Link Magazine - Spring 2021

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HPU’s new “front door”

Campus facility positioned to welcome students into the HPU family

In This Issue

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G R E E T I N G S F R O M D R . CO RY H I N E S ’ 97, HPU PRESIDENT

2 Campus News 8 Alumni Association Spotlight

The Lord is doing wonderful things here at Howard Payne in 2021. We are watching a new “front door” for our university be established in the form of the Newbury Family Welcome Center, the first new building on our campus in 20 years. We’ve moved forward through the difficulties presented by COVID-19 while making every effort to protect the health and safety of our students, personnel and community. We also had to add a few more snow days to our schedule than we may have anticipated as a university in the center of Texas!

10 Howard Payne University Artifacts: “John Sez,” 1940s to 1960s 12 What I love about HPU:

By Brienna Williams, HPU senior 1 4 Because of the people: How junior Padi Mangwiro has been impacted by the HPU community 18 Still on mission: Faye (Hill) Dozier Jarvis ’52 remains devoted to supporting generations of Yellow Jackets

Through it all, I can trust in the Lord’s provision, as well as His plan for the world and the piece of it we steward here in Brownwood. I hope you, the HPU family, do, too.

Within the pages of this magazine, you will find details about the new construction project and also learn about some students, alumni and personnel. These individuals are representative of the many great stories that unfold here and are each a vital piece of HPU’s story.

How can we help but rejoice as we trust in God’s faithfulness? As you will read in “Rejoice always,” the article that concludes this issue of the Link, God calls His followers to rejoice always, in both prosperity and adversity. Here at HPU, we have great cause to be glad in the successes we’ve had and in the adversity through which He sustains us.

While reading the stories within these pages, remember this is the result of the Lord’s work here – and rejoice!

Blessings to each of you,

Cory Hines, Ph.D. President

DR. HINES PHOTO BY HEATHER NIX; CAMPUS PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

I often say this is the Lord’s school. We must seek His will for our institution, work for His glory and commit our efforts to Him. As we do this, I can say confidently that He will continue to work miracles on our campus. We are watching them happen and can trust our God will be faithful to work through this university.

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20 Cover story – HPU’s new “front door”: Campus facility positioned to welcome students into the HPU family 28 An orderly world: HPU’s Dr. Gerry Clarkson emphasizes the unity between science and Christianity 30 Taking advantage of an opportunity: Kayla Hill ’20 2 3

Postcards from Prague (and Brownwood): Alumni couple’s adventure goes from the heart of Texas to the Czech Republic and back again

36 Moving forward in faith: How senior Morgan Patterson embraced her calling to care for animals 0 Rejoice always: Throughout hardships, 4 HPU family remains joyful 42 In Memoriam 44 Alma Mater Inside back cover: Follow HPU Online Back cover: Student Perspective

Office of University Marketing and Communications: Kyle Mize Assistant Vice President for Communications Jarvis Green Graphic Designer and Chief Photographer Rebekah Sterling ’18 Communications Assistant and Social Media Coordinator Seth Rainey ’19 Communications Writer and Website Coordinator Coby Sauce, MBA ’14 Part-Time Communications Specialist Design and layout

by Kyle Mize and Jarvis Green Newbury Family Welcome Center artwork on cover by Quorum

The Link is published by the Office of University Marketing and Communications at Howard Payne University Articles may be reprinted with permission Correspondence: link@hputx.edu or The Link Office of University Marketing and Communications Howard Payne University 1000 Fisk Street Brownwood, Texas 76801 325-649-8009

Campus News School of Nursing assists with COVID-19 vaccinations

By Seth Rainey ’19

Since early January 2021, a team of faculty and students from Howard Payne University’s School of Nursing has been responsible for administering more than 1,000 COVID-19 vaccinations at three sites in the Brownwood area. HPU faculty and students are working to provide vaccines under the direction of the Brownwood/Brown County Health Department and Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood.

This is a city-wide collaborative effort of front-line first responders and health care workers.

The work represents a major step in helping to curb the spread of the virus in local communities, particularly among older and other high-risk patients.

HPU nursing students Hayley North, Kira Teel, Madeline Dawson, Chyna Allgood and Payton Hackney are pictured at a vaccination site in Brownwood.

It’s always special when HPU gets a rare snow day – this year we got three! The first snow arrived overnight on New Year’s Eve, while most students were away from campus. The second arrival was on January 10, the day before classes were scheduled to start. Students enjoyed snowball fights, building snowmen and strolling through a winter wonderland.

Then, snow around Valentine’s Day cancelled four days of classes and brought along frigid temperatures. We’ve gotten our fill of snow for this year!

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NURSING PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SCHOOL OF NURSING; SNOW PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

“We’re a faith-based program and we know God calls us to help our community,” said Dr. Nina Ouimette, dean of the School of Nursing. “This is a part of that call to serve.

We wouldn’t even consider not stepping in to help.”

HPU’s contingent is led by Dr. Ouimette; Dr. Laci Sutton ’09, assistant professor of nursing; Chris Sutton ’10, assistant professor of nursing; and Dr. Tina Theriaque, adjunct nursing faculty member. Students in the group include HPU seniors Adrien Barrientos, Hanna Crow, Josie McClung, Ashley Strong and Kira Teel. The group also includes HPU juniors Chyna Allgood, Alyssa Corpus, Madeline Dawson, Payton Hackney and Hayley North.

Prior to working at the vaccination sites, students and faculty received Centers for Disease Control and Prevention training specific to the Moderna vaccine that is being used in Brown County. The primary role of HPU students and faculty at the sites is to screen for contraindications and precautions in patients’ records, administer vaccines and educate patients.

The Brownwood area is currently in the first phase of vaccine distribution, meaning doses are being prioritized for patients 65 years and older, patients with pre-existing conditions, first responders and health care workers. The School of Nursing will continue to assist as vaccine availability for Brown County residents becomes more widespread.

Visit www.hputx.edu/nursing to learn more about the School of Nursing at HPU.

ACADEMY PHOTO FROM HPU ARCHIVES; FALL FAMILY REUNION PHOTOS BY SETH RAINEY ’19

Howard Payne University was recently awarded a $600,000 challenge grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation to benefit the renovation of HPU’s historic Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom facility.

The Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom houses the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy, the university’s multidisciplinary honors program. The Academy building is an important landmark in Brown County, incorporating the original building of Daniel Baker College, dating back to 1890, and housing a collection of General MacArthur’s artifacts and other historical displays. The $2 million renovation project will focus on the building’s main hall and wings, dating back to the 1960s, which will bring the facility up to date and provide new life for its use by students, visitors and university personnel.

According to the Mabee Foundation’s website, the organization supports “brick and mortar” projects in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

The foundation is based in Midland and has awarded more than $1.2 billion in grants since its founding in 1948.

“On behalf of the entire Howard Payne University family, I express my deepest gratitude for the Mabee Foundation’s generosity,” said Dr. Cory Hines ’97, HPU president. “This challenge grant will have a lasting impact not only on the Academy facility but on our university as a whole.”

As stipulated by the challenge grant, HPU now has one year to raise the nearly $600,000 remaining to complete fundraising for the project.

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HPU receives $600,000 challenge grant from Mabee Foundation for Academy renovation

The renovation of HPU’s historic Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom will benefit from a $600,000 challenge grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation.

“The confidence shown by the Mabee Foundation in our Academy project is a strong endorsement of the importance of this facility and adds great momentum to our fundraising efforts,” said Dr. Dale Meinecke ’98, vice president for development at HPU. “This challenge grant brings the Academy facility’s grand reopening a great deal closer.”

Fundraising for the renovation project is ongoing with several naming opportunities still available as a tribute gift to honor or remember someone special. To make a gift, please visit www.hputx.edu/give or contact HPU’s Office of Institutional Advancement at development@hputx.edu or 325-649-8006.

HPU celebrates Fall Family Reunion in October 2020

By Seth Rainey ’19

Howard Payne University hosted alumni, students, personnel, board members and friends at the HPU Fall Family Reunion on October 10. The event featured Cobbler on the Campus and music from Taylor Castleberry, a 2013 HPU graduate. The day’s festivities also included intersquad scrimmages hosted by HPU’s softball and baseball teams.

HPU’s Spring Family Reunion is planned for March 20, 2021. Due to the printing schedule for the Link, a recap of the Spring Family Reunion will be included in the fall 2021 issue.

Far left: Taylor Castleberry ’13 performs as part of the Fall Family Reunion festivities.

Near left: Members of the HPU family enjoy visiting on campus.

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HPU holds 14th Annual Currie-Strickland Lectures

By Seth Rainey ’19

Pictured are Dr. Gary Gramling ’81, Taylor Cox, Grace Hawkins, Kylie Johnson, Brenden Hough, Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas), Ryan McCord and Mark Sisemore.

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HPU opened an esports lounge to host a gaming club for students.

HPU announces esports lounge and club Howard Payne University opened an esports lounge that will host a club available to all interested students. Esports are competitions played on multiplayer video games either in virtual or in-person contests.

The program is the first of its kind at HPU. “Providing the best student experience is a priority for us at HPU,” said Hunter Sims, director of athletics at HPU. “We are excited to continue offering opportunities that allow our students to get connected in campus life.”

The lounge, located in Winebrenner Memorial Hall of Science, is equipped with 12 workstations, comprised of AKRacing gaming chairs and iBUYPOWER gaming computers. The 2020-2021 academic year is being used to gauge student interest in the esports club, with plans for the organization to evolve into a competitive HPU esports team.

Esports are coed and there is no limit to the number of students who can compete at the club level within HPU’s program. Students will compete both on an individual basis and in teams ranging from two to six players, depending on the game.

The club originated as part of a project by senior computer information systems (CIS) students. Dr. Lester Towell, chair of the Department of Computer Information Systems, serves as faculty sponsor for the club, which is led by Tony Heiser, esports coordinator and part-time assistant baseball coach.

– Seth Rainey ’19 H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

CURRIE-STRICKLAND PHOTO BY JARVIS GREEN; ESPORTS LOUNGE PHOTO BY SETH RAINEY ’19

Howard Payne University recently honored six students as Currie-Strickland Scholars during the 14th Annual CurrieStrickland Lectures in Christian Ethics featuring guest lecturer Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas).

Students honored were Taylor Cox, a senior from May majoring in Christian education; Grace Hawkins, a junior from Stephenville majoring in youth ministry; Brenden Hough, a senior from Aubrey majoring in practical theology; Kylie Johnson, a senior from Abbott majoring in cross-cultural studies; Ryan McCord, a senior from Round Rock majoring in Bible; and Mark Sisemore, a junior from McKinney majoring in Christian education.

Dr. Carroll is the Scripture Press Ministries professor of biblical studies and pedagogy at Wheaton College and Graduate School. His lectures were centered on the theme of “The Bible and Immigration: The Scripture as Foundation and Compass.”

“As you study both testaments of the Bible, you begin to see how central migration is to the history of the people of God,” said Dr. Carroll. “Migration becomes a metaphor for faith itself, which makes sense. As Christians, we have a different King, we have a different citizenship and we should live different lives.”

Dr. Carroll is half-Guatemalan and was raised bilingual and bicultural. He taught at Denver Seminary, where he founded a Spanish-language lay training program, and El Seminario Teólogico Centroamericano in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where he continues to teach as an adjunct professor. He has been involved in many Hispanic churches and teaching the Bible and immigration for many years.

By Seth Rainey ’19

The Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT) named Andrea (Akins) Harp ’79 as one of nine recipients of the Baptist Educators Serving Texans (B.E.S.T.) Educator of the Year Award.

B.E.S.T. awards are presented annually in recognition of individual Texas public school educators who live out their faith to the students they serve and of the positive contribution that Texas Baptist universities make in the public school systems of Texas. Each eligible nominee must be a teacher in a public school, a graduate of one of the nine Texas Baptist universities and a member of a BGCT-supportive church.

“Teachers don’t do what we do for recognition,” Harp said.

“It’s humbling and exciting to realize that maybe people can recognize and understand what teachers do and why we do it.”

Harp resides in Stanton with her husband, David Harp, pastor of First Baptist Church Stanton. She has taught English at Stanton High School for 26 years and has spent a total of 32 years teaching. In addition to her service in education, she is an active member of her community, playing piano at First Baptist Church of Stanton, teaching Sunday school and volunteering with the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU).

Harp said she views teaching as a calling not only to help students learn, but also to show students in her classroom that someone cares about them.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” she said. “I started teaching in the fall of 1979 and I believed even then that it was a calling for me, on several different levels. I felt a call to teach English, because I loved the language, but I also love the students as individuals – this is really where the calling comes in. I have not always done it well or perfectly by any stretch

of the imagination, but I’ve always felt it was important to let every student know that they are important to me.”

A recurring topic of discussion in Harp’s classroom illustrates her care for each student.

“I’ve talked a lot with my students about their names,” Andrea (Akins) Harp ’79 she said. “I explain to them my name and where my name comes from. Then I tell them each of their names are important to me because that is representative of who they are.”

Dr. Gary Gramling ’81, dean of HPU’s School of Christian Studies, director of Christian studies graduate programs and professor of Christian studies at HPU, was a classmate of Harp’s while at Howard Payne.

“Andrea has consistently shown a genuine love and concern for her students,” he said. “She has also always insisted on excellence and she works very hard to make sure that her students are well prepared. She is an outstanding teacher, but she may be known by her students even more for her character, always insisting that they show respect to their parents, their teachers and one another. Her life is one of unquestioned integrity and a true example for her students.”

Harp’s family has had close ties to HPU for more than 70 years. Her parents, Ferris ’52 and Ramona ’52 Akins, are both HPU graduates. Harp’s sister, Ferrisa Childs ’86, is a graduate of HPU and currently serves as assistant director for student financial aid at HPU. Harp’s two other siblings both graduated from HPU – Ferris, Jr. ’75 and Martin ’84.

ANDREA HARP PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREA (AKINS) HARP ’79

Jacket Alums in Ministry group established for fellowship, networking Howard Payne University recently announced the establishment of Jacket Alums in Ministry (JAM), a recognized chapter of the HPU Alumni Association designed to foster fellowship and networking opportunities among the university’s alumni who serve or have served in Christian ministry. Key actions of JAM will include praying for HPU, promoting the university to others and providing resources for the university’s operations and development.

“HPU will always need three essential things: prayer, promotion and provisions,” said Dr. Chris Liebrum ’73, H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

vice president for external affairs. “This network of alums who have given their lives to vocational ministry can help HPU with all three.”

The organization is led by Bobby Broyles ’78, retired pastor, as president; Jeffri (Malone) Foster ’10, youth minister, as first vice president; David Cozart ’96, executive pastor, as second vice president; and Randy Johnson ’71, retired youth minister, as secretary.

For more information about the organization, find the group on Facebook at Jacket Alums in Ministry–JAM. L I N K / S P R I N G 2 02 1

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Andrea (Akins) Harp ’79 honored by BGCT for service in education

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Elementary school in Forney named in honor of HPU alumni couple

By Seth Rainey ’19

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Pictured at the groundbreaking ceremony for Jerry and Helen Griffin Elementary School are the Griffins with friends Molly (Nickols) Purl ’00 and Purl’s father, retired HPU faculty member John Nickols.

Rev. Griffin met a co-worker who was an HPU alumnus and advised that he look into attending the university. Another friend helped him visit the campus. Rev. Griffin said he was called to ministry during his senior year of high school and, upon visiting HPU, felt led to continue to pursue this calling at the institution.

“I say I really feel like the Lord led me to Howard Payne,” he said. “These two people were the human instruments who He used to get me there. I feel like the Lord worked through them.”

Once at Howard Payne, the Lord continued to use individuals in his life to help direct and prepare him to be a pastor. Dr. W. Arthur Todd ’30, a professor of Bible, was of particular influence on Rev. Griffin’s path in ministry.

“Dr. Todd had more influence on me than any teacher I had anywhere,” he said. “He really impacted my life with his practical teaching. He was a great Bible teacher, but he also taught me so much about ministry. He had a course in ministry there that was one of the most practical courses anybody could ever have – I still have the textbook too. I wish every young preacher had it. He was a great man and had a great spirit – he meant so much.”

Dr. Todd recommended Rev. Griffin for one of his first positions as a pastor while the latter was still a student. These early experiences, leading a small church near Goldthwaite and ministering to congregants, offered valuable lessons for the young minister that helped lay a foundation for the life of ministry that would follow.

“Those folks were dear to me and really meant a lot,” he H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN NICKOLS

An elementary school in Forney was recently named for longtime residents and former Howard Payne University students Jerry and Helen Griffin. Rev. Griffin is a 1955 graduate of HPU, while Mrs. Griffin attended HPU for one year before transferring. The couple was honored at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility in August 2020.

The Griffins have called Forney home for more than 60 years and have become vital members of their community.

They celebrated their years of service at First Baptist Church of Forney in March 2020. Rev. Griffin pastored the church for 33 years before becoming the director of missions for the Kauf-Van Baptist Association, serving Kaufman and Van Zandt counties, while still residing in Forney. He returned to FBC Forney in 2006 where he serves as pastor to senior adults. Mrs. Griffin taught for 27 years for Forney ISD, teaching sixth-grade language arts for 13 years and leading the Reading Laboratory in an individualized reading program for 14 years. Through their time in Forney, the couple has watched the city grow and celebrated its successes along with other residents.

“We’ve had great relationships with the people here,” he said. “We love the people here – they have been so good to us. We’re grateful and humbled that this school will bear our name and excited for the impact it will have.”

Mrs. Griffin said that teaching in Forney allowed her to build valuable relationships with students and their families, which helped the couple invest in the people of their community.

“Teaching in Forney was an ideal position for a pastor’s wife,” she said. “The two worked together very nicely as I got to know many of the children and their families both at school and church. Before my retirement, it was fun to teach children of former students. Also, I was blessed to teach my own twin daughters. Many of my students are my best friends today. All these years in Forney have been very rewarding and we have been so blessed.”

Mrs. Griffin and Rev. Griffin married while he was a junior at HPU. Rev. Griffin recalled the great impact HPU had on his life, particularly through the Christ-centered community that was, and still is, an essential focus of the university.

“HPU has a great spirit,” he said. “I transferred from a state college and, coming here, I was amazed to be at a school where we prayed in class and got to go to Bible classes and so forth. It had a great impact on my life.”

While attending a state college and working in Corsicana,

has been his life’s work.

“It was because of the leaders at Howard Payne that I was able to start serving in churches as a young man,” he said.

“Through my life, I’ve always had a place to serve and I’m thankful for that. HPU helped me have those opportunities.”

HPU El Paso Center Highlights In 2020, the HPU El Paso Center welcomed HPU alumni Susan Zaragoza and Eva Gutierrez to the center’s personnel. Zaragoza is the El Paso Center admission counselor, and Gutierrez is the center’s administrative assistant and financial aid coordinator. After an illustrious 25-year career with HPU, Bertha Valle ’09 retired as administrative assistant and financial aid coordinator. Dr. Stephen Kovach, associate professor of Christian Studies, celebrated 12 years with the El Paso Center. Dr. Adrian Gil, assistant vice president for the El Paso Center, continues to direct the campus, having done so since 2014.

The El Paso Center received $3,336 from 55 donors during El Paso Giving Day on Oct. 15, 2020, representing a 222% increase in donations and a 162% increase in number of donors from the 2019 giving day. The donations will be used to fund the center’s activities and scholarships.

The Hunt Family Foundation, a private foundation that supports non-profit organizations and initiatives in the El

Paso region, donated $10,000 to the center for the fourth consecutive year. The foundation’s monies have been designated to provide scholarships for students majoring in business during the 2021-2022 academic year. The HPU El Paso Center sincerely thanks all its donors for their generous support.

The El Paso Center awarded scholarships to 10 students in the 2020-2021 academic year. Irma Garcia and Marie Ann Arellano were awarded the Dr. Richard W. Nassar Annual Scholarship; Daniel Fish and Maria Wright received the El Paso Center Scholarship; Anabel Argueta, Natalia Sarmiento, Paul Topper and Samuel Lee received the Hunt Family Foundation Scholarship; and Audria Rausch and Damone Hopewell were awarded the Dr. Joe T. Poe Christian Studies Annual Scholarship.

The center also celebrated the graduation of Vicki Johnston with a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences degree in Christian studies (composite).

HPU New Braunfels Center Highlights The HPU New Braunfels Center is excited to have leveraged the obstacles of COVID-19 into unique opportunities to better serve students, faculty, staff and the local community. In October 2020, HPU NB rolled out the Ten15 Fund, a fund designed to be the hands and feet of Christ in tangible ways to assist students in need of financial assistance that may prevent students from being able to continue their education due to hardships.

Using raised funds, the center awarded eight scholarships in the 2020-2021 academic year to assist students.

In January 2021, HPU NB also announced the establishment of a scholarship for students who have taken six or more hours of courses as part of HPU’s dual credit program to help them finish their degree with HPU. “We’re thrilled to provide opportunities to these quality students and keep them engaged with the HPU family and alumni network,” said Whitney Hooper ’11, assistant vice president for the New Braunfels Center.

The center also recently began lending use of its H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

facilities to Quest Church for Sunday services. Quest Church is a local church plant seeking to reach the community of New Braunfels with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition to hosting Quest, the center has also partnered with the local Chamber of Commerce to host the Business University Series for small business owners looking to continue growing and expanding their skillsets, with New Braunfels Center graduates anticipated to serve as panelists.

In December, HPU NB celebrated the graduation of Patrick Casey, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in business administration; Christopher Jacques, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in general studies; Alexandria Leija, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in criminal justice; Kenneth McKenzie, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Christian studies (composite); Sebastian Paulmann, Bachelor of Science in business administration; and Debra Jamison, Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Christian studies (composite).

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said. “They helped me as I was beginning in the ministry, showing me what pastoring a church should look like and what Southern Baptist mission work was all about.”

Rev. Griffin said the opportunities that were fostered at the university laid the groundwork for the ministry that

Alumni Association Spotlight Extending a legacy of service Ministry of Jerry Ramirez ’93, MAYM ’09, inspired by HPU role models

By Rebekah Sterling ’18

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JERRY RAMIREZ PHOTO COURTESY OF JERRY RAMIREZ ’93, MAYM ’09

“There’s no morning that I wake up and think, ‘Aw man, I’ve got to go to work.’”

Jerry Ramirez ’93, MAYM ’09, lives with his wife, Lisa, in Lubbock, where he serves at the First Baptist Church as the minister of global initiatives. Coordinating church missions at the local, regional and international levels while also overseeing local non-profit Serve Lubbock is no small task. The size of the job, however, is exceeded by Ramirez’s love for the work he does.

“I love my job because I’m in a position where I can offer people a hand up,” he said. “I get to do a lot of neat things to help people and help enable those in my church to serve others.”

Ramirez grew up in Seminole and attended HPU from 1989 to 1993. He majored in religious education during his undergrad years and returned to HPU in 2007 to earn a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree.

After graduating in 1993, Ramirez served on staff at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church in Brownwood for eight years before moving to Lubbock in 1999. He has been on staff at FBC Lubbock since 2008, primarily serving in missions-related roles, with a brief stint as youth pastor from 2009 to 2012.

Ramirez is passionate about serving members of his church and others in his community. Undoubtedly, this is a characteristic that was well-modeled for him during his time as a student at HPU. “I loved every one of my professors,” Ramirez said, listing faculty in what was then called the School of Christianity,

including former facult y members Dr. Wallace Roark, Dr. Art Allen ’67 and Dr. Frankie Rainey; and Dr. Gary Gramling ’81, current dean of the School of Christian Studies, director of the Christian studies graduate programs and professor of Christian studies.

Years later, when Ramirez returned as a graduate student, his impression of his professors, including Dr. Bill Fowler ’75, adjunct faculty member, and Dr. Rusty Wheelington, professor of Christian studies, was the same – that they were genuine about their love for the Lord and teaching others about Him. “I have a lot of great memories, being with them in that Christian studies building,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez also had the benefit of a unique perspective into the life one professor in particular. For two years during his time as an undergrad, he lived with Dr. Robert L. Smith, the dean of the School of Christianity at the time, and his wife, Ethelyn Smith.

“They opened up their home and treated me like one of their own kids,” he shared.

Most impressive to him was the consistency he saw in Dr. Smith on and off campus.

“As a professor, Dr. Smith was very influential in my life … just his knowledge and his love for the Lord,” Ramirez says. “What you saw on campus, you saw at the home. He didn’t waver in who he was.”

Dr. Don Newbury ’61, former HPU president and current chancellor, was also influential to Ramirez.

involvement, having known Dr. Hines as a student.

“I love, love, love Dr. Hines,” he said. “I’m so thrilled to have him there leading my alma mater.”

Ramirez looks forward to seeing Dr. Hines and the rest of the administration continue to guide HPU in a way that honors God and changes the lives of students the way it changed his.

“There is an energy and a love that seems to be there among the staff, administration and faculty – all of the folks serving there.”

To find out more about the Howard Payne University Alumni Association and related activities, please visit www.hputx.edu/alumni.

Dr. Kalie Lowrie ’06 to lead HPU’s alumni relations efforts Dr. Kalie Lowrie ’06 recently returned to her alma mater to serve as the assistant vice president for alumni relations in the Office of Institutional Advancement. Dr. Lowrie began serving in this role on March 1. Laura Benoit, who previously served as director of alumni relations, moved to the role of special assistant to the president in February.

As an HPU student, Dr. Lowrie participated in the Sumners Scholar program and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree, having majored in political science and the Academy. She later pursued graduate work at Dallas Baptist University, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in communication with a focus in organizational communication (2013), followed by a Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership with a focus in ministry (2020).

Dr. Kalie Lowrie ’06 After graduating from HPU, she served as a staff member here from 2006 to 2011, first as alumni and media relations assistant and then as director of media relations. For the last nearly eight years, she has worked with Texas Baptists, most recently in the role of associate director of communications and news director for the organization.

“I am grateful that the Lord has called Dr. Lowrie home to Brownwood and Howard Payne,” said Dr. Cory Hines ’97, president. “I am excited to see how He uses her in this new role.”

Dr. Lowrie expressed her eagerness to return to her alma mater in this new capacity.

“I am delighted to be back and serve at HPU,” she said. “I look forward to building relationships with our alumni and finding ways to help them engage with the university. It’s a great time to be a Yellow Jacket!”

DR. KALIE LOWRIE ’06 PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

Alumni, help us update our records and you could win HPU merchandise!

Fill out an alumni information form and your name will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of three HPU Stinger Store gift cards of $100, $50 or $25.

Visit www.hputx.edu/alumniupdate or scan the QR code to complete a short form.

Through this simple process, we can keep you better informed and be a good steward of HPU resources.

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“I remember seeing Dr. Newbury for the first time on campus and thinking, ‘Who is this guy handing out popcorn?’

Lo and behold, it was the president of the university,” Ramirez remembered.

Ramirez recalled Dr. Newbury sitting down with him to ensure he had all the classes and grades he needed to graduate.

“What an influence he had on me, just being such an authentic man,” Ramirez reflected.

Ramirez continues to maintain connections with the HPU family through social media and is also a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“I’m grateful to still be plugged in at the university,” Ramirez said. He mentioned how the inauguration of Dr. Cory Hines ’97 as president of HPU reinvigorated his

1940s to 1960s “John Se z”

by Dr. Robert Mangrum, professor of history and government and university historian

DR. ROBERT MANGRUM PHOTO BY KYLE MIZE; ARTIFACT PHOTOS BY SETH RAINEY ’19

In the university history files we find a copy of John Sez: A Volume of Verse, printed by the HPC Press Club in October 1948. Inside the little booklet are 19 pages of poetry by John Mitchell, the unofficial poet laureate of Howard Payne College, who served in the maintenance and custodial areas.

In the foreword, Dr. T.R. Havins, longtime history professor at HP, introduces the reader to John Mitchell by saying “to know John is to have more than a speaking acquaintance with him. The real John is revealed in his cheery greeting, in his readiness to be helpful, in his many acts of kindness to faculty members, students, and employed people with whom he labors.”

Continuing, “to know John is to have an understanding of his philosophy. And his philosophy includes a strong conviction that work – hard work – is a cardinal virtue. It incorporates common honesty – ‘penny honesty’ John calls it – as basic. Coupled with these is an acquired tolerance of the actions and opinions of others. John is no dogmatist.”

The slim volume “is an accumulation of verses and rhymes that have appeared on the blackboards of the Administration Building [Old Main] since John assumed his duties as janitor of this building in 1945. These warm, homely verses have become proverbial. No instructor enters his room without having read John’s contribution for that day.” As a result, “John Sez” was a real, integral part of the life of the college during his tenure.

Here are some samples of his poetry left on classroom blackboards and collected in the John Sez booklet:

Autumn leaves are beautiful As they slowly fall But they come in my windows An litter up my halls.

What beautiful walks we have all around Yet some of you still walk on the ground If you would use the walks as you should Then you would not bring in so much mud.

If you have worked hard An did your best You will have no trouble In passing your tests.

About the artifacts: John Mitchell received numerous expressions of appreciation from the Howard Payne campus community. Pictured here are a photo of a Howard Payne letterman’s sweater, featuring a quill pen symbol, given to him in recognition his writing ability; the dedication page from the 1963 Lasso yearbook; and Yellow Jacket student newspaper clippings reporting on a banquet at which he and his wife, Mary, were the special guests.

The John Sez book, portrait, sweater and clippings were donated to the HPU archives by Clinton White ’71, a relative of John Mitchell’s.

Dr. Robert Mangrum published an account of HPU’s history titled For Howard Payne My All: 125 Years of Christian Higher Education and Service, 1889-2015. The book, which took 17 years to write, celebrates the university’s history since its founding in 1889. It is available for $30 on DVD or USB flash drive at HPU’s Stinger Store in the Mabee University Center or at www.hputx.edu/stingerstore. All proceeds from the book’s sales support an academic scholarship at HPU. 10

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H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

BY BRIENNA WILLIAMS, HPU SENIOR

My Howard Payne experience is unique compared to most students. I didn’t begin college at HPU and never expected to graduate from HPU. I transferred to Howard Payne in the fall of 2019, the beginning of my junior year, after marrying the love of my life, Eli Williams, earlier that summer. He was entering the final semester of his senior year at Howard Payne, so it just made sense for me to transfer to HPU and it has proven to be nothing short of God’s grace.

I began to fall in love with Howard Payne before I was even a student, as I visited campus and met students, faculty and staff through Spring Sing, attended Day 1 and even sat in on several of Eli’s classes. My great aunt and uncle attended Howard Payne and I grew up hearing them rave about and tell stories of their college days, but it wasn’t until I began my time at Howard Payne that I understood their resounding passion for myself.

Howard Payne is a place where students are welcomed and known, opportunities abound, intentionality is present and the truth is taught. Even before I stepped on campus I was welcomed with open arms. My admission counselor, who also happened to be my father-in-law [David Williams ’05], was so helpful in the entire process of applying and becoming accepted, and he even went above and beyond to help me set up classes and apply for financial aid. I felt extremely known when I discovered that the entire admissions staff were praying over me and the other incoming students by name.

As a strategic communication major, I have had the opportunity to be on staff for the student newspaper, The Yellow Jacket, as well as hold several social media internship positions for departments across campus. I also had the opportunity to travel overseas on a short-term mission trip through a Christian Education class, attend several amazing conferences such as Micah 6:8 and

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H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

G O D I S T R U LY U S I N G T H E INTENTIONALITY AND MISSION O F H O WA R D PAY N E T O M A K E DISCIPLES OF JESUS.

PHOTO AT LEFT BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18; OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRIENNA WILLIAMS

Youth Ministry Institute and become connected with the local Brownwood community through internship opportunities with local businesses.

There aren’t many places where you have the opportunity to know faculty and staff members on a personal basis. There’s even less of a chance that those faculty and staff members know you and desire to have intentional relationships with you. I have formed so many special and lasting relationships with my professors who have truly become friends and mentors in my life. Dr. Rusty Wheelington, a professor who has been extremely influential in the formation of both my and my husband’s faith, even agreed to do our premarital counseling and has continued to mentor and encourage us in our marriage ever since.

Howard Payne clings tightly to the truth of the Gospel. It is an evident foundation for everything that the university does. I love this most about the university. My faith has been challenged in so many ways during my time at HPU. As a result, I have grown in my love and knowledge of Jesus and come to a clear understanding of my life purpose as a follower of Jesus.

Professors challenge, push and exhort their students. God is truly using the intentionality and mission of Howard Payne to make disciples of Jesus. I am so thankful to God for His work in and through Howard Payne and His grace in giving me the opportunity to be a part of it all. For Howard Payne my all. Sting ’em!

Far left: Though she transferred to HPU from another university, Brienna Wllliams feels right at home on the HPU campus. Above: Brienna and fellow HPU students Caleb Callaway and Haylee Maddox ’20 deliver care packages as part of departmental outreach into the community. Below: Brienna celebrates with her husband, Eli ’20, upon his graduation from HPU.

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decided to come to Howard Payne because of the people.”

This phrase, spoken by Padiwanashe “Padi” Mangwiro, a business marketing major from Forney, has been uttered by many Howard Payne students and alumni over the years. It is a common theme throughout the greater HPU story and Mangwiro has been experiencing it since he first arrived on campus in the fall of 2018.

“Some of my first memories on campus are those with the RAs [resident assistants],” he said. “Nick Knoll, Kendall Moore and Cooper Hering were my first real friends at HPU.” Mangwiro initially heard about HPU through his former high school football coach, Jason Bachtel ’03, now HPU’s head football coach, and enjoyed his tour of campus. Although he ultimately chose not to play college football, Mangwiro said the choice to stick with HPU – and those he met there – was an obvious one. He knew HPU’s smaller class sizes and small-town 14

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H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

Mangwiro’s easy-going attitude, sense of humor and participation in campus life have helped him grow beyond his comfort zone.

PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

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setting would help him stay on track and get plugged in on campus.

“I got involved really fast,” he said. “I joined SAC [Student Activities Council] and worked for University Services. Now I’m the beau for Delta Chi Rho and I’m playing drums for the Chapel band.”

Mangwiro’s easy-going attitude, sense of humor and participation in campus life have helped him leave his comfort zone and become a familiar face to new students on campus.

“It really made me part of the community, being involved in those things,” he said. “I feel like now everybody knows me. There are some people who will be like ‘Hey, Padi!’ and I'll just say ‘Hey, man!’ even if I don’t know who it is.”

Faculty and staff have also made a lasting impression during Mangwiro’s time at HPU, providing timely advice and encouragement.

“They’ve just always been there for me,” he said, listing several faculty and staff members including Tammy Arreola ’17, career services coordinator, whom he referred to simply as Miss Tammy; Titus Brown ’18, admission counselor; Wes Curton, former resident director of Jennings Hall; Josh Snow ’13, director of student activities; Zac Sterling ’16,

Mangwiro is involved with a wide range of activities across campus.

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resident director of Thomas Taylor Hall; and Dr. Lester Towell, professor of computer information systems and department chair.

“When I've not made the best decisions, I don’t know how, but they always know,” Mangwiro shared. “They keep me accountable in my faith, mentally and in my life.”

If he hadn’t chosen to attend HPU, where he has the support of the HPU community, Mangwiro believes things could have been very different.

“I get distracted pretty easily and I feel like if I’d gone to a bigger college I might have fallen out of the faith, or been more reckless,” Mangwiro admitted. “I probably would not have made it through the first two years, because I wouldn’t have had the Josh Snows or Miss Tammys around me. If I went to a bigger school, there would have been maybe 20,000 other kids like me, but coming here – there’s only one Padi.”

Grateful he didn’t end up at a larger school, Mangwiro shared how his time at HPU and encouragement from faculty, staff and friends have led to his personal growth.

“I’ve learned how to talk to people who are different from me,” he shared. “Being able to make relationships with different people has caused me to have more opportunities to share

PHOTOS BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

the gospel and to come out of my shell.”

One major opportunity for Mangwiro has been his involvement at Coggin Avenue Baptist Church (CABC) as an intern for Billy Cash ’01, university pastor. During his freshman year at HPU, Mangwiro wasn’t initially involved in a local church, but knew he needed to get plugged in.

“They needed a drummer and I said I could play drums,” Mangwiro explained.

“I was thinking I needed to do something to get involved, when they just asked me. I thought, ‘Padi, you need to do this.’”

Mangwiro is now in his third year as an intern for Genuine, CABC’s college ministry, and leads worship most Sunday evenings.

“I’ve come out of my shell to lead worship – something I’ve never done before,” he said. “If I hadn’t come to Howard Payne, I probably would not have done something like that. I’d say that’s a huge thing Howard Payne’s done for me.”

Mangwiro will graduate in spring 2022 and hopes to find a career in either foreign exchange or real estate. Even as he plans his entrance into the job market, he knows he will want to stay involved in ministry in some respect. Based on his experience at HPU and the way he has grown in his time on campus, Mangwiro shared advice for new and prospective students.

“Give it a chance – branch out,” he said.

“There are many opportunities here, not just at HPU, but also within the community that you could take advantage of.”

He also mentioned how important the extended HPU family will be, even after he graduates.

“You know, it’s like Dr. Bunyard [vice president for student life and dean of students] always says, ‘Wherever you go, you’ll probably see a Howard Payne person.’ So far, wherever I’ve gone, I’ve either met someone who went to Howard Payne or who knows somebody who went to Howard Payne. This school really has produced a lot of good people.”

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

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Still on mission Faye (Hill) Dozier Jarvis ’52 remains devoted to supporting generations of Yellow Jackets

By Kyle Mize eginning a new college experience is always a momentous first step. For Faye (Hill) Dozier Jarvis ’52, her first trip to Howard Payne University began a process of connecting to and encouraging HPU students – and subsequently alumni – that has now spanned 70 years.

She grew up in Kyle, south of Austin, and graduated from high school in Lockhart. After going to a state school for her freshman year of college, she wanted to attend a Christian college and transferred to Howard Payne – sight unseen.

Her first visit to campus was when she arrived to move into

In this Brownwood Bulletin photo from 1989, during her years as HPU’s director of women’s residence life, Mrs. Jarvis talks with HPU students DeShawn Struempler, Roxanne Mamarian and Gayla Patty.

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H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

VEDA HODGE HALL PHOTO BY MATTHEW LESTER

Howard Payne Hall, the women’s dormitory at that time.

She majored in elementary education, sang in choir and was active in campus activities. Favorite memories include participating with teams of other ministry-minded HPU students in outreach events. One weekend, a team of ministerial students along with Ramona (Tennison) Akins ’52 and Jane (Black) Lacey ’52 went back to Mrs. Jarvis’ home church with her. Mrs. Akins played piano, Mrs. Lacey gave her testimony and Mrs. Jarvis sang.

“I also remember a Saturday afternoon when an HPU friend and I ‘went to jail,’” she adds. “He preached and I sang a hymn!”

Following graduation, she married Brooks Dozier ’51, her college sweetheart, and became a schoolteacher while her husband enjoyed a career coaching basketball.

“I was always an elementary teacher, and 16 of my 32 years of teaching were in kindergarten,” she says. “Having little people for their school experience – that’s where my heart was.”

At HPU’s Homecoming in the autumn of 1986, Mrs. Jarvis returned to campus for the first time in years. Her husband had recently passed away, and their three children – Johnna, Nanda and “Tres” – were grown and out on their own. Mrs. Jarvis wanted to reconnect to her alma mater in an especially purposeful way. Her own experiences as a Howard Payne student had been life-changing, and she was eager to find a way

CHOATE AND JARVIS PHOTO COURTESY OF NEWBURY AND CHOATE FAMILIES

to help a younger generation of Yellow Jackets.

“I thought, ‘I know where God wants me to invest the next years of my life.’”

Soon after Homecoming 1986, she contacted thenpresident Dr. Don Newbury ’61 to see if there were any opportunities on campus. When the director of Veda Hodge Hall resigned a few months later, there was a place for her.

Soon, she had a new title – director of women’s residence life – to go with her new home: a first-floor apartment in Veda Hodge Hall, HPU’s residence hall for women. She moved in during the summer of 1987, enjoying the camaraderie with staff and the small group of students on campus during those slow months. When fall arrived, though, she quickly learned her new job had few off-hours.

“I could only be gone overnight once per month,” she recalls. “I was on 24/7!”

No two days were alike. She shared laughter, soothed broken hearts, fortified shaky self-esteem and provided a strong guiding hand. She was also a steadying presence in the midst of occasional life-threatening emergencies. Her personality – regal poise mixed with motherly warmth – was a perfect balm and a source of inspiration for the young women around her, and she soon earned the nickname “Mama Faye.”

She sought to protect and strengthen the young women she called “Veda ladies,” helping them to believe in themselves and build their sense of self-worth.

“When I moved into the dorm, I wished I had been a trained counselor,” she says. “But after a while I realized that, when we would be dealing with an issue or problem, sometimes my motherly instinct helped deal with it. Sometimes it was just common sense. But then there were other times when I would listen and I would think, ‘This student needs more help than I can give her.’ We were blessed to have people on faculty and on staff we could call.”

Mrs. Jarvis enjoys keeping up with students from those days – men as well as women – on Facebook and learning what they’ve done with their lives. The names and faces bring back vivid memories, and she considers it an honor to be “Mama Faye.”

“I feel so blessed to have had that opportunity,” she says.

“It’s like that old saying: ‘There are some people who come into our lives, stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts and we’re never the same again.’”

Tracey (Russell) Carrier ’88 was an HPU student during that era and her impressions are representative of many.

“From my years at HPU, I remember Mrs. Jarvis as a very kind dorm mother who cared deeply for the young ladies in her care,” Carrier says. “She encouraged each of us to be our very best, to present ourselves to others with confidence and to walk through life displaying how Jesus had impacted our lives.

She wanted us to leave our time at HPU as better women for H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

having been there.”

Mrs. Jarvis served at Veda Hodge until 1990, when she married Dr. Oscar Jarvis ’51, a distinguished educator who later served as the dean of HPU’s School of Education. She had a tough time being away from campus, though, and in 1993 she returned for a year as volunteer receptionist in the newly opened Mabee University Center.

“I loved it because I got to see the students going back and forth for breakfast and lunch,” she says.

After Dr. Jarvis’ death in 2010, Mrs. Jarvis remained in Brownwood for a few years before relocating to Austin. In 2020, she returned to Brownwood and enjoyed reconnecting with the university she loves so dearly. She takes part in activities of the HPU Women’s Club and appreciates Melinda Hines, HPU’s first lady and president of the Women’s Club, who leads the group in various initiatives to support the new generation of female students.

“I feel that my days of leadership and assuming responsibilities are behind me,” she says.

“My most important role now is to be an encourager, to be an intercessor and to show my support.

I feel so blessed with the administration we have.”

Mrs. Jarvis is one of numerous alumni who remember HPU in their estate planning and encourages others to consider that methMrs. Jarvis visits with Julie od of making a lasting (Choate) Newbury ’92 in 2020. impact on future students. Also, after daughter Nanda’s death in 2019, Mrs. Jarvis and her son-in-law Joey Wilbourn ’90 established the Nanda Dozier Wilbourn Scholarship.

“I so believe in the mission of HPU,” she says. “I appreciate the opportunity to make an investment in young people when they are preparing for their lives’ work and to lead them to do it with Christian principles.”

Tracey Carrier is just one of many who has enjoyed Mrs. Jarvis’ continuing friendship and influence.

“Being around Mrs. Jarvis in recent years, I’m amazed at her stamina and zest for life,” Carrier says. “She is an inspiration every time I see her and when we are able to spend time having a good conversation. She loves people and she wants others to know Jesus and to experience life to the fullest, according to His plan for them. My life is blessed because of knowing her.”

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ARCHITECT’S RENDERING BY QUORUM

HPU’s

new “front door” Campus facility positioned to welcome students into the HPU family

By Seth Rainey ’19

ARCHITECT’S RENDERING BY QUORUM

The current HPU Office of Admissions facility was originally the U.S. Naval Reserve Electronics Building, built in 1958. It has also been home to the Office of the Registrar and the School of Education.

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For decades, visitors to Brownwood knew when they were nearing Howard Payne University’s grounds. Iconic Old Main, HPU’s original and main building, stood as the university’s “front door,” welcoming guests and passersby to an academic environment offering premier Christ-centered education.

Though the building was destroyed by fire in 1984, Old Main remains a central piece of HPU’s history. No building has been set on the grounds in the years since, but the site is still strongly associated with the Howard Payne legacy that the building represented.

In February 2020, a portion of Old Main Park was named the site of HPU’s Newbury Family Welcome Center, making it the home of what will become another essential HPU landmark. The center is named for the family of Dr. Don Newbury ’61, HPU president from 1985 to 1997 and current chancellor, and will house the Office of Admissions. The first new building on HPU’s campus in 20 years will be uniquely positioned, both in physical space and in mission, to have a lasting impact on generations of students to come.

Dr. Cory Hines ’97, HPU president, emphasized that the site’s place in the university’s history is an integral part of the overall significance of the project.

“In thinking about the first new building project in our administration, I was excited that we were able to go to the location of the university’s first building and build on the great history of Old Main,” he said. “For almost a century, Old Main was synonymous with HPU. That we could begin our administration and a new chapter in the history of our school by going back to our roots, in a way, and repurpose part of that area on our campus is something I know will be legacy-continuing.”

The new facility, scheduled for completion in spring 2022, will honor crucial pieces of HPU history while continuing to build on this legacy through its function as the new home for HPU admissions offices. Dr. Hines spoke about the critical need for a central point where guests of the university – potential students, alumni and friends – can gather and be introduced to the values, vision and direction of HPU. “Any time someone goes to a home, there is a clear entry H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

For nearly a century, HPU’s hallowed Old Main building, which was destroyed by fire in 1984, served as the focal point for new arrivals to campus.

A portion of Old Main’s former site will be the location for the new welcome center.

PHOTOS FROM HPU ARCHIVES

point into that home,” said Dr. Hines. “Whenever my family and I are blessed enough to have guests at the president’s house, we’re very careful to make sure that it is inviting and it represents our home in a welcoming way. Speaking from the perspective of our university, we want to make an excellent first impression on new students, community leaders and other guests. A great way to achieve that is through a ‘front door’ that is warm, inviting and represents HPU well.”

Dr. Ben Martin ’04, associate vice president for enrollment management, said the center will help ensure that prospective students are able to see what HPU offers them and help the university stand among distinguished academic institutions.

“Having a new welcome center will mean when students who have visited us walk into other universities’ administration buildings or welcome centers, they will have something comparable here at HPU,” said Dr. Martin. “They will have walked into a building that shares the legacy of HPU and how they fit into that legacy. That’ll be an opportunity that puts us on the same playing field as everybody else.”

The vital role the building will have in recruiting leaves it uniquely positioned to have a generation-spanning impact at HPU. “Taking the 30,000-foot view and looking to the future of our university, I think this building could be a launching point for many, many students – many, many alumni – at this university,” he said. “I’m hoping they can look at the welcome center for decades to come, and say, ‘That’s where I was H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

introduced to the great environment at HPU. That’s where I was introduced to this university that I now love dearly.’”

As well as being a significant addition to the university’s campus, the facility is also anticipated to benefit the local economy. Dr. Dale Meinecke ’98, vice president for development at HPU, elaborated on the effect that is hoped for in the years following the project’s completion.

“The more students we bring in, the more economic impact that brings to the community, which means more spending in Brownwood, which means businesses here are doing better,” he said. “More students will mean more parents are coming to town to see their students – they’re staying in hotels and eating in restaurants. So, it’s a big deal to have a nice place that welcomes students where they can see how they fit at the university. Overall, it means revenue back into Brownwood as a whole. It’s a good thing for everybody.”

In addition to housing admissions offices, the Newbury Family Welcome Center’s main entryway will open into a hall featuring a display on the history of the university and how prospective students fit into the overarching story of HPU. The interior of the building is designed to flow from the entryway, facing Austin Avenue, to the green of Muse Plaza and Mall, looking toward Old Main Tower.

Central to the planning of the building is the inclusion of meeting areas for large university and community events as well as potential students and their families. Located off the central hallway, a large conference room will provide space for larger gatherings, while smaller rooms will allow L I N K / S P R I N G 2 02 1

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for one-to-one meetings between admissions staff and visiting students. Specifically designed to meet all the functional needs related to university events, the center will have a prep kitchen, allowing catered meals to be prepared on site, and storage areas for equipment.

Dr. Martin said that the center’s design, focused on providing meeting spaces for guests and university personnel, will be a significant aid to recruiting efforts.

“Having a welcoming building, a place where visitors can go to start their visit, greatly helps us,” he said. “A huge benefit for us is the way the building is designed. Part of what we do when hosting visits is set up meetings for students to meet professors. The spaces that will be made available by this building are going to help make logistics a lot more efficient.”

PJ (Gray) Gramling ’81, director of admission, added that the center will stand in a position of prominence on the campus to help highlight the key features of HPU’s community.

“I think of the Newbury Family Welcome Center as the place that visiting students and guests will first recognize that the Howard Payne community is a family,” she said. “It will make a positive first impression, easily direct guests to the front door of the campus and be a comfortable space for visitors to learn about all that HPU has to offer students.”

“ It will make a positive first impression, easily direct guests to the front door of the campus and be a comfortable space for visitors to learn about all that HPU has to offer students.”

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Student Government Association President Reagan Coleman, a senior from Houston majoring in the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and social science with an emphasis in jurisprudence, said the center will help new students get to know the culture of HPU before they even have an opportunity to explore the campus.

“The welcome center will help make it easier to connect with the campus and understand HPU culture better than just walking around and taking tours,” she said. “Even though those are helpful to see our facilities, HPU is rooted in our people. By understanding and getting to know the HPU family, future students can fall more in love with our school more quickly than before.”

The facility features prominent, wide windows, providing soft, natural light and maintaining a sense of openness for visitors. Its architecture incorporates a modern design with the aesthetic of other campus buildings, serving to highlight many of the unique aspects of HPU’s campus facilities. Most notably, the center’s exterior styling will unite the striking red brick exterior of L.J. Mims Auditorium and grand stone of Walker Memorial Library, serving as a bridge between the two historic buildings.

The physical site is not the only example of the center’s built-in legacy. The Newbury family would likely be considered just as iconic to HPU as Old Main by many alumni and friends. Dr. Newbury and his wife, Brenda, had a major influence on the university, along with their three daughters: the late Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate ’92, Jana (Mrs. Kyle) Penney ’95, and Jeanie (Mrs. Ryan) McDaniel ’97.

During Dr. Newbury’s time at HPU, the university experienced growth in enrollment and added numerous facilities. He is fondly remembered among many HPU alumni as a leader who, together with his family, personally hosted students and friends of the university in his home and displayed a genuine care for individuals. Dr. Meinecke was a student while Dr. Newbury was president.

“There’s probably nobody better to name the welcome center after than Dr. Newbury, because he is such a welcoming person himself,” he said. “He was president here when I was a student. He is engaging and funny. You always feel like you belong when you are around him and that you matter. He truly believes that people are special.”

He remarked that conversations with people who are or have been connected to HPU speak to the impact of the Newburys.

“Now in the work that I do here, I’ll call somebody and we’ll start talking about their past experiences with the university. Often they’ll mention, ‘You used to have this president who was so engaging, funny and charismatic, but I can’t remember his name,’ and I’ll ask, ‘Are you talking H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

Members of the Newbury family gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony for the welcome center named in their honor. Pictured from left are Jeanie (Mrs. Ryan) McDaniel ’97, Jana (Mrs. Kyle) Penney ’95, Julie (Mrs. Bryan) Choate ’92 (now deceased), Dr. Don Newbury ’61 and Brenda Newbury.

PHOTO BY KYLE MIZE

about Dr. Newbury?’ Nine times out of ten, that’s him.”

Dr. Hines was also a student at HPU during Dr. Newbury’s presidency. In reflection, he remarked on the indelible connection between university and person that was formed as Dr. Newbury led the university.

“For many people, the names Dr. Newbury and HPU are closely linked,” he said. “When I think about the legacy of Dr. Newbury in my life, I recall how welcoming he was to me and my family when I was a student considering HPU – he visited us personally in the office of our church and learned the names of my parents. When I think about someone who embodies the idea of being hospitable, I think of Dr. Newbury.”

Dr. Martin expressed his gratitude for the planning and work that have made the Newbury Family Welcome Center project possible.

“So many individuals have worked on this, and this has been a longstanding vision for a lot of people,” he said. “To be able to break ground and get this going – it’s a great thing for our university.”

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

Though the project is well underway, there are still opportunities to provide financial support. The project has only been possible through years of support from alumni and friends. Dr. Hines emphasized the importance of these supporters in the construction of the new building.

“We are so very grateful for the donors who for decades have had a dream for the welcome center on the Howard Payne University campus and have given in support of that vision,” he said. “There are wonderful opportunities for people to step in and support this project as we continue construction and seek to do our utmost to introduce HPU to the community and to new families. If you are interested in honoring Dr. Newbury and his legacy, if you want to help support our recruitment of new students and want to support the transformational student experience we offer here, we’d love to talk to you about it.”

More details on the construction project

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THE PROJECT AT A GLANCE COMPLETION DATE • The Newbury Family Welcome Center is anticipated to open in spring 2022.

SIZE • The facility will cover more than 7,700 square feet.

KEY FEATURES • Interactive displays will highlight key aspects of HPU’s history, community and culture.

• The building’s main hall will accommodate up to 200 guests, while a smaller meeting area will host 80 guests.

• The admissions office section of the building will be fitted with 10 work spaces for admissions staff and an in-office conference room. The space will also have private meeting rooms for visits between admissions counselors and students and families.

DESIGN DETAILS • The architecture will invoke the style of other buildings on campus. Columns will frame the building’s broad windows, while red brick and large stone blocks will form the exterior walls.

• Native Texas plants will be used in landscaping around the building to accent the natural beauty of the Brownwood area and HPU’s campus.

PROJECT SUPPORT • Numerous giving opportunities are still available.

• For ways to support this initiative, please visit www.hputx.edu/give or contact the HPU Office of Institutional Advancement at 325-649-8006 or via e-mail at development@hputx.edu.

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hristianity and science are often depicted as being at odds, projected as possessing contradictory central assumptions that make unity between the subjects impossible. However, Dr. Gerry Clarkson, dean of the School of Science and Mathematics at HPU, emphasized that the principles foundational to science owe their roots to the belief in a Creator.

“We live in an orderly world and that doesn’t just happen – it was designed to be that way,” he said. “So, the tie between Christianity and science is really a pretty natural one that you have to work at to get around, if you’re so inclined.”

He further emphasized that integral to scientific advancement is the understanding that the world can be observed and studied through experiments that can be repeated with exact results. According to Dr. Clarkson, this observability once again points to the work of the Creator.

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“It doesn’t make sense to study or to do experiments unless you believe the world is orderly,” said Dr. Clarkson. “A lot of the belief that led to scientific development came out of a belief that God created the universe, and that He did so in an orderly fashion. Therefore, studying the world through science makes sense because those go naturally together.”

He says he has sought out opportunities to learn about the world through science for most of his life.

“I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t interested in science, even at a young age,” he said. “I think I’m drawn to the order of things, the logic – the idea that we live in an orderly world and we can study it.”

Dr. Clarkson grew up in West Virginia and earned his undergraduate degree at Oberlin College in Ohio. He went on to earn his master’s degree and Ph.D. in geophysics at New Mexico Tech, where he and his wife, Marie, met. They now have two H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

Dr. Gerry Clarkson is the dean of the School of Science and Mathematics and associate professor of science.

PHOTO BY SETH RAINEY ’19

daughters. Their oldest daughter, Rebecca ’08, and her husband, Allen, have three children. The Clarksons’ youngest daughter, Emily, is married to Alex.

Following Dr. Clarkson’s completion of grad school in New Mexico, the Clarksons moved to Michigan where he taught at a university for six years. He said his time teaching at a larger institution left him looking for a smaller academic environment.

“I found HPU by looking at job ads,” he quipped. “A big university just was not my cup of tea. Where I was teaching, I didn’t see anyone outside of my building. All the schools I had attended as a student were small schools, so I knew that was the university environment I was looking for.”

Dr. Clarkson joined HPU’s faculty in 1990 and was named dean of the School of Science and Mathematics in 2020. As dean, he seeks to ensure the atmosphere offered at HPU is used to establish connections between Christianity and science. He said that HPU, featuring small class sizes that allow for closer relationships between professors and their students, provides a unique opportunity to share perspectives that may otherwise go overlooked.

“There’s probably a lot of freedom that professors have to go ahead and talk about things with students that you H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

wouldn’t necessarily feel free to do in a different setting,” he said. “I think really this comes back to the ability to relate to students and see them as more than just people sitting in your classroom.”

At HPU, he added, care for students can be found throughout the university’s personnel, whether faculty or staff.

“When I think about HPU, I think about the overall concern that everybody has for students and how we want to help them succeed in whatever they’ve chosen to do,” said Dr. Clarkson. “That’s faculty, that’s staff – everyone. The willingness to work with students is something that I think is different about a place like HPU. It’s something that is really special.”

Professors at HPU often get to teach students from their first year to graduation. This long-term instruction is a core component of what makes HPU a unique academic institution. Dr. Clarkson said the opportunities he has to watch students make progress semester to semester as faculty and staff invest in them are immensely rewarding.

“What I really enjoy is seeing a student have the light bulb go on and they see how what they are learning connects,” he said. “It’s great to watch students grow in that way as they progress through our programs here.”

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TAKING ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY

By Abram Choate ’98, M.Ed. ’17, assistant director of athletics for athletic communications Not thinking that she would ever play competitive softball again, Howard Payne University graduate student Kayla Hill ’20 got an opportunity and is making the best of it.

As a two-year letter winner for the Lady Jackets, Kayla started in 53 of 54 games in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. She excelled on the field, being named 3rd Team All-Conference as a designated player in 2019. She was also the 2020 winner of the Tami Pattillo Memorial Award, given to the HPU female student-athlete who most represents the HPU spirit, as chosen by the university’s coaching staff.

A 2015 graduate of Maypearl High School in Maypearl, she also excelled in the classroom. She was named to the Academic All-Conference team in 2020, finishing her undergraduate degree in kinesiology from Howard Payne in December 2020. She is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree from HPU. After her 2020 spring season was cut short due to COVID-19 and then following back surgery in December 2020, she took a graduate assistant position in the HPU athletic department. From that point, God would open another door for her, and she would get another opportunity at what she thought she had lost.

After first attending a junior college, how did you get to Howard Payne? K.H.: The coaches at the junior

college helped with the process, receiving many out-of-state offers from schools and even one Division I school. I had already been six hours from home for two years, so I was not very interested in going even further from home. Coach Jose Mata and assistant coach David Foster at Howard Payne had reached out, and I came on a visit. I loved the feeling I got from being here so much, I came back two more times with

“My hope … is to impact people’s lives just like mine has been changed at Howard Payne.”

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my other teammates from the junior college to try to get them here with me. After I had decided to attend HPU, the HPU coaches came to watch our regional tournament in Lubbock.

There I played against my current HPU teammate Alexis Sullivan before coming to HPU. What has been the most significant difference between your previous school and HPU? K.H.:

The most significant difference is a Christ-centered campus – being able to hear about Christ and getting to talk about our faith with students, professors and teammates.

In what ways have you been involved on campus outside of softball? K.H.: I was a kinesiology major

in my undergraduate program, and we had “Family Game Nights” with our whole department. It really made it feel like home. The professors would cook for us, and we’d watch sporting events, play games and just have fun. In the last semester of my senior year, I also had the opportunity to do an internship for Hunter Sims, the HPU athletic director. I really got an inside look at the athletic department and how much goes unseen by student-athletes. He really helped me gain so much knowledge on being a leader and taking on the responsibility for other sports and not just my own.

What had cut your playing career short? K.H.:

Well, I didn’t return in the spring of 2021 because I had back surgery in December of 2020. Thinking that I would not get another opportunity to compete in another season of softball, I was just thankful to get the opportunity to be a graduate assistant and thankful that Hunter Sims made it happen for me.

Tell us what spurred the thought of returning to play after taking the graduate assistant position in the HPU athletic department? K.H.: One day in

January, I was at the softball field early throwing front toss to HPU’s third baseman so she could get extra practice. I asked her if she could let me hit some balls. She tossed to me, and I felt great again. Coach Jose Mata came up and said, “You better cut that out, or I’ll put you in a uniform.” Jokingly, I said, “I’m ready – put me in a uniform.” Coach Mata told me to talk to Hunter Sims and HPU’s athletic compliance director, John Wilson. I went right at that moment to ask. Later that day, Hunter told me if I chose to play again, I would lose the H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

Kayla Hill ’20, a two-year letter winner while an undergraduate at HPU, resumed softball while pursuing an MBA.

graduate assistant position’s financial benefits and that it would be up to me to make that choice. After talking to my parents, I moved forward to be with the team where I was needed.

What type of role will you take as a player this season? K.H.: I can’t play catcher anymore, but the plan

is to just be an extra bat in the lineup and play a position if needed. Especially this year with COVID, I’m here to fill a hole and help the team if someone goes out.

PHOTO BY JARVIS GREEN

What is your plan after HPU graduate school?

K.H.: After this spring semester, I will rejoin the HPU

graduate assistant program and help with softball until I finish my graduate degree. Then, I plan on finding a collegiate program that is looking for an assistant coach. My hope is to give to a softball program and impact people’s lives just like mine has been changed at Howard Payne.

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What is your favorite memory on the softball field for the Lady Jackets? K.H.: My favorite memory

would be from my junior year playing Hardin-Simmons at home. HPU was down 2-4, and Alexis Sullivan was up to bat before me. She hit a single, and she looked at me: “Now it’s your turn to hit a base hit, okay?” With two outs and two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, I just didn’t think about it, got in the box and blanked out. I ended up hitting my first-ever walk-off home run to win the game. The Lady Jackets won 5-4.

What is your favorite thing about HPU ? K.H.: My favorite thing from HPU, in general, is meeting lifelong best friends. I think the student-athletes in all the sports at HPU get along well, and we are all like a giant family. I have met so many friends here that I will have for the rest of my life, and I’m forever grateful for that.

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PRAGUE

or Terry and Robin (Quinn) Chumbley, members of Howard Payne University’s class of 1991, the adventure of their lives together took them to the Czech Republic, serving students from various cultures at the Christian International School of Prague while raising a large family of their own.

Now on a one-year home assignment, the family lives in Early – just a few miles from their alma mater. Though their journey so far has spanned three decades and thousands and thousands of miles, it all began pretty simply: with a quick greeting in front of Veda Hodge Hall, HPU’s residence hall for women.

“He’s the first person I met at Howard Payne,” Robin says. “I was sitting on the bench outside Veda Hodge.”

Terry adds, with a smile, “She married the first person she met here.”

Though born in New York and having spent much of her childhood in Arizona and New Mexico, Robin was a teenager from Cleburne, Texas, when she visited HPU for the first time.

“I knew I needed to be in a school where I was a person and not just one of hundreds,” she recalls. “I fell in love with Howard Payne, and I knew this is where I was supposed to go.”

Terry, a second-generation Yellow Jacket – his father is Richard Chumbley ’67 – was born in Brownwood but grew up in Allen, where his family moved when he was still a baby. After high school, he first attended a community college in the area and, like Robin, wished for a more personal, close-knit college experience.

“My freshman English class had something like 280 kids in it,” he says. “I didn’t like being part of such a big school.”

Favorite HPU memories include Terry’s time as the on-campus movie projectionist on Friday nights. Movies were typically shown in Mims Auditorium, but a spontaneous experiment in his room in Jennings Hall opened up a whole new venue for that week’s movie.

“I was up in my room in Jennings, on the fourth floor,” he remembers. “We were previewing the movie on the wall and then turned the projector around and showed it on the front of Veda Hodge. We got this crazy idea: What if we put a screen there?”

With bed sheets sewn together by a local resident to serve as a movie screen, Yellow Jacket ingenuity gave the campus a memorable outdoor theatre experience, complete with popcorn by then-president Dr. Don Newbury ’61 and hot dogs provided by the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist

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Student Ministry), commonly known then as BSU. Terry and Robin were active in BSU, with Robin serving in the clown ministry and Terry involved with missions endeavors. They were also prayer partners.

On the academics side, Terry majored in accounting while Robin’s major was education. Favorite HPU faculty members included Dr. Frankie Rainey, who served as a professor in Christian studies and was a longtime faculty sponsor of Delta Pi, an organization with which Terry and Robin were involved.

“When I think of Howard Payne, I think of Dr. Newbury and Dr. Rainey,” Terry recalls. “Those were the two people who were the most influential in my life but also I think in the culture and the community on campus at that time.”

The year 1991 held major milestones for Terry and Robin: graduation from HPU and the beginning of their marriage.

Terry worked in accounting for the next few years before obtaining teaching certification, which then led to opportunities to teach and coach at various posts across the state. During those years, the couple’s first five children were born and new doors began opening for the next stage of their lives.

“We really felt a sense of the Lord calling us: ‘There’s something else I’ve been preparing you all these years to do,’” Terry says.

Through a friend of a friend, Terry learned of the opportunity to teach and coach overseas.

“God used that seed to pique Terry’s interest,” Robin remembers. “I told him to check it out and see what happens.”

An organization of international Christian schools posted job openings and the couple began sending résumés.

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as much as we could. Homeschooling was a deal-breaker in most places, but this little school in Prague reached out.”

The Christian International School of Prague had opened in 2004 to offer faith-based education to expatriate and Czech families. The Chumbleys were pleased to find the school – as well as the Czech Republic at large – very supportive of homeschooling, which is not always the case in Europe. The school also offered programs such as art and physical education to augment families’ homeschool curriculum.

Terry found a warm welcome there. He was surprised that the school seemed very American, though none of the students had grown up in America. They were “third-culture kids,” or TCKs, who typically share a rootlessness but also a broader worldview and ability to relate to others across the social spectrum. As the school grew, outreach opportunities included various community ministries through sports and other activities.

The Chumbleys have a mission-oriented approach to life, with Terry and Robin very much partners in ministry. While Terry’s days at the school were spent ministering to TCKs and their families, Robin’s days were devoted to homeschooling the couple’s six children.

“My mission field is my family,” she says. “I’m called to do that wherever my husband is working.”

Terry and Robin have five sons – Camden, Jared, Easton, Payton and Marek – and one daughter, Landry. Camden, age 23, lives in Frisco, Texas, with his wife, Brecklyn. Jared, 21, is a university student in Prague. Easton, 19, is now attending a community college in Mississippi and living with another TCK. Payton, 17, is considering HPU as his college choice and took part in a campus preview day event in the fall. Marek, 15, is a freshman in high school, while Landry, 13, is a seventh-grader.

Easton, Payton, Marek and Landry joined their parents on the home assignment. They’re bright, affable young people who enjoy video games, movies and various other hobbies common to typical American kids their ages.

A sense of God’s leading and a close-knit family dynamic have been sources of strength for the Chumbleys as they’ve ventured into new mission work, adapted to an unfamiliar culture and weathered major health challenges, all while growing in their understanding of God’s provision.

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“We’ve been really blessed,” Terry says, looking back on their experiences.

Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, dates back to the 9th century. Nicknamed “The City of a Hundred Spires,” Prague has a grandeur and a picturesque charm, making it one of Europe’s most distinctive destinations.

With an extensive tram network, Prague is also easy to navigate. The Chumbleys enjoyed discovering the city and making it their home.

“The architecture, the layout – everything is out of this world,” Terry says. “Even after being there 13 years, you walk across Old Town Bridge or you see Prague Castle and they’re impressive every time. It never gets old.”

As the one-year home assignment approached, however, Terry decided the time had come to resign from his position with the school.

“It can be very difficult if you’re the head of a school to say, ‘I’m going to be gone for a year – take care of everything while I’m gone,’” Terry says. “We hadn’t been back to the states for a long period of time and we hadn’t really reconnected with family and supporters, and it was a good time for us to do that.”

With the Prague chapter of their lives now closed and the home assignment in the U.S. underway, the Chumbleys live in the mission house in Early provided by the Heart of Texas Baptist Network. Terry works part-time at Good Samaritan Ministries in Brownwood.

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Naturally, after living overseas for 13 years, the move back to the U.S. was bittersweet.

“What I miss most about Prague are the people I knew there,” says Marek.

“I miss walking around the city,” Robin adds, “particularly at night when the lights were all on and you could cross the bridge. It was beautiful.”

Though they still feel a strong connection to Prague, the Chumbleys have adjusted well to life back in central Texas.

They appreciate the famous Texas friendliness as well as the barbecue, Mexican food and other tasty favorites such as donuts, which aren’t available in Prague.

“My favorite thing about Texas so far is probably Howard Payne,” Easton says. “And Underwood’s!”

Other cultural aspects have been a nice bonus. For instance, hearing “y’all” is a lot more common than it was in eastern Europe.

“We spoke Texan at home in Prague,” Terry says, while Payton adds that their dialect made them easy to spot: “Everyone said, ‘Here come the Chumbleys!’”

“We have a lot of friends who say ‘y’all’ now,” Landry says, “because they’ve heard us say it.”

Open to God’s leadership in the next phase of their lives’ adventure, Terry recently accepted a position with SHARE Education Services, an organization providing educational support for English-speaking expatriate families in various parts of the world. The Chumbleys will be stationed in Europe after the conclusion of the home assignment this summer.

As they prepare to return to Europe, Terry and Robin look back on their HPU days as having served a foundational role for the trajectory of their lives.

Robin credits HPU with providing a ministry-minded environment in which she sensed a call to missions, followed by a summer mission trip to Australia, where she and a partner worked with churches.

“The mission trip was a great opportunity to try some things and see God work,” she recalls. “That was the start to what He was going to bring us to do later.”

For Terry, his overall HPU experience was more than he could have dreamed when he was a 20-year-old transfer student.

“The day I stepped onto this campus,” Terry remembers, “I was at a point in my life when I needed some direction, I needed some support, I needed this community and I needed to be surrounded by a body of believers to really pour into my life. Not only did I get all that here, I got so much more. HPU truly is a transformational place.”

Senior Morgan Patterson will attend vet school in the fall. Left: Morgan poses with her golden PHOTOS WITH DOG BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18; LABORATORY PHOTO BY JARVIS GREEN

lab, Arlo.

Above: Morgan is a part of HPU’s rigorous biomedical science program, which prepares students for careers in the medical field.

“I’ve always been around animals – cows, horses, dogs, cats, hamsters – you know just any kind of pet, so I have always loved animals. I’ve been wanting to be a vet for pretty much my whole life.”

Morgan Patterson, senior biomedical science and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major, was recently accepted into Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. After a months-long process of applying, interviewing and waiting, Patterson will be able to continue her journey towards fulfilling a lifelong dream: becoming a veterinarian.

Although Patterson has worked hard to forge a career path for herself, she wasn’t always confident in her calling. At times she struggled to believe she was cut out for the medical field. By the time she got to high school, her doubts about the future were hard to ignore.

“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be a vet anymore or that I didn’t want to talk about the future, I was just scared of it,” she said.

When the time came for her to begin searching for a college to attend, Patterson

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found herself avoiding the subject altogether.

“My mom said when she was trying to get me to talk about college it was like pulling teeth,” Patterson shared.

So, when she was first introduced to HPU at a college career fair, Patterson didn’t feel compelled to apply, in spite of her interest in the university. It took her other passion – the game of soccer – to convince her to begin looking into colleges.

“I got a couple of soccer offers from other schools,” she said. “They were great and I

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loved that I would be playing soccer, but there was just something that didn’t feel right.”

Then Patterson received a call from Brandon Badgeley, HPU’s head women’s soccer coach.

“When Coach Badgeley reached out to me, I realized he was from Howard Payne, the school I had liked at the college fair, and I knew I needed to go check it out,” Patterson explained. “When I came here and met the soccer team, I knew that I would already have a good group of people to be around and I’d be in a place where I would be pushed to get closer to Christ. This was where God meant for me to be.”

Patterson arrived at HPU in the fall of 2017 with an undeclared major but joined the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy as a way to challenge herself.

“The Honors Academy offered great scholarships and I felt that it would push me more,” she said.

Patterson also quickly got involved in extracurricular activities. She is currently secretary for HPU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, captain and chaplain of the women’s soccer team, and president of Chi Alpha Omega and Tri Beta, Greek organizations on campus.

“I love staying busy because I enjoy everything that I’m in,” Patterson shared.

“Being involved in so much has helped me learn how to manage time really well.”

During her second semester at HPU,

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Patterson felt ready to declare a major: biomedical science. The decision to enroll in the rigorous program, which is designed for students pursuing careers in the medical field, was not taken lightly. The encouragement of Dr. Kristen Hutchins, professor and department chair of biology, played a large part in Morgan’s decision.

“Dr. Hutchins has been so helpful,” Patterson said. “She immediately started helping me figure out what I wanted do.”

It was in Dr. Hutchins’ health professions seminar class that Patterson first heard from Dr. Jeff Windham, a veterinarian who works at Cornerstone Pet Hospital in Brownwood. Patterson would shadow Dr. Windham in 2019.

“What he said really spoke to me,” Patterson said. “He didn’t sugarcoat anything – he told me exactly how everything is. There are hard times and there are happy times. That was just God placing Dr. Windham exactly where and when I needed to hear him.”

During her time working with Dr. Windham, Patterson assisted in surgeries, dental procedures and appointments.

“As soon as I got to work with him, I thought, ‘Okay, this is what I’m supposed to do,’” Patterson said. “If I hadn’t met Dr. Windham, I don’t know if I would have ended up choosing vet medicine.”

With strong role models like Dr. Hutchins, Dr. Windham and many others,

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PHOTOS BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

Patterson has received much encouragement and guidance in pursuing her calling to care for animals. She began the long process of applying to vet schools in June 2020. She applied to eight schools, but one stood out to her: Texas A&M University.

“My parents and grandparents went to A&M, my uncle’s a vet and he went to A&M – basically everyone in my family has gone there,” she explained. “A&M also just has a really good vet program that’s pretty established.”

Patterson had an interview scheduled for January, but due to the pandemic, A&M canceled the interviews and chose people solely based on their applications.

On January 21, Patterson woke up to some exciting news – she was accepted into A&M’s vet program.

“I immediately started crying happy tears,” Patterson shared. “I felt such an overwhelming joy. I was ecstatic, to say the least, and proud of myself. It was definitely one of the happiest moments of my life.”

Patterson has accepted A&M’s offer to attend its College

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of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and will begin classes in August. Until then, she will work toward a strong finish for her last semester at HPU. Patterson reflected on how her faith-based learning at HPU can extend into her future education and career.

“At HPU everything is somehow centered around Christ,” Patterson said. “Whether you’re on a sports team or in your classes, everything is led to getting closer to Christ and that doesn’t seem very prevalent in a lot of places. I would love to be able to bring that to the veterinary field.”

Patterson shared how grateful she is for her family’s encouragement and the support system she has found during her time at HPU. She also expressed how the last four years have taught her how to trust God with her future.

“God revealed how amazing the future can be if I trust Him and follow the path He has for me,” she said. “He put a passion in my heart for animals and for the veterinary field, which has led me not to fear the future, but to look at it with excitement and hope.”

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Rejoice

always Throughout hardships, HPU family remains joyful

t first glance, Howard Payne University has looked like much of the rest of the world throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are masking up, sanitizing everything and keeping our distance as much as possible. But if one were to take a closer look at HPU, he or she might notice something different about the university.

It’s clear during our Chapel services, in the classrooms, on the playing fields and in our offices. There is a light shining brightly on campus and in the hearts of our people. It’s joy – a soul-encompassing, deeper-than-happiness, God-given belief that allows Christians to live on this Earth while also looking forward to our Heavenly home.

The HPU family has not been immune to the trials, the sickness or the heartaches that have plagued the world throughout the last year.

So why do we remain full of joy?

Because the Bible commands us to rejoice Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God instructs His people to be joyful.

It’s not optional – it’s a commandment.

Consider these verses: “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven ...” (Matthew 5:12a, ESV).

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV).

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, ESV).

Still other mentions of joy in the Bible go as far as to command singing for joy (Psalm 67:4) and leaping for joy (Luke 6:23).

God’s expectations for us are clear.

Because God enables us to be joyful

Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (15:5, ESV).

We are not able to be joyful on our own.

But because God is so great, what He commands of us, He also makes possible. The Book of Acts discusses Jesus’ disciples being equipped for their role in preaching Christ to the nations. Chapter 13 concludes, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (v. 52, ESV).

The Holy Spirit is our Helper (John 14:26), which enables us to have a deep-rooted attitude of joyfulness despite any current circumstances.

Because we are followers of Christ HPU is comprised of people who, individually and collectively, love, worship and serve the Lord. As followers of Christ, we believe Jesus is who He says he is – the Son of God – and that He did what the Bible says He did – died on the cross, conquering sin and death, so that we might have everlasting life.

And if we truly believe that, we simply cannot help but be joyful.

There is a light shining brightly on campus and in the hearts of our people.

By Coby Sauce, MBA ’14 • Artwork by Victoria Henry H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

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In Memoriam Howard Payne University is saddened by the loss of the following alumni and other members of the HPU family between the dates of September 12, 2020, and February 19, 2021.

HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI Tommy R. Adams,

Rev. Marion J. Fonville ’63, February 4, 2021

(Former Board of Trustees member)

December 9, 2020

Wayne Ford ’60,

October 4, 2020

Donald R. Fuqua ’62,

Harold G. Armstrong ’59, Wanda S. (Nelson) Barbee ’49,

December 1, 2020

Carolyn (Houchins) Barkley ’66,

October 17, 2020

David M. Barrera ’91,

October 16, 2020

Rita A. (Layne) Burk ’61,

December 11, 2020

Beverly E. (Murray)

Chesser, January 8, 2021

Kenneth Clemmer,

November 13, 2020

James D. Crow ’17,

February 14, 2021

Matthew A. Davis,

December 1, 2020

Walter R. Edwards ’55,

December 7, 2020

Mildred L. Ensor,

October 20, 2020

Debbie K. (Milburn) Eoff ’78, January 7,

2021 (Former faculty/ staff; former Alumni Association Board of Directors member)

Dr. Bill L. Farmer ’57,

December 2, 2020 (Former Board of Trustees member)

Jennie B. (Steel) Fisher ’41, December 7, 2020

December 20, 2020

September 19, 2020

Norma M. Gafford ’71,

December 3, 2020

Dr. Herbert C. Garrett,

December 24, 2020

Max W. Graham ’63,

October 11, 2020

Hueland H. Hale ’79,

February 11, 2021

Dr. S.L. Harris ’48,

December 7, 2020 (Former faculty/staff; Grand Marshal, 2013; Medal of Service, 1992)

Joyce Harrison,

November 24, 2020

Louie C. Hayes ’29,

December 15, 2020

Rev. Walter B. Haynie ’52,

December 20, 2020 (Distingushed Alumni, 2013)

Cynthia J. (McLaughlin) Heard ’98,

December 26, 2020

Donald S. Hicks,

December 6, 2020

Dr. Vernon D. Holleman ’53, November 23, 2020

(Distinguished Alumni, 2016)

Lois U. (Wines) Holmes ’53, October 25, 2020

Hal D. Howard ’68,

January 4, 2021

42

L I N K / S P R I N G 2 02 1

Louise (Skipper) Hughes,

January 12, 2021

Willie L. Jenkins,

January 25, 2021

Judy R. Kelley, September

18, 2020 (Retired faculty/staff; Outstanding Staff Member Award, 2005-2006; Excellence in Service Staff Award, 2004-2005)

Jane (Black) Lacey ’52,

October 25, 2020 (Former Alumni Association Board of Directors member; Yellow Rose Award, 2009; Coming Home Queen, 2001; Grand Marshal, 2010) Leo Lacey ’50, November 11, 2020, (Grand Marshal, 2010; Medal of Service, 1998) Jerry P. Lee, November 6, 2020 Dr. Alaide S. (De Silva) Letbetter ’61,

January 2, 2021

Robert H. Lewis ’41,

September 22, 2020

Jacqueli Louis,

September 26, 2020

Donald C. Macon ’59,

December 26, 2020 Richard Mason, September 18, 2020 (Former Board of Trustees Member) Joseph D. Maxwell,

December 21, 2020

Ruby P. (Treadaway)

Roberta (James) McShan ’64, October 8, 2020

Samuel D. Mills ’52,

September 29, 2020

Bonnie (Frizzell) Peterson ’52,

November 5, 2020

Barry E. Phillips ’73,

December 2, 2020

Dorothy E. (Basket) Phillips ’56,

October 15, 2020

Lillie N. (Pearson) Phillips ’70,

December 8, 2020

Robert N. Poynor,

September 14, 2020

Mary A. Prince,

January 13, 2021

David G. Saldaña ’78,

December 13, 2020

Phillip T. Scaggs ’65,

October 28, 2020

Ann (Ricks) Sheffield ’70, February 10, 2021

(Retired faculty/staff)

Celinda L. (Wheat) Sexton,

October 2, 2020

Lisa C. (Dibrell) Streckert ’95,

January 22, 2021

Charles H. Strickland ’64, January 29, 2021

Joe F. Tarpley ’44,

January 16, 2021

Dr. John T. Taylor ’64,

November 27, 2020

Rose (Davis) Taylor ’62,

October 29, 2020

McBride ’66,

December 8, 2020

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

IN MEMORIAM

Jesse B. Teague ’50,

November 18, 2020

Darlene J. (Burrows) Tennison ’55,

December 26, 2020

Priscilla L. (Keel) Thetford,

December 5, 2020

Evelyn N. Tomlinson ’59,

December 4, 2020

Roy B. Whittenburg ’93,

November 24, 2020 (Former faculty/staff)

Tommy M. Wilson,

December 16, 2020 ADDITIONAL HPU FACULTY, STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS AND FRIENDS Dwain Bruner,

January 3, 2021 (Former Board of Trustees member)

Gaenell Ehrke,

January 4, 2021 (Friend)

Ariel A. Hernandez,

October 16, 2020 (Friend)

September 24, 2020 (Friend)

and that life

Jesse L. Kidd,

Dorothy S. Kirkman,

December 8, 2020 (Friend)

Dale A. Ross,

October 12, 2020 (Faculty/staff)

Richard T. Sharpe,

November 30, 2020 (Former Board of Trustees member)

William G. Shaw, PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

January 9, 2021 (Friend)

Dr. Danny L. Stephenson,

January 8, 2021 (Former faculty/staff)

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

“In him was life,

was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness

has not overcome it.”

(John 1:4-5, NIV)

L I N K / S P R I N G 2 02 1

43

Alma Mater

High above old Bayou’s waters, out on Center’s heights Stands our noble Alma Mater, towering in her might

Hail to thee our Alma Mater, hail the Gold and Blue 44

L I N K / S P R I N G 2 02 1

H OWA R D PAY N E U N I V E R S I T Y

PHOTO BY REBEKAH STERLING ’18

Keep her colors ever floating, sing her praises due

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Visit www.hputx.edu/referastudent to help send someone on a life-changing journey through HPU!

P.O. Box 2369 Brownwood, Texas 76804

STUDENT PERSPECT IV E This photo of HPU’s Doakie Day Art Center was taken by Brianne Davis, a senior from Comanche majoring in art.