One thing that sets the Cedarville experience apart from other universities is the relationships you develop with your professors. It’s always been something that I’ve appreciated and cherished throughout my four years here. Knowing that my professors not only care about my grades, but care about me as a person, has helped my academic, spiritual, and personal growth. Every professor I have had did not turn away the opportunity to answer my questions, go out for coffee, stay after class to talk, pray for me, and ask me how I was doing.
-Photo taken in 2018-
This semester, relationships with professors have looked a little different, but our professors still show love and compassion for us. Cedarville professors are special and unique. I would love to highlight a couple of my favorite memories with professors I have had over the years. These are examples of how professors have loved students before the safety precautions with COVID-19. Even though we may not be able to do all these things for a while, our professors have still been creative in showing compassion. Look forward to this when you come to Cedarville!
1) Scheduling office hour meetings to ask questions
In my freshman year, I missed a lot of opportunities and good conversations with my professors because I was too afraid to ask for help! But once I started taking advantage of my professors’ office hours, not only did I have my questions answered, but I learned so much wisdom and godly advice from my professors. When I was an English major, Dr. Wilfong (who is now retired) was the first professor I wasn’t afraid to interact with and felt like I could talk to her about anything. I will always remember this one quote from this wise woman: “Outward beauty fades, but true beauty is that of inward virtue and wisdom, which lasts for a lifetime.” She is a picture of what inward virtue and wisdom looks like, and she taught me not only how to be a better writer, but also to pursue Christ daily. My favorite things about having her as a professor were moments like these, how she always had so much energy in the morning and even made us get up to do some exercises, how she made sure to remind us that we did recreational things over the weekend, and how she always told jokes or asked us to tell some.
2) Coffee talks
-Photo taken in 2019-
Professors are more than willing to take time outside of the classroom or office hours to catch up or have a conversations. I must give an honorable mention again to Dr. Wilfong, who would get coffee with her students to have conversations about life and faith- I would also like to mention Dr. DeWitt’s Friday morning coffee conversations. Dr. DeWitt is a biblical studies professor who you will most likely have for Theology 1 or 2. He invites his class to convene at the campus coffee shop, Rinnova, every Friday morning (which now takes place over zoom), dubbing it after C.S. Lewis’ novel as “Mere Caffeination.” He discusses “what’s going on in the world of worldview,” talking about various topics and how we would approach them with a Christian worldview. I love how intentional he is with his students about applying our beliefs to the real world and helping us to think through our faith. He truly enjoys getting to know his students, as you’ll see in the next section as well!
3) Professors hosting a get together at their home
This is one of my favorite things about professors, and I will again use Dr. DeWitt as an example. He opens his home to his students and truly treats every person like family. Every semester, he will have a “Dessert at the DeWitts’” for his classes. His wife makes some delicious food, they have a campfire with s’mores, and all his students are invited! It really is special and shows how much he cares about his students.
I can’t leave this section without mentioning Christmas at the White House. Though Dr. White is not specifically a professor, I think it is still worth the mention since he is the president of Cedarville University, and his Christmas parties are not something prospective students hear about often! In December, the White family hosts a giant Christmas party at their house and invites all Cedarville students to come at different time slots. Mrs. White gets help from students to make all the food, especially her famous chocolate oreo balls! I’ve never come across another university where the president opens up his home to all his students, and it truly shows how much he and his family care about each student. They love to talk to and get to know everyone who comes to their house. The love of Christ truly radiates in their hospitality and genuine intentionality.
4) Professors bringing their family to class
Last but not least, professors who may not always be able to open up their home will bring their home to their students! Professors love for their students to get to know their family and interact with them. I’ve had three professors that have brought their families to class for a day, and it was the sweetest thing to experience. Dr. Jon Wood, who is a biblical studies professor and the Vice President for Student Life and Christian Ministries, had his wife and young children visit during Theology 2. They stayed for most of the class, and we had a Q&A session with them, plus they brought candy for us to enjoy! It was a nice break amidst a busy midterm week, and such a fun way to get to know him and his family more! Another professor, Dr. Carrington, who teaches in the Professional Writing and Information Design major, loves to talk about his wife and children and show us pictures of them, and they are so adorable! During one class, his entire family, including his nieces and nephews, visited and they were all between the ages of about 1-5. They put a smile on all of our faces! Another one of our professors in the major, Prof. Wingerter, had her husband and her baby visit a couple weeks after the baby had been born (along with some donuts! how thoughtful is that?). She let us all hold the baby too, and it was so sweet how much she trusted us and wanted to share this part of her life with us. I will never forget it!
I encourage you to get to know your professors and interact with them because they truly care about you and want to get to know you more! They are one of your spiritual leaders throughout your Cedarville journey, and I couldn’t recommend enough to take advantage of opportunities to talk to your professors. It will not only help you to grow academically, but spiritually as well. Get excited to be invested in by your professors!
Majoring in Professional Writing and Information Design, Class of 2021
Second Language: Polish
Favorite Activity: Contemporary and Lyrical Dancing
Favorite Hobby: Making Clay Jewelry
Tags: #professors, #unique
Posted in: College Life, Education