During the first session on Saturday morning I asked four students (Brianna Walker, Mary Beth Carlisle, Danny Delgado and Elizabeth Poulos) to come to the stage (without any warning) to answer a few spontaneous questions.  Each of the students answered their questions with poise and passion—and they told the Samford story far better than I would have done. In particular, Elizabeth Poulos offered a beautiful reply to the question, “Which person at Samford has influenced you the most, and why?”

Last year as a freshman, I was taking Biblical Perspectives and struggling with how to transition from high school thinking to college-level learning. Dr. McGinnis was my professor for another course in the Fellows program, yet he still recognized that I was having a difficult time. After class one day, he offered to buy me a cup of coffee and then sat and talked with me in the food court for about two hours until I felt at peace with where I was. To have a busy professor stop to invest in me in such a purposeful way was a gift that has helped me recognize what as special place this truly is.                                                                                                                   

 The world is better because Scott McGinnis makes good use of his time.