O-U-A-C-H-I-T-A

I had this little idea. The OBU BlogAbout - trying to get as many people as possible to blog about OBU on the same day. Of course, this means I also get to share my thoughts.

But how do I do that? How do sum up Ouachita Baptist University for me? I can't. It's too big. I've been a student. Now I'm on staff.

And it all started many years ago. My youth minister in McKinney, Texas, Kevin Wieser, had gone to Ouachita. I never really considered any where else. While the rest of my family was talking about UT, I was talking about OBU.

I remember coming to Tiger Tunes and staying with Cindy Shopmeyer from my youth group. Her roommate Amy Ables was such fun and they made me feel so welcome.

In the Spring of my senior year I came to campus with my high school friends, Elizabeth and Savannah. All three of us chose OBU, along with about 5 others from my graduating class (Randy's purple sport coat has long been a favorite memory!).

My time at OBU was not perfect. Transitioning was difficult. I even considered transferring. But once I turned it over to God and dropped the massive expectations of a perfect life, I found friends that walked me through some dark times. They saw me through the loss of my step mom while I was a student. They've seen me through the loss of my dad since we've been back as faculty/staff.

We moved back in '06 when my husband, a die-hard Aggie, took a job as a professor in the history department. He's a die-hard Tiger now!

A year and a half ago God blessed me with the opportunity to join OBU as Director of Admissions Counseling. Now I get to spend my days telling others about how much I love Ouachita!

My family (me, my husband and my three kiddos) are regularly decked out in purple and gold for football, basketball, baseball, soccer...you name it, we try to be there as often as possible.

My kids learned to ride their bikes on this campus (I'm sure you recognize the awkward steps behind him...).
As I type this, my kids are bugging me to load up and go to campus to ride. Most likely some of what I like to call The Posse will be there. A whole gaggle of faculty staff kids who are prime bike/scooter riding age. On quiet, beautiful days like today they can be found cruising campus.

OBU students babysit my kids...and love my kids. My kids love them.


It's not just where Casey and I work. It's deeply woven into the fabric of our lives.

It is the Ouachita Family. I've heard about it since those first visits to campus. It's still just as true today as it was back then. We are part of a family.

It is a special place. A different place.

I truly am a Tiger for Life.