Hundreds of HPU faculty, staff and students welcomed new students to campus and moved their belongings into their residence halls. Doug Hall, assistant director of HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development, is pictured in the foreground directing families.
HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 17, 2019 – Cheers and applause were heard across campus today as High Point University’s newest students arrived.
HPU families filled the city of High Point and HPU this weekend as 1,500 new students moved into their residence halls. They are part of a record total enrollment of 5,400 students this year.
Hundreds of HPU upperclassmen, faculty and staff volunteered to help new students move into their rooms on Friday and Saturday. Families will also enjoy HPU Convocation on Sunday, where HPU President Nido Qubein will deliver the keynote address.
Before arriving to HPU’s campus, these families were greeted with purple all across the city. Local businesses, hotels and restaurants displayed special “Welcome HPU Families” signage as the weekend provides a major economic boost.
Chicago native Lexi Miller, a member of the Class of 2023, was drawn to HPU’s academic programs and career connections.
“The interior design program is what first attracted me to HPU,” says Miller, who moved into the R.G. Wanek Center on Friday. “When I stepped foot on campus, I knew this was the environment I wanted to be in. I knew I could call HPU home.”
New York native Marcus Deknatel, a computer science major, appreciates HPU’s forward-thinking environment.
“I love the sense of community here, the drive to innovate and create and be someone new,” said Deknatel.
Many new students who moved in already have siblings at HPU. Julie Harvey, from Warsaw Indiana, moved her daughter Dayle into the University Center 2 residence hall. Her older son, Lucas, is a sophomore who volunteered for HPU’s Move In Crew.
“We love HPU,” said Julie Harvey. “This university provides a challenging, broad education so students can find their passion, and it’s safe. Both Move In Day experiences have been equally as exciting, energetic and exhilarating, and it comes from the students who are here welcoming us.”
Harvey also appreciates how HPU connects students to the community.
“I love that HPU emphasizes giving back to the community, and I love that HPU asks freshmen to bring their favorite childhood book to give to local schools,” she said.
Students will continue to enjoy a variety of Welcome Week activities until classes begin on Tuesday. A long list of new academic programs and facilities will also open next week.
Overheard at HPU Move In Day
Below is a snapshot of reactions from HPU freshmen and parents.
“When we first visited campus, we noticed the impressive security, which put our minds at ease about everything going on in the world,” said Mike Miller, father of freshman Lexi Miller, who both hail from Chicago. “As someone who has worked in corporate America, I also appreciate the life skills HPU focuses on. I know how important it is for young people to be prepared when they get to the workplace. Those life skills make HPU graduates stand out from their peers entering the workforce.”
“One of the reasons my son was drawn to HPU was the very welcoming and positive first impression,” said Jeffrey Apperson, who graduated from High Point College in 1979 and moved his son, Ryan, into Finch Hall today. “Another important reason is the life skills curriculum. That is very beneficial to the students in finding success in their career and life. HPU’s reputation is the best college in the South. I know many people who have come here like myself.”
“Of all the schools I visited, my first moments on HPU’s campus stunned me,” said Ryan Apperson, from Louisville, Kentucky. “The environment is very inspiring, and when I heard Dr. Qubein talk about the opportunities available to students, that sealed the deal for me. I felt like I would miss a big opportunity if I didn’t come here. I know this will be a very uplifting environment conducive to building my life and career.”
Caroline and Ava Carter are twins from Lakeland, Florida, who moved into the Women’s Complex today.
“It’s a great school,” said Caroline Carter, from Lakeland, Florida. “I know other students who have come to HPU from our area, and the reputation is wonderful. HPU stood out more than any other college I saw.”
“I really appreciated hearing that HPU is a God, family and country school,” said Nancy Carter, whose twin daughters, Caroline and Ava, are HPU freshmen. “Everyone we’ve met seems to embrace that as their own mantra. We’ve raised our children, and now we’re sending them into the world. We want them to live by that same belief.”
“My brother came a year before I did to HPU, and he fell in love with it,” said Dayle Harvey from Warsaw, Indiana. “As soon as I came here, I knew it was the place for me. It felt like home. Everyone who works on campus is excited to be here and has an eagerness to learn. The opportunities that they present with any career are perfect, and you won’t find these experiences anywhere else.”
“There’s a lot of support on campus and a lot of connections that HPU will help you make to further your career,” said freshman Nicholas Ahrens, from New Canaan, Connecticut. “I’ve seen my brother experience that. I’m really excited to work in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. It’s an amazing school.”
“My older son had a such a great, successful experience at HPU that it was an easy choice to send our younger son here, too,” said Peter Ahrens, father of HPU freshman Nicholas and HPU senior Hunter. “It’s the whole sense of community and warmth that HPU provides. There are many people here to support our sons while they also gain a sense of independence.”
“The life skills HPU teaches students were important to us,” said Mike Francois, whose son, J.B., is a freshman. “I’ve experienced how important those are in the world. I also appreciate that Dr. Qubein teaches students that life is about being part of something bigger. We want our son to experience that transformation.”