A Forever Family of Friends
Seven years ago, I arrived at Mid-America for my first day of class. I brought one pencil and one notebook, and I knew one person. My original college plans never involved classes at Mid-America, but circumstances prevented me from returning to the school I had already attended for two years. I was stuck back home in Memphis and had no idea what to do next.
That’s when a friend and mentor recommended Mid-America. Mid-America was affordable, biblically sound, and had an undergrad program, so I enrolled for one semester until I could make other arrangements. I came to class out of desperation to stay in school, but I stayed at Mid-America because of the community.
From the professors to the staff to my classmates, everyone seemed to care about getting to know me. Even as a brand-new student, I never had to worry about sitting by myself at lunch or in chapel. If you wanted to study during lunch, you basically had to leave the cafeteria because someone would always invite you to sit with them.
What I loved even more about my new friends was that their conversations always seemed to find their way to the Lord. Lunch always involved discussing theology, what God had been teaching someone, or dreams of sharing the Gospel with the world. The people here encouraged me and challenged me to deepen my walk with the Lord, and they inspired me to serve my community by sharing the Gospel.
To me, the Mid-America family is the ideal Christian college experience: being surrounded by people who genuinely care about you and spur you on to serve the Lord. All that sounds wonderful and warm, but sometimes friendship means dealing with difficulties and grief. The friends I made at Mid-America were there during all the messy parts of life, too. They helped me through my parents’ divorce. They spent time with me, talked with me, encouraged me, and prayed for me. The same friends drove me to the ER at 4:00 a.m. when a random virus put me in the hospital for four days. Afterward, they ensured I got plenty of rest, food, water, and anything else I needed.
One more way the Mid-America family made a significant impact on my personal life is how they helped with my wedding. My husband Christian and I met at Mid-America in 2018, and we got married last year in the middle of the pandemic. Planning a wedding is complicated from the start, but a wedding in a pandemic is a different ballgame entirely. When COVID made everything extra difficult, my Mid-America friends were there to help with everything from the food to the signage to picking up the flowers. Our wedding was incredibly less stressful because of the help we received from our friends here. You will not find a more honest, dependable, caring, and loving group of people than the Mid-America family.
For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of working in the Student Life office and work with students directly to create community and encourage the student body. One of the best parts of my job is watching my classmates welcome new students into the Mid-America family. The Student Life office sets a date, orders the food, and sends out the invitations, but the students make the community thrive.
Seven years ago, I desperately needed that community, and the Lord provided through Mid-America. Mid-America’s academic and ministry training are fantastic, but students are here for only a few years. The incredible friends you make here are for life.