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A few weeks ago, I passed by our Merritt Administration building and noticed a grounds team planting brown bulbs next to the sidewalk. I didn’t think much of it and passed on to my next task. But a few weeks later those plain brown bulbs had transformed into rows upon rows of breathtaking tulips. Red, orange, pink and white framed the walkway toward Merritt and I had to pause for a moment and appreciate their beauty. In many ways I feel like they encapsulate the collegiate experience that your generous contributions provide for each student at Anderson. When I arrived at the University almost three years ago, I felt somewhat like a brown bulb being planted.
“I had a lot of potential that needed to be explored, and in the rich soil provided by Anderson, I began to grow academically, communally and spiritually.”
– Emily Butts
Through participation in Anderson’s holistic liberal arts curriculum, I have been exposed to ideologies and methods that have sharpened me. I can remember sitting dumbfounded in Honors Philosophy while Dr. Turner helped us walk through Plato’s Metaphysics or walking out of Dr. Renberg’s Christian Worldview class fueled by a thoughtful discussion about naturalism or the problem of evil. And these experiences are not unique to my collegiate journey. Anderson University’s Gold Core Curriculum is a 41-credit hour collection of courses that allow students to explore historic answers to life’s biggest questions. It prepares students to become ethical, global ctizens, evaluators of disparate information and problem-solvers. Beyond the Gold Core Curriculum, students in every major have access to world-class knowledge and experiences that prepare them for their desired career. While our classroom environments are rigorous and engaging, one of my favorite things about Anderson is the priority the University places on real-world experience.
As an education major, I have been working in classrooms since the second semester of my freshman year and have already accrued more than 100 hours of clinical experience. And my circumstance is not unique. Nursing majors can serve in a variety of hospital settings; students in The South Carolina School of the Arts regularly perform for prestigious audiences; business and engineering majors complete paid internships that provide meaningful work experience; and the list goes on. Your generosity provides each student an opportunity to engage in these courses and practica, thereby helping us develop exponentially. Through the rigorous academics at Anderson, we are equipped to walk out of college and into our careers with well-stocked resumes and sharp, analytical and problem-solving minds.
In addition to academic growth, Anderson’s rich soil has also led to communal growth in my life. The pillars of Anderson University are Great Academics, Great Faith, Great Hospitality and Great Purpose. Woven into those foundations is a pillar of great fun. When I walked onto this campus as a freshman, I was nervous about making friends and finding my place, but those fears have been alleviated time and again through Anderson’s commitment to promoting community on campus. Our Campus Activities team hosts a plethora of events, the number of activities actually rivaling the number of academic days in the semester. These events provide us with opportunities to begin and subsequently strengthen meaningful friendships that will last a lifetime. Fall semester every year starts off with Welcome Week, a set of activities geared toward freshmen that features daily events such as Grocery Bingo, West Fest, Beach Bash and a block party. As the school year continues, so do the opportunities for serving and celebrating on campus. Because of your funding, students have the opportunity to enjoy college to the fullest and create memories. I know I will return fondly to my excitement when I won Grocery Bingo as a freshman, the fun that swirled around consuming slab stone ice-cream in the cafeteria late at night and the joy I experienced in getting to light my little brother’s candle at our annual Trojan Tradition event as he started his AU journey this year. My best friends now travel the same sidewalks as me as we walk through this college journey together, and it is because of your commitment to Anderson that we get to grow in a community like no other.
Rich soil at Anderson has helped me grow academically and communally, but I have also blossomed in my faith. Your partnership with Anderson allows students to encounter the Gospel many times throughout their journey here, which is a rare and monumental gift. Through weekly Campus Worship services, I have learned how to worship God more fully and apply his Word to my life. Through my involvement in the Reformed University Fellowship, one of our many campus ministries, I have gone deep into God’s Word, learned invaluable leadership skills through leading a small group and discovered more about God’s goodness and faithfulness as I’ve walked through some very challenging seasons. Through the leadership of godly professors, I have grappled with how I can effectively share my faith in a secular workspace. By supporting Anderson’s commitment to Biblical values, you ensure that each incoming student encounters the risen Jesus Christ and is invited to engage in a personal and life-changing relationship with Him. In the spiritual soil of this University, lives are changed and ambassadors are trained to share the love of Christ as we leave this place.
Without your faithful support of Anderson University, we, the student body, would not get to experience such amazing academic, communal and spiritual growth. You are part of the reason our population of students continues to grow every year, the reason our academic programs flourish and new programs are added and the reason every student on campus receives financial aid.
The tulips lining Merritt walkway will not last, but I speak on behalf of our entire student body when I say that through your generosity, the brown bulbs we plant freshman year are transforming into beautiful flowers. I am confident that the growth I have experienced here will equip me to continue serving and leading as a witness for Christ and a servant of God and humanity in years to come.
Emily Butts is a senior in the Anderson University College of Education. She majors in Elementary Education with minors in Special Education and Christian Studies. This is an excerpt from the speech she gave at the 2025 Anderson University Honors Convocation. It has been edited for length and clarity.