OBUBlogAbout: What Does OBU Mean to me Today

I am one of those people who loved, loved, loved their college years. When I graduated from high school, people would say to me, "Just wait. Someday you will want to be back here." I have to honestly admit - that has NEVER happened. Not once in 17 years have I ever wished that I was back in high school (maybe that is because I spend everyday at high school now). But I do wish for college days often. The carefree independence of life, the amazing friends, and the indescribable amount of growing up that happened in those four years make them some of the best years of my life.

That all said, what does OBU mean to me today? I have not been on campus in several years, but one of the last times I was there I was trying to explain to my husband about the "warm fuzzies" I have about that place. I think that - even today - OBU is a home to me. It is a place where I saw myself realize my dreams, conquer a few problems, and fully become an adult me. The education I received there is unmatched (in my view, anyway). I still reference my professors as I teach. I model so many things after them. In many ways, I am the teacher I am because of my time at OBU (that and some wonderful high school teachers who inspired me to do what I do).

OBU is also a reminder to me that God always has a better plan. I didn't intend on going to Ouachita. I was Hendrix-bound and proud, but God spoke to me and redirected my path. I had a plan and it didn't include Arkadelphia. He showed me - in so many ways - that Ouachita was where I needed to be. Because I went there, I worked at a church camp where I met my husband. I student-taught at Arkadelphia High School where one day my mentor teacher received an email from the principal at Alma saying they needed a world history teacher. And those are just a couple of things I can pinpoint and say happened because I went to OBU. So now, I can look at the interruptions of my plans and think about how God changes my course because he has something better for me.

I am thankful for the time I spent in college. For the people that made that time ridiculously special. For the life lessons I learned while I was there. For the person I became. For the college that is so much more than a place to go to class - but a place to grow and flourish as a young adult. For the path to success my time at Ouachita guided me toward.