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Campus Stories In Focus

Do You Have A Minute?

“Hi, I’m a student at Houghton College. I’m calling on behalf of our Student Scholarship Fund. Do you have a couple minutes?” For five weeks out of every semester, from Monday through Thursday, a dedicated group of students gathers on the top floor of the Luckey Building to raise funds for their classmates. Affectionately known as the “Phonathon Loft,” the spacious room is home to two rows of desks—and a lot of phones.

Elizabeth smiles after a successful call
Elizabeth Salzman ‘19 is one of many Houghton students who spends her evenings contacting alumni and friends to raise student scholarship funds.

During Phonathon, student callers use brightly colored “calling cards” to learn more about the people they contact. To spark a conversation, many use questions about classic Houghton activities like SPOT, chapel, and cafeteria tray sledding. They share fond memories from their time at Houghton and stories of how generous student scholarships have positively impacted their lives.

The current caller script prominently focuses on the “Access and Affordability” element of Houghton’s Impact Campaign, which the college describes as “a multi-year campaign celebrating the many ways Houghton College and its students have a kingdom impact on the world.” Every donation made to these students goes directly into the Student Scholarship Fund, rather than to other building initiatives or academic funding—which is one of the reasons why having student representatives is such a crucial component of the program.

Some reliable yearly donors graduated as far back as the 1950s, while others left Houghton less than a decade ago. Many graduated with majors that are no longer offered the school. Almost all are delighted to speak with current students, swap stories about their favorite Houghton memories, and learn more about the institution’s plans for the future.

Jessica Jennings, who served as administrative supervisor of the Phonathon initiative, recently vacated the position to pursue overseas missions opportunities with YWAM. She handed management of the fund drive to Bec Cronk, whose work in alumni engagement and advancement dovetails naturally with the Phonathon mission.

“Although it makes for a long day,” Cronk said of her job, “I love listening to students make calls to alumni and friends of Houghton! It’s rewarding to hear so many stories and experiences from a spectrum of different people. The common thread in conversation is always a love for the Houghton experience.”

When asked about the challenges of her new role, Cronk said, “The hardest thing about managing so many students has got to be the scheduling! A college schedule is not one I envy. The part I am so excited about is the relationship building. I love the students and can’t wait to get to know them better. And of course it’s difficult to know that so many will leaving after this semester. Jessica has left me an exceptional group of students who are making positive connections on Houghton’s behalf.”

Casey Greene ’18, who began working as a Phonathon caller during her sophomore year and now works as a student supervisor, fondly recalled hundreds of conversations through the years. “I just love being able to form relationships with alumni and being able to hear their crazy stories,” she said, “as well as seeing the ways that Houghton has changed…and the ways that Houghton never changes.” While she recalled some bizarre discussions (and outlandish answering machines) Greene’s most enduring memory stems from a single conversation. “I called a woman this year who I had called my sophomore year,” she shared. “She could tell me my name, my major, and where I was from. She’d been praying for me for two years.”

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Campus International Stories In Focus

Open to London’s Wonder

This semester, twenty-two first-year Houghton students are living and studying in London as part of the Honors in London program.

The students’ routine follows weekly rhythms: on Monday mornings, all the students and professors gather in a small upper room of St. Augustine’s Church for a “plenary session,” during which the major topics for the week are introduced. This past week, that meant exploring “the new ways nineteenth-century Westerners started thinking about history and their place in it,” according to Ben Lipscomb, one

students gather in the campus center for a picture before leaving
This semester, twenty-two first year Houghton students are living and studying in London as part of the Honors in London program.

of the three Houghton professors who traveled to London to teach the program this spring. The other two professors are Susan Bruxvoort-Lipscomb and Madison Murphy. At the end of plenary, students are handed Museum, Art and Gallery Guides—called “MAGGs”—which detail the museums and pieces of art they will explore on their own time during the week. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the students are split into two groups for “colloquy sessions” during which they discuss the week’s readings. On Fridays, students meet for another plenary session, which is often geared towards helping them write their weekly paper, and which also includes a chapel service. On Saturdays, students buckle down to finish writing their weekly 5-7 page paper before the midnight deadline. Sundays are their day of rest.

The London program does not involve taking separate classes; instead, philosophy, history, art, literature, music, and theology are intertwined in a study of the development of Western modernity.  Ben Lipscomb said that one of the things he values most about the structure of the program is “the feeling of wholeness.” He explained that the tight integration of disciplines in the program is crucial to this feeling: “We and the students work really hard, but…we’re not pulled in as many different directions, and that allows us to enter more deeply into the experience and get more from it.” He said that a visiting parent of one student compared the program to a spiritual retreat, “not in the sense that it’s so restful, but in the sense that a lot of typical distractions are excluded so everyone can concentrate on doing something transformative.” A student in the program, Ally Stevick ’21, said “One of the things that I’ve appreciated most about the program so far is the chance to be part of a group of students all learning the same material.” Stevick said that this structure provides a “common base for conversations” and “a built-in network of other people” who are all wrestling with the same ideas. Another student, Abigail Wilkerson ‘21, spoke of the perspective the program helps students develop, saying: “Because of this program I can now look at current social structures in a new light.” Susan Bruxvoort-Lipscomb, another of the program’s professors, said she enjoys teaching the program because of the “wide foundation of knowledge” it gives students. She said, “I love it when we get to the 20th and 21st century sources and students can say, ‘This reminds me of something we read from the 17th century’ or ‘I can see how this idea developed from period to period.’”

The Honors in London program has experienced its own transformations over the years. Ben Lipscomb said that “the program ran, in its first manifestation (which covered the whole sweep from the ancient Greeks and Hebrews up to the present) from 1996-2011. Then a four-year hiatus.” The program’s TA, Anna Schilke ‘19, was an Honors in London student in the 2015-2016 academic year, when the program was reinstated. This year’s cohort is the third to go to London and study the new curriculum. Schilke said, “Coming back to London feels like stepping into a life, a life that has flowed and ebbed while I was away, but not changed a lot. But that’s an experience that’s unique to me, the sole student who has lived here before.” She said that the first-year students are “full of the same wonder that I remember experiencing—wonder for the tube and the cafes and the rain. Wonder for the sheer difficulty of the paper weekends. Wonder at the fact that we’re in a foreign country, not as visitors but as temporary residents.”

“Being in London Honors is truly a life-changing experience,” Wilkerson said. Stevick agreed, saying she’s especially appreciated “the independence of living in such a large and diverse city for the first time as an adult.” She said, “I’ve been able to retrace the steps of many of my literary heroes, but I’ve also been able to get to know the city as it is today—how to navigate the public transport by myself, and where to buy the best groceries.” Schilke concluded, “I’ve always been an advocate of the program…It’s been one of the best experiences of my life. Even on the second go.”

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Campus News

1943: The Women Go To War

This is the fourth installment of an ongoing series that will investigate theHoughton Star archives.

If you would like to check out some old issues of the Star, they can be found in the periodicals stacks on the basement level of the Houghton Library.  The full college archives, also located on the basement level, are open to the public from 1-4 p.m. every Friday  afternoon.

The included on this page was originally published roughly seventy-five years ago, in a March 1943 issue of the Houghton Star.   

 

KNITTERS NEEDED

Think of the poor French children and refugees who are homeless, without friends and mistreated! Le Cerle Francais is sponsoring a knitting program in collaboration with the French Relief Society. All who are anxious to do their bit to alleviate the sufferings of the French are asked to cooperate.

Mrs. Woolsey has kindly consented to instruct beginners who are keenly interested in this project. Let’s get behind this worthwhile project. Bring out your knitting needles and let’s click together.

 

WOMEN TO BE USED IN PRINT SHOP FOR DURATION

Women students will have the opportunity to work in the college press during the coming school year and also during the remainder of the semester. Applications may be made to Prof. Willard Smith beginning today.

The local press is forced to change its policy of using only men workers in the print shop because of demands on the armed services for men. Among the jobs opened by this change are linotype and press operation, type composition and imposition, folding machine operation, and clean-up work.

The women who are accepted for these jobs will be expected to spend some of their own time learning the fundamentals of printing.

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International News

International // Farming Protests Rock India

This Monday, March 12, thousands of farmers from India’s western Maharashtra region walked over one hundred miles to the state capital in Mumbai. Their aim, laid out by an agricultural association closely allied with the Communist Party of India (CPI), was to demand government support for the farmers who comprise the country’s largest labor force.

Waving communist party flags and donning red berets, marchers arrived in the capital near midnight in an attempt to minimize traffic disruption. The location of the march was strategically chosen, however, since many multinational companies and India’s central bank are headquartered in the Mumbai city center. According to the CPI estimates, the protest swelled from 35,000 to 50,000 participants throughout the day. Waving communist party flags and donning red berets,

a photo of the authorTens of thousands of protesters, many of them elderly, were spurred to action by the state government’s failure to implement a comprehensive loan-waiver initiative. Indian farmers rely on interest-heavy “crop loans” to buy essential materials like seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. Last year, the Indian government announced a plan to buy out debt and waive existing loans. Despite claiming to have submitted the proper paperwork, many marchers reported that they had not received a waiver. The program initially promised 340 billion rupees ($5.23 billion) in relief funds.

Also their list of demands was a commitment on the government’s part to purchase staple crops like grain cotton for one-and-a-half times their production cost. The Indian government sets food prices to stabilize incomes and incentivize production.

The farmers’ association also demanded that tribal farmers, who mainly cultivate ancestral forest plots, be granted full land rights.“For three generations my family has cultivated crops on a two acre-plot, but we still don’t own it,” a 74 year-old woman named Murabhai Bhavar told Reuters.“The land we till should be registered in our name.”

According to the BBC, the march was the second major agricultural protest in less than a year. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata party has pushed a globally expansionist, neoliberal economic platform and rejected the country’s former policy of state-incentivized industrialization. Although the approach has dramatically bolstered India’s global economic standing, it has been accused of ambivalence toward the struggles of the working poor.

Lack of modern equipment, labor depletion, and severe drought have crippled Indian agriculture over the past several decades. Although agriculture is India’s largest industry, employing nearly 50% of its labor force, it supplies only 15% of the country’s GDP. Farmer suicides also account for nearly twelve percent of the country’s overall suicide rate, a statistic that many attribute to factors such as monsoon damage, high debt, and and exploitative governmental policies. In 2014, the Indian National Crime Records Bureau reported 5,650 farmer suicides.

The protesters met with state representatives, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who assured them that 138 billion rupees of the promised amount have already been transferred to needy farmers and that all forest land disputes will be resolved within six months. “We are sad that farmers have come all the way to protest,” Fadnavis told NDTV. He said that the new wishlist would be reviewed. The state government also arranged for the farmers to travel home by train once talks were complete.

 

Carina is a senior double majoring in writing and communiation.

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Campus News

This Weekend: Gillette Gala

This year’s Gillette Gala is taking place tomorrow, March 17, at Anastassia’s in Portageville. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome to come enjoy a night full of food, friends, and dancing.

The Gillette Gala, formally known as Gillette Banquet, began several decades ago as a formal dinner, before dancing was allowed at Houghton. As dancing became more acceptable, it was also incorporated into the event. The Gillette Gala takes place at a new location every year and provides Houghton students an opportunity to enjoy an evening off campus. This year’s Gala will feature a fully catered meal, dancing, music, a photo booth, and a cookie bar. This year’s theme will be “Black and White Party.”

a large group of students dancing
Students enjoy the music and dancing at last year’s Gillette Gala, a popular annual event. This year’s Gala will be hosted at Anastassia’s in Portageville on Saturday, March 17.

Rebecca Firstbrook ‘18, the assistant resident director of Gillette said of the event, “Gillette Gala has been a long tradition and a lot of fun for many, many years. It’s a time to enjoy a night off campus, to be served a fancy dinner, and to make great memories with friends.” 

In addition to a simple opportunity to spend time with friends, the event gives students a chance to get off campus. “It is a time in a new space,” Firstbrook commented, “and hopefully an evening where students can leave their stress behind for a few hours and just have fun. The RAs put in a lot of time and hard work to make it a special event.”

In preparation for the gala, students attended a beginner ballroom lesson hosted by Houghton Ballroom and Swing.  Adam Barna ‘19, a regular instructor for beginner lessons, explained that the lesson will cover “East Coast Swing and American Cha-cha because they are fun, peppy dances that are relatively easy to learn.  And fun to dance.”

Barna went on to explain the benefits of learning the styles before a school dance, saying, “It’s nice to know how to do more formal dances because it’s easier at times to do something I know and I’m comfortable with.  When I’m with my friends who also know how to ballroom dance, it makes it more exciting and fun for all of us.”

At the event, students learned the basic step of both dances as well as several specialized moves. Barna emphasized how formal dances can bring together strangers and friends alike. “Anyone’s welcome to dance,” he commented. “It’s fun and a good way to relieve stress from the day to day in Houghton. It also gives you a great chance to meet new people doing something fun.”

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Campus News

Irma Goes Rural

The fair is coming to town tomorrow, and the entire campus is welcome.  Named after the dorm’s namesake, Irma Lambein, Irma’s Country Fair will take place from 2-4 p.m. in the Van Dyke Lounge this Saturday, March 17. While Lambein will be hosting the event, the fair will be open to community members and Houghtonites alike. 

It will feature a chili cook-off and egg roulette at 2:30 p.m., and a pie-eating contest and potato sack race at 3:00 p.m. Throughout the afternoon there will be popcorn, cotton candy, games, and live animals, including lambs for Lambein.  The event will be a laid-back, come-and-go atmosphere, designed to be full of food, friends, and lots of laughter.

a portrait of Irma Lambein for whom the dorm is namedA newly conceived idea, this event will mark Lambein’s first major event of the semester, as well as the dorm’s first all-campus event in years. Building resident director Beth Phifer said, “I’m hoping Irma’s Country Fair will be a relaxing, lighthearted space for people to enjoy each other’s company through the activities we’ve put together.”

Phifer and the rest of Lambein staff were excited to put on a program that is more outwardly focused, though it proved to be a step beyond their comfort zone. “It’s a new challenge for this staff to try and create a campus-wide event,” said Jessica Robinson, senior resident assistant of Lambein, “but we really think it’s a great time for Lambein to shine, to show off some of our quirks and bring the campus together through Lambein.”

Event-planning for the whole campus was an exciting opportunity for staff members, encouraging them to think outside their usual Lambein-specific box and create a meaningful event for the whole campus to enjoy.

Raheel Dhingra ‘19, RA and resident event specialist, stated that this event will be different because “everyone and anyone can come.” She was eager to reach out to the rest of campus with the help of lambs, tasty food, and friendly competition. Dhingra commented that “through the Country Fair, Lambein is making itself known.”

Lambein is somewhat infamous for its quiet and internal personality, which serves as explanation for the staff’s enthusiasm in response to Lambein hosting an all-campus event. The Country Fair will be busy, bustling, and centralized in the campus center—a definite step outside of Lambein’s long-standing reputation.

It will be a busy weekend for the campus, with Oklahoma! playing from Thursday through Saturday and CAB’s Oklahoughdown after the Friday showing, but that hasn’t dampened anyone’s spirits. The Oklahoughdown will function similarly to the after-Prism party, supporting the Greatbatch School of Music by connecting to the musical. A.C. Taylor, the director of CAB, remarked that “it’s an added bonus that Lambein is planning a more active “country” program the same weekend as the Oklahoma! shows. CAB [is hosting] a reception that enhances and promotes those existing events rather than compet[ing] with them.” This supportive approach to campus programming highlights the values that Lambein is hoping to foster through the Country Fair and reflects Houghton’s famous love for community.

Phifer said, “The chili cook-off, pie-eating contest, and Jimmy Fallon-inspired egg roulette are some of the more focal elements, but at its heart, Irma’s Country Fair is just a fun way for Lambein to serve the community.” As the week draws to a close, and the weekend begins,  Lambein welcomes the entire campus to the Country Fair for a #irmagood time.

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Campus News

Social Media Slated For Summer

A Houghton alumnus will be teaching a new course focusing on social media, which will be available for students over the summer.   Shane Fraser graduated from Houghton and has since found success advising businesses in their application of social networking strategy, a skill he hopes to pass along to class participants.

Back in 2011, Fraser founded the organization SNA (Social Networking Assistance) Today to address an issue he found in struggling businesses. When trying to determine how businesses could differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace, he noticed that “the most consistent underutilized opportunity was the implementation of a social media marketing strategy.”  His class this summer will center around the practical creation and execution of effective social media campaigns.

a student sits at his computer wearing headphones
This summer, Houghton students can take advantage of a new business and communication class titled “Social Media Marketing/Mobile Marketing and Analytics.”

“I am thrilled to have one of our very talented graduates teach a social media marketing class for us,” commented Prof. Douglas Gaerte, chair of the communication department.  “Shane has a broad range of experience in this area and has had great success in coaching a wide range of clients how to use social media more effectively to grow their businesses.”

The class, Social Media Marketing/Mobile Marketing and Analytics, will focus on how companies can “best leverage” audiences that use social networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, according to its course overview.  The description also outlined some of what participants can expect from the course:  “Students will learn how to identify company goals, develop social strategies and implement those strategies through the most recent, up to date platforms.”

The goals of the class will closely align with Fraser’s goals for his organization.  SNA Today explained that it has “a passion for working with businesses, organizations and individuals to bring them up to speed with the fast paced market of social media.” 

There are widespread applications possible with the knowledge students can expect to gain from the course.  Gaerte emphasized a purpose particularly in tune with Houghton’s reputation.  He mentioned that “this course will be a big help for those in business as well as those interested in working in the non-profit world.”

The course will give students better insight into how to use social media to build and maintain the reputation of an organization.  When speaking on how they apply their skills in social networking, SNA Today said, “Not only do we have the ability to strategize, SNA Today also works alongside business owners to empower and train the companies for long-term success.”

The course is available with either a business or communication prefix, so students from either major are encouraged to participate.  “I’m glad we are able to provide an opportunity to build on the strong foundation our business and communication students already receive in marketing, advertising and public relations,” said Gaerte.

Deborah Rice, Business and Economic Department Chair said on the matter, “Understanding the strategic nature and potential of social media is a vital part of growing and sustaining an organization today.  We are excited to add this course for our students, and have it taught by a professional expert in the field of social media.”

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Campus International Stories In Focus

Bridging the Gap with Kindness

In 1999, Susan Heiss, former overseer of what is now CASA (Center for Academic Success and Advising) and Dan Moore, former head of the Audio Visual Department, started the Russian Mission Network Outreach. This ministry consisted of a group of several people who traveled to Russia for a few weeks visiting schools and orphanages as way to minister to the people there. That same year, Moore and Heiss decided to extend the program and provide an opportunity for Russian teachers and other professionals to visit Houghton’s campus. Those involved with this ministry have hosted and served over one hundred Russian visitors since its genesis in 1999.

a photo of the Russian women
Last week, six Russian women spent the week visiting Houghton as part of their three-and-a-half week visit through the Russian Mission Network Outreach, a ministry that was started in 1999 by Susan Heiss and Dan and Katherine Moore.

Last week, the opportunity came for six Russian women to spend time at Houghton as part of their three-and-a-half week visit in America. The women spent a few days sightseeing in New York City, then spent a week in Houghton, and will finish their visit in Jamestown, New York. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Russian dinner tradition, a dinner hosted by Levant Wesleyan Church in Jamestown.

While in Houghton, the group of women, which include two school teachers, two university professors, one medical doctor, and one interpreter, mostly observed classes, but also attended various campus events such as the student art exhibition and the college choir concert. The women also organized a presentation at Fillmore Central School, drank tea with President Mullen, and enjoyed a meal at the Maple Tree Inn.

Katherine Moore explained how this ministry intends to show our Russian guests “Christian America,” and Professor Laurie Dashnau considers the aim of this program to “expose [our Russian visitors] to a number of facets of American life and also give them a better understanding of the Christian faith in the context of what we hope will be warm and vibrant school and church communities.”

Lyudmila, who is one of the Russian school teachers, shared her appreciation for the kindness she experienced from the Houghton community. “The relationship between the United States and Russia is very tense,” she said. “People are people everywhere. We can see it here talking to people. Everyone is so friendly and that is the main idea: you are different, but at the same time, we are all the same. That is great.”

Dashnau explained how the women were able to participate in the classes they observed, and were intrigued by how many of the classes were not solely lecture-oriented, but discussion- and presentation-oriented, and “how that translated into papers and projects that are being written and simple opportunities to share in the classroom.” Many of the women had the opportunity to share about topics “ranging from the economic system in Russia to issues regarding international news.” Dashnau described how engaging with each other in these “types of conversation” is when “what we assume and what we hear is challenged and we mutually grow.”

Susan Heiss, and Dan and Katherine Moore, are what Dashnau referred to as the “life and breath of this ministry.” Because of their “long-term dedication,” Dashnau explained, “it is a very natural way for us to interact with those who have a keen interest in knowing what a small Christian liberal arts college looks like.”

This ministry provides the opportunity “to be missionaries right here at the college… To those coming from Russia, some of whom do profess the Christian faith, many of whom know a very little bit and are receptive, and some who have had very little exposure to it.” Dashnau concluded, “I think it’s vital, one, as a ministry right on our doorstep and two, as a way of showing how we love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul.”

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Campus Stories In Focus

A Look into the Lecture Series

The parents of former Houghton College president Daniel Chamberlain funded the Chamberlain Lecture Series. According to official language from the Office of Spiritual Life, the lectures are for the purpose of keeping the challenge of missions before the Houghton community.  For anyone interested in missions, this is a great opportunity to get practical advice from someone who is well acquainted with the missions field and has an academic background as well. The series is named in honor of the Chamberlain family.

a photo of the lecture hall filled with students
This year for the Chamberlain Lecture Series, Houghton welcomes Dr. Stanley John. He will speak in chapel on March 21 and will also be giving a lecture in Library 323 at 7:30 p.m.

Dr. Daniel Chamberlain, the fourth president of Houghton College and predecessor to current president Dr. Shirley Mullen, was president from 1976 to 2006 and is the namesake of our current Chamberlain Center. According to his biography on the Houghton Highlander athletics site, where he is a member of the Hall of Honor, he oversaw much of the updated infrastructure of Houghton College. His educational background was also extensive, including a Master’s Degree from California State University in Los Angeles and a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California. Currently Chamberlain is on the Board of Directors for the Wesleyan Bible Conference Association, a preaching assistant at Brooksville Wesleyan Church in Florida, and a member of the board of World Hope International.

For this year’s Chamberlain Lectures, Houghton College welcomes Dr. Stanley John. Dr. John is the director and assistant professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York. Stanley received his master’s degree and doctorate at Asbury Theological Seminary. Stanley’s main focuses of study are migrant Christianity in the Arabian Gulf, global Pentecostalism, and World Christianity and transnational networks, according to his biography through Alliance. Stanley is a licensed minister in the Christian Missionary Alliance. He has traveled and spoken in multiple ministries including those in the Arabian Gulf, Canada, India, Kenya, Nepal, and the Ukraine and has spoken in multicultural churches domestically. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of India Gospel Ministries, a member of Lausanne Global Diaspora Network, and is a member of the United States Board of Directors of Langham Partnership. He is also the author of multiple books and journal articles you can find online. You can hear Dr. John speak in chapel  on March 21. He will also be giving a lecture in Library 323 at 7:30 p.m. of the same day.

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Campus Stories In Focus

Student Leader Profile: Hello, Jess!

When Jessica Robinson ’18 first came to Houghton, she was mainly interested in pursuing an Art Education degree. Over the next four years, Robinson “accumulated majors” and is now graduating as a triple major in business administration, communications, and human resources.

Robinson holds a deep appreciation for how well she believes Houghton has prepared her to step into the professional world after graduation. “The business department is especially very intentional about real world experience and driving us to be the best that we can be.” As a native of south central Pennsylvania, Robinson plans to move back to that area in May, “work for a little bit, and then down the road get an MBA once I solidify what I want to do.”

a photo of Jess
Jessica Robinson ‘18 is a triple major in business administration, communication, and human resources. She looks forward to sharing her faith journey in chapel on March 23rd.

Robinson’s primary leadership role is serving as the senior RA for her staff, “which means I’m kind of the point person for other RAs for questions, and things like that.” She’s also serves as the president of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and holds multiple jobs around campus.

One thing that Robinson explained “really shaped my Houghton experience” was becoming an RA. She encourages other students to “not look past the opportunities God is giving you.” Robinson had told herself she would “never” become an RA, “and my mom says as soon as I say, ‘I’m never going to do something,’ God is like, ‘You sure? You sure about that?’”

After much encouragement from Krista Maroni, Robinson’s Resident Director at the time, she filled out her application and stepped into her role as an RA as a sophomore. Speaking from experience, Robinson said, “Take those opportunities and be open because college is all about shaping yourself, and you don’t know how you’re going to be shaped.”

Even though Robinson never saw herself stepping into this position when she came to Houghton, her role as an RA has “pushed me to interact with others because I’m an introvert and I kind of like just sitting by myself, but pushing myself to talk to others and get to know others has made my college experience more well-rounded because of all those people I’ve had the opportunity to meet or mentor through my position.” She has learned the importance of time management and what it takes to balance a heavy work load and meaningful relationships.

On March 23, Robinson will have the opportunity to share her faith journey in chapel which she explained “is a lot about my learning disability, which I wasn’t diagnosed with until 5th grade, but it’s a severe learning disability that I’ve had my entire life and will have my entire life.” Robinson described her struggle with learning how to speak and how to read, and how even though “I looked normal from the outside, internally it’s hard to function on an everyday basis.” Robinson is looking forward to sharing with the Houghton community how she’s seen God’s hand at work in her life in the past twenty years.