Ben Sells
With Convocation, we bring together new and returning students with faculty and staff to formally begin the academic year.
This year’s university theme has been “lives of meaningful work,” a phrase in our mission statement focused on one purpose of a Ouachita education. There are many dimensions to a life of meaningful work. This morning, I want to highlight one: that we’re called to be stewards in every season of life. This notion is illustrated in Scripture, and you exemplified it at Ouachita.
When I was six, my family moved into a president’s home as my father took the helm at a Baptist university. Early on, I discovered that he put loose change in his briefcase and didn’t seem to mind that I collected the coins. In time, I started reading his papers, sparking my interest in Christian higher education.
With Convocation, we formally bring together new and returning students with faculty and staff to begin the 138th year of Ouachita Baptist University.
Words of wisdom: Learners rather than knowers
May 18, 2023Based on what your predecessors report, your Ouachita education and experience have prepared you exceedingly well. Indeed, the investment in you by faculty and staff, the support of your family and classmates, the time and effort you have put forward and the grace of God help you go from this place with an advantage.
Contemporary higher education narratives can be negative, often deservedly so. Alternatively, Ouachita’s story is positive – in large part because of our determination to engage.
Hope grows in a nourished imagination
September 02, 2022I like Chapel and seldom miss attending. I like being with students in Chapel. There are probably fewer than 100 universities in the country where essentially the entire student body can all be together. In my first six years, I’ve appreciated how students respect and engage in Chapel. I believe it’s an important part of what makes Ouachita, Ouachita.