond their limits,” says Garrison.

“In turn, you develop the confidence and the knowledge needed to succeed."

HPU's focus on life skills is what distinguishes HPU alumni.

READY, SET, ADAPT Looking to her future, Garrison knows emerging technology is an evolving field that constantly changes.

The one thing she’s sure of? She’s ready.

“I want to keep learning, keep evolving and see where this role takes me,” she says.

Garrison believes that the key to succeeding in any industry is adaptability. That’s her advice to HPU students.

“If you learn one thing, learn to be adaptable,” she says.

“That opens the door for better communication, leadership opportunities and so much more. HPU instills these important and very real skills. Take advantage of that.”

ADVICE FOR INCOMING HPU STUDENTS:

If you learn one thing, learn to be adaptable.

That opens the door for better communication, leadership opportunities and so much more.

HPU instills these important and very real skills. Take advantage of that.

– Samantha Garrison, ’16, HBO Digital Associate Producer

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Alumnus and Community Leader Doug Witcher Makes Major Gift to HPU Doug Witcher, a High Point University graduate, Board of Trustees member, business owner and community leader, has committed a new $2 million planned endowment gift to HPU. This brings Witcher's lifetime giving to HPU to more than $5 million.

In 1977, Witcher graduated from then High Point College with a degree in education. He went on to build a successful career in the insurance industry and founded Triad-based Smart Choice. Today, Witcher is chair and CEO of Smart Choice, which has revolutionized the insurance industry and grown to become a major network serving more than 7,900 independent agents and 100 carrier partners in 45 states.

Doug Witcher, a 1977 alumnus of HPU, has given over $5 million to the university.

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The new $2 million planned gift to create an endowed fund will support ongoing maintenance of Witcher Athletic Center, which opened and was named in honor of Witcher in 2014. Witcher’s previous support for HPU includes establishing an endowed scholarship, as well as a capital investment for the Witcher Athletic Center.

“My time as a student at HPU had a profound impact on my life.”

– Doug Witcher, a Class of 1977 Graduate, Board of Trustees Member, Business Owner and Community Leader

“High Point University alumni support their alma mater in outstanding ways,” says Dr. Nido Qubein, High Point University president. “Doug Witcher is a phenomenal example of that. In addition to serving on our Board of Trustees, Doug is an important advocate for our strategic growth and always present on HPU’s campus.”

The 36,000-square-foot Witcher Athletic Center houses the men’s and women’s lacrosse and soccer programs, as well as impressive spaces for athletic training, academic services, a media production area and the President’s Hospitality Suite, offering 32 stadium seats and a birds-eye view of the action.

Cutting-edge technology, such as a hydrotherapy area with a Hydroworx in-ground cold whirlpool and an underwater treadmill, provide exceptional learning opportunities inside the Witcher Athletic Center.

“My time as a student at HPU had a profound impact on my life,” says Witcher. “I am honored to support the continued success of HPU and the thousands of students

who study here. This facility is a daily reminder of the trust HPU has placed in me, and I feel extremely blessed to be able to contribute to the HPU family.”

Charitable giving is an integral part of both Witcher’s life and his company’s philosophy. He served as the 2013 campaign chairman for the United Way of Greater High Point and has avidly supported many different events in the community. He previously served on the following boards: High Point Community Foundation; Family Service of the Piedmont; High Point Regional Hospital Foundation; Hospice of the Piedmont; Friends of the Arts at N.C. State; The Brotherhood of Saint Andrews at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau; High Point Regional Hospital; The Piedmont School; and the High Point Chamber of Commerce.

Read more about Doug Witcher and his legacy of support at HPU at engage.highpoint.edu/DougWitcher.

Planned Giving: Those making planned gifts to HPU are granted membership into the Sterling Society, which recognizes those who have generously included HPU in their estate plans. There are many creative avenues by which you or any individual may support the important work of HPU. You could make a simple bequest in your will or trust. There are also more complex giving opportunities such as charitable remainder trusts.

To inform the university of its inclusion in your estate plans or to learn more about how you can support HPU in meaningful ways through planned giving, please contact us at plannedgiving@highpoint.edu or visit engage.highpoint.edu/plannedgiving.

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HPU Families Provide Opportunity Through Scholarship Funding Valentine Family Provides Scholarship Support for Today and Tomorrow Julie and Kevin Valentine of Bernardsville, New Jersey, made a generous gift to support the HPU Fund for Extraordinary Education and establish the Valentine Family Endowed Scholarship.

Julie and Kevin’s oldest son, Gunnar, graduated from HPU in May 2019.

Their twin sons, Graham and Grayson, are members of the Class of 2021.

All three are members of Pi Kappa Alpha.

“Following in the very philanthropic steps of the children’s maternal grandparents, David and Jill Farris, we are proud to make this gift to HPU,” says Julie. “We are most excited to help future students in meeting their educational goals.”

The Valentine family, pictured left to right, are Julie, Graham, Bethany, Grayson, Gunnar and Kevin Valentine.

Recipients of the Valentine Family Endowed Scholarship will be selected on the basis of financial need from eligible undergraduate students.

Scholarship Sets the Stage for Endowment Growth to Promote Diversity HPU’s continued growth was enhanced by Nick and Anna Hernandez of Houston, Texas. The Hernandez family gave a generous gift to establish the Hernandez Family Endowed Scholarship in honor of their son, Jack.

Jack is a member of the HPU Class of 2021. He is a business major and active member of the campus community. His experiences at HPU have inspired the family to provide meaningful opportunities to other students wishing to pursue their educational goals at the university.

The scholarship will be awarded to a recipient graduating from a high school in Texas, with first preference given to those of Hispanic origin.

The inspiration for the scholarship focus came from Nick’s father, Rocky Hernandez. Rocky grew up in south Texas and was given the opportunity to become the first of his family to attend a university through athletics and the generosity of others. Without the financial support of others, he would not have been able to pursue higher education and become the first in his family to earn a college degree.

“We believe in the mission of HPU as the Premier Life Skills University and the educational opportunities it has provided our son,” says Nick. “That focus inspired us to establish this scholarship to be able to support others and give them the chance to share in the same experience.”

Nick plays a leading role in the strategic direction and leadership of Transwestern Commercial Services in the area of retail services on a regional and national basis. Nick and Anna also own and operate H5 Ventures, LLC, a real estate development and financial consulting firm focusing on retail shopping center development in central and south Texas.

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HPU Scholarship Support Between Jan. 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020, HPU alumni, family and friends established endowed programmatic and scholarship funds to provide for HPU students in perpetuity, including: • Annexstad Family Foundation Leaders for Tomorrow National Scholarship

• Matthew G. Levine Memorial Endowed Scholarship

• Anonymous Alumna Scholarship

• Mettler Family Endowed Scholarship

• Barbara Pfeiffer Redcay Endowed Scholarship

• Michael S. and Janet K. Brown Business Fellows Endowed Scholarship

• Bogdahn Family Endowed Scholarship • Boras Veterans Endowed Scholarship

• Milford R. Quinn Endowment for the Professional Selling Program

• Cook-Boyle Family Endowed Scholarship

• Millis Scholar-Athlete Program Endowment

• Crisp Family Endowed Scholarship

• Nita P. and R. Gilmer Wagoner Academic Endowed Scholarship

• Elaine L. Bassford Endowed Scholarship for Education

• Opportunity Scholarship Endowed Fund

• The Endowment for The School of Art and Design

• Paul and Elizabeth A. Lemmo Endowed Scholarship

• Flynn Family Student Mental Health and Wellness Program Endowed Fund

• R. Gilmer Wagoner Baseball Endowed Scholarship

• Global Education Study Abroad Scholarship

• Rayford B. Grant Endowed Scholarship

• Hernandez Family Endowed Scholarship

• Reverend Robert and Mary Rosebraugh Chapel Pilgrimage Endowment

• Dr. James E. Surratt Outstanding Doctoral Student Award • Joshua C. Walston, '15, and Cammie K. Hackney Professional Sales Program Endowed Fund • Leonard H. and Melissa R. Novick Endowed Scholarship • Mary Gay and Don Brady Endowed Scholarship

• Rohrer Family Endowed Scholarship • Schofield Family Endowed Scholarship • Surratt Endowed Scholarship • Valentine Family Endowed Scholarship • William F., ’67, and Carole P. Fanning Endowed Scholarship • Women's Leadership Council

Visit engage.highpoint.edu/endowment to learn more about establishing a new endowment in honor or memory of a loved one, or to search for an existing fund to support. You may give to any scholarship, whether it be intended for a particular major, school or to the general scholarship endowment.

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HPU Family Supports the University with Leadership Gifts Engel Family Gives HPU A Seven-Figure Gift Bob and Lynda L. Engel, parents of Tyler Engel, ‘16, committed a seven-figure planned gift to support their son’s alma mater. The family previously contributed to HPU to support the construction of Cottrell Hall.

Pictured from left to right are Bob Engel, Lynda Engel, 2016 HPU Commencement speaker and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Tyler Engel, Lauren Engel Boldt and Jonathan Boldt.

HPU’s commitment to preparing students with life skills is exceptional. My family and I have a deep respect for Dr. Qubein’s life and leadership lessons. He has been an inspirational voice and mentor throughout my career.

– Bob Engel, Father of Tyler Engel, ’16

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“HPU fits into our passion for higher education,” says Bob. “I have spent more than 30 years as a trustee for Niagara University and Regis University, and HPU’s commitment to preparing students with life skills is exceptional. My family and I have a deep respect for Dr. Qubein’s life and leadership lessons.

He has been an inspirational voice and mentor throughout my career.”

The Engel’s have seen their son, Tyler, achieve early success in his business career at Ernst & Young because of the life lessons, beliefs and foundations he learned and built at HPU. “We could not accomplish what we do at HPU without the generous support from our families like the Engels,” says HPU President Nido Qubein.

“At HPU, we supply our students with a holistic education and life skills to prepare them for the world as it is going to be. Our friends, families and supporters are a big part of our students’ successes.”

Bob is the retired CEO of CoBank, a financial institution headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and holds a number of advisory and independent board positions. Lynda has been a homemaker, raising their children and being active in supporting various foundations and charitable causes. Bob and Lynda currently reside in Naples, Florida.

HPU is grateful for those who have chosen to support university priorities with their major gift commitments, including planned or deferred gifts of $100,000 or more between Jan. 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020. Their funding has been designated to various endowments, capital building projects, academic and athletic programs, and the HPU Fund for Extraordinary Education.

Elizabeth H. Aldridge, ’94 Roxanne and Edward Anderson, P’21 Anonymous (6) Debra L. Schulze and Eric S. Bennett, P’19 Betsey H. and Joseph R. Bogdahn, P’21 Susan and George Boras, P’22 Janet K. and Michael S. Brown, P’19 Amanda M. and Joseph R., ’83, Budd, P’18 Laura Amend-Caffey and Chris Caffey, P’17 Charles E. Hayworth, Jr. Foundation Lorraine S. and John R. Charman, P’23 The Christman Company Coca-Cola Consolidated Cher A. Cook-Boyle, P’19 Susan and Robert G.* Culp III Louise* and Carl* Downing Lynda L. and Robert B. Engel, P’16 Carole P. and William F.*, ’67, Fanning Donna and John L. Finch Patricia and Robert Flynn, P’23 Furnitureland South, Inc. Colette M. and Samuel J. Gabriel, P’17, P’20 Velma T.* and Rayford B., ’63, Grant Cammie K. and Gene Hackney, P ’15 Kristen L. and Charles L. Hammel III, P’20 Jennifer and Jason E. Harris Stacey L. and Jeffrey D., ’90, Harris, P’19 Frank Harrison III Marcia P. and Charles L. Haytaian, P’13 David R. Hayworth High Point University Panther Club Sally B. and Joseph Kenneth W. Hughes Valerie K. and Greg Jensen, P’23 Jana and Ken Kahn, P’22

Debra D., ’79, and Jorge A., ’79, Lagueruela Lisa and Jeffrey Levine, P’20, & Friends and Family Mary and Peter A. Mahler Anne and Matthew F. Mettler, P‘19 Dawn and Norman Miller, P’18 Emily Millis Hiatt, ’73 Molly Millis-Young and Ronnie Young Bill L. Minor, ’50 Joan S. and Jerry W., ’62, Murdock Judith L. and Joseph Norelli, P’18 Oak Foundation Jennifer and Christopher Pappas, P’20 Mariana H., ’77, and Nido R., ’70, Qubein, P’06, P’10, P’13 Michelle R. and Kim Quinn, P’21 Samet Corporation Kathleen M. and Robert L. Siegfried, P’17, P’21 Marsha B. (HD ’11)* and John C.* Slane Donna W., ’76, and Orlando H., ’73, Smith Marilyn J. Stephenson, ’70 Elizabeth C., ’67, and James E., ’65, Surratt Tektronix Truist Financial Corporation Julie F. and Kevin J. Valentine, P’19, P’21 Margaret T., ’61, and Richard F., ’60, Vert Nita P.* and R. Gilmer*, ’39, Wagoner Anne K., ’60, and Lawrence C.* Walker, Jr. Karen A. and Todd R. Wanek, P’15, P’19 Jerri F. and Mark A., ’83, Webb, P’21 Gretchen W. and George C., ’62*, Welch, Jr. Tammy A. and John W. Wilson, P’23 Douglas S. Witcher, ’77 Ann G. and W. Vann* York Stephanie R. and Barry M. Zekelman, P’19

* = Deceased P = Parent

Each year, High Point University celebrates those donors who have made a commitment to support HPU with an investment at an annual or lifetime leadership level through the President’s Circle Honor Roll of Donors. To view the current publication or to make a leadership gift for this fiscal year, please visit engage.highpoint.edu/pchr.

highpoint.edu

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HP U’S BUT T E R F LY SCU L P T U RE The Transformational Journey of Our Students

The new Caine Conservatory is home to two unique spaces — a botanical research space filled with dozens of plants, and the Butterfly Café, a Mediterranean eatery designed for rejuvenation, relaxation and reflection. Connecting these two spaces is an open air corridor, where the colorful, stained glass Butterfly Sculpture sways in the breeze. It represents the transformational journey students complete at HPU. Just as a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, students arrive as eager freshmen but graduate as professional adults prepared to thrive in a complex world.

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE BOARD LEADERSHIP Board of Trustees Dr. Robert J. Brown, Chairman Chris Henson, Vice Chairman Board of Visitors Iv Culp, Chairman Alumni Board of Directors William G. Tarrant, ’06, President Panther Club Alexandra Phillips, Director

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SEND QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT HPU MAGAZINE TO:

SEND INFORMATION FOR CLASS NOTES AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO:

Pam Haynes, Assistant Vice President for Communications High Point University One University Parkway High Point, NC 27268 USA 336-841-9055 phaynes@highpoint.edu

Office of Institutional Advancement High Point University One University Parkway High Point, NC 27268 USA recordupdates@highpoint.edu 336-841-9696

High Point University website: highpoint.edu Facebook.com/HighPointU Twitter.com/HighPointU Instagram.com/HighPointU HPU Magazine is published for alumni, parents and friends of High Point University.

Numbers to know: Admissions: 800-345-6993 Campus Concierge: 336-841-4636 Alumni Engagement: 336-841-9548 Family Engagement: 336-841-9641 Athletics: 336-841-9281 Security: 336-841-9112

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

P ? p Quiz!

How well do you know HPU’s Innovation Corridor?

With a grand illuminated staircase at the center of the corridor, students find themselves immersed in STEM opportunities led by stellar faculty and housed in some of the world’s most state-of-the-art facilities.

Take the quiz below to test your knowledge about one of HPU’s largest investments!

1 2 3 4

How much has HPU invested in STEM programs, faculty and facilities since 2005?

A. $250 million B. $200 million C. $100 million D. $50 million Which academic programs are included in HPU’s Innovation Corridor?

A. Engineering B. Pharmacy C. Health Sciences D. All of the above and more Which historical STEM heroes are featured along the Kester International Promenade, which spans half of the Innovation Corridor?

A. Sir Isaac Newton, one of history’s most influential scientists B. Marie Skłodowska Curie, physicist, chemist and first woman to win the Nobel Prize C. Sally Ride, astronaut, physicist and first American woman in space D. All of the above In what academic school will you find the state-of-the-art Culp Planetarium?

A. Congdon School of Health Sciences B. Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy C. Wanek School of Natural Sciences D. Webb School of Engineering

5 6 7 8

Which academic school has Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, HPU's Innovator in Residence, as a member of its advisory board?

A. Congdon School of Health Sciences B. Webb School of Engineering C. Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy D. Wanek School of Natural Sciences Which facility within the Innovation Corridor conducts groundbreaking injury prevention and rehabilitation research?

A. Human Biomechanics and Physiology Laboratory B. Culp Planetarium C. Wanek School of Natural Sciences Insectary D. Congdon Hall Anatomy Lab The Caine Conservatory, HPU’s newest facility along the Innovation Corridor, provides classroom and showcase space for which area of study?

A. Astrophysics B. Botany C. Human Anatomy D. Neuroscience What do the orange, green and blue colors inside the lobby of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences represent?

A. Fire, grass and water B. Colors that spark innovation C. The earth’s core, the earth’s surface and the atmosphere D. The most common colors found in nature

Rotate the page to see the answers and add up your score!

6 to 8 Correct: Innovation is in your DNA! You appreciate the depth and breadth of innovation on HPU’s campus, from a significant investment in STEM programs, faculty and facilities, to an environment that fosters innovation throughout the entire campus.

Not only do you understand HPU’s holistic commitment to innovation, but you know the Innovation Corridor is ripe with opportunities for every student. We won’t be surprised to see you engaged in thought next to the historical sculpture of Albert Einstein or admiring the plants in the Caine Conservatory.

3 to 5 Correct: You’re a trailblazer in the making.

You admire the great inventors and pioneers of history, and you feel yourself drawn to scientific communities like HPU’s Innovation Corridor. Explore the corridor more to discover how it supports all students and all majors, from those studying in STEM fields, to those studying liberal arts, communication or business.

Innovative minds from all disciplines are welcomed and nurtured here.

1 to 2 Correct: Your introduction to innovation awaits.

There’s an incredible experience waiting for you on HPU’s campus, and it’s called the Innovation Corridor.

Begin on the Kester International Promenade next to the Webb School of Engineering. Make your way toward the Caine Conservatory, the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, and eventually, Congdon Hall, where the Congdon School of Health Sciences and Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy are housed. Along your journey, you’ll discover how all aspects of science, technology, engineering and math work together to create progress.

Answer Key: 1. (A) 2. (D) 3. (D) 4. (C) 5. (B) 6. (A) 7. (B) 8. (C) Total Correct_____

Presorted Bound Printed Matter U.S. Postage PAID PPCO

One University Parkway High Point, N.C. 27268 USA 336-841-9000

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The Caine Conservatory opened in 2020 and houses a wide variety of plants and botanical research space, study space and the university’s newest eatery, The Butterfly Cafe. It also represents the completion of HPU’s Innovation Corridor, a $250 million investment in STEM programs and facilities.