By Abigail Hoover
Well, Highlanders, we are already halfway through the semester! The time has just flown by, and before you know it, it’ll be finals season, and we’ll be saying goodbye to one another until the new year! But before we jump too far into the future, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year we’ve had so far. So, let’s get started, shall we?
Let me start with my story. I am a freshman in college. I am majoring in Adolescent Education and History so that I can become a U.S. History teacher someday. And I did not want to go to Houghton, at least I didn’t a couple of years ago. On Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day in my junior year of high school, I visited Houghton with my family and my best friend. While I loved the campus and the people were so welcoming and friendly, I was not convinced that this was the school for me.
You see, my parents went to Houghton, as well as my grandma. They all wanted me to go here—the price had just gotten cut in half, and it wasn’t too far from home after all. But as their enthusiasm for me going to Houghton grew, mine diminished. You see, I didn’t want to do what my parents wanted me to do—I wanted to pave my own path. I had felt that throughout my life, I had always agreed with my parents and just simply made decisions based on what they thought. Not because they didn’t want me to have my own opinions, it was actually just because I trusted them to always be right. But as this important decision in my life came looming over me, I was determined to decide for myself where I wanted to go, and not to listen to what other people wanted. And what I wanted was to not go where my family had gone. Like I said, I wanted to make my own path. I wanted to go to a big school, like Liberty University. It was shiny and trendy; everyone knew of it—Liberty seemed more impressive than a little college in a little town in Western New York. I grew up in a small town; I went to a small church and a small school. Everything in my life was so small. I just wanted to do something big for once.
But that wasn’t what God wanted for me. Slowly but surely, He showed me that Houghton was where I belonged. Going off to college used to be the scariest thing in the world for me to imagine. But when I thought about Houghton, it was different. Houghton became the only college that I wasn’t utterly terrified of attending. There was a peace about it that could only be explained as being from God. And soon enough, He started opening doors for me as well. The price of tuition being cut in half just in time for me, the Founder’s Promise Scholarship being first introduced to my class, the greater emphasis being put on being a Christ-centered college rather than just a Christian one—everything was just lining up perfectly for me to be able to attend Houghton and the school seemed to just be getting better and better (Thanks President Lewis!). You see, God knew what I couldn’t see. He knew that despite it also being my parent’s alma mater, it really was the best fit for me. He knew that I didn’t actually belong in a big college where I would get swallowed up by the crowd. He knew that I needed to go to a small college in a small town where the people really care about me and where I can be a part of a tight-knit community. He knew that I wouldn’t actually like being so far away from my family without the opportunities to go home or to my aunt and uncle’s every few weekends. God, as He always does, knew what was best for me even when I couldn’t see it.
I’m so glad He did. Being here, my faith has only grown. Through Koin, MercySeat, Communion, my Biblical Literature class, and chapel services throughout the week, I have had more opportunities to spend time with Him than ever before. We pray every day in my classes, and I have been reading my Bible a lot more often than I did before college. This place has provided me with the chance to really harvest and grow in my faith. While I know Houghton will change my life by granting me a degree and life-long relationships, this will be the most valuable thing I gain out of college. I feel so very blessed to go to such a Christ-centered college where I can really grow in my faith, and I cannot wait to see all the ways in which God continues to work in me during my time here.
This place is really filled with so many Godly, wonderful people, and I feel so lucky to be a part of the Highlander community. Since being here, God has only confirmed to me that this is where I am meant to be. Throughout all my doubts and fears about Houghton and college in general, God has always confirmed this to me. This is the place where I will make great friends and great memories, become closer to Christ than ever, and see growth in myself like I have never seen before.
See all that God has done in your life, how He was there for you through it all, and how He always will be there for you. Remember that He loves you. This will give you the strength to keep going throughout all of the inevitable ups and downs that college brings. ★