By Bethany Ellis
August 7, 2022, I moved into my dorm at Oklahoma Baptist University convinced I knew exactly who I was. Three years later, with graduation three months away, I can say with confidence that I had no idea how much I was about to change.
At first, I was just fine. I stayed busy meeting new people in color guard, decorating my dorm that I had spent the whole summer planning, and figuring out campus culture. But on the second night, I lay in my bed as my thoughts came flooding in, wondering if I had made the right decision. I called my parents crying because I was so homesick. I had spent my whole life in the same city, so adjusting to being away on my own was hard.
I am someone who needs to stay busy and keep a consistent schedule. If I sit around doing nothing for too long, it messes with my head and I go stir-crazy. My thoughts quieted somewhat as I kept myself busy at band camp, learning new exercises and techniques. But there was still a voice in the back of my mind reminding me that I wasn’t home with my family.
What helped was when my new friends would do things with me — touring everyone’s dorm rooms, making Walmart runs, or just sitting in the lobby chatting and getting to know each other better. Eventually, that voice grew quieter. Finding your people really does shift your mind in a peaceful way. Those people become your second family. Community happens when you show up and put yourself out there. It sounds hard at first, but trust me — it becomes so rewarding that you eventually find it hard to do life on your own when you’ve spent every waking moment with those people.
Things got easier once Welcome Week started. I remember sitting in a friend’s room, looking out the window as the cars shook, the Tri-W’s ran in carrying students’ belongings, and the entire campus seemed to say, We’re glad you’re here. You belong here. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was watching everyone else find their place — I felt like I was part of it.
We were assigned to our groups, met our Small Group Leaders, and spent the week learning the heart behind Oklahoma Baptist University. Participating in The Walk, Ka-Rip Wars, and Serve Shawnee didn’t just introduce me to traditions — they helped me feel rooted in a community that was quickly becoming my home away from home.
After Welcome Week, the Lord poured into my growth in every area: spiritual, mental, and emotional.
During my freshman year, I carried a strange emptiness in my heart. It felt like God was silent and I couldn’t receive anything He was trying to teach me. Looking back now, I see that the silence was never actually there. God was present in the friends I met, in professors who poured into me, and in a community that showed up at exactly the right time. The voice telling me I was alone and falling behind wasn’t from Him — it came from discouragement and doubt, which I eventually learned not to listen to.
So if you’re walking through a season where God feels distant, know that He has never left you, and He never will. He is working in the smallest details, even when you can’t see it yet.
Despite those early struggles, my freshman year eventually felt like smooth sailing. I found my community through color guard, rushed Pi Sigma Phi, changed my major to film, and joined the yearbook staff. For the first time, I felt confident and unstoppable.
Then the April 19 tornado happened.
It was the night of our last winter guard community performance. Afterward, I went back to my dorm to freshen up and relax before getting some work done. When I went downstairs to the lobby, I heard someone say there was a tornado warning. Within seconds, I was rushing down the stairs into the basement.
My emotions were a rollercoaster. This was the first real tornado I had ever experienced — no false alarms. I sat with a friend, watching the weather like a hawk while talking to my parents on the phone, praying the storm would pass us.
Unfortunately, it didn’t.
When we came out, the campus was unrecognizable. There was no power, and the place that had become my home was damaged and scattered. I went to bed that night in shock. The next morning, I charged my phone in my car and finally saw the full extent of the destruction around me. And yet, in the middle of that devastation, I was reminded that God had protected every single one of us.
I went home for ten days. During that time, the Lord showed me that even though buildings were damaged, the most important things were still standing — my people, my purpose, and my place here. When I returned to Oklahoma Baptist University, I came back to my routine, but I wasn’t the same person.
Looking back on that chapter of my life, I can see how much I was being stretched and shaped. The 19-year-old girl who questioned whether she had made the right college choice is now a 22-year-old leader, passionate storyteller, and someone who confidently calls Oklahoma Baptist University her second home.
Through long rehearsals, late nights spent editing, moments of doubt, and seasons of unexpected hardship, I discovered strengths I didn’t know I had. I learned how to use my voice, how to serve others, and how to step into opportunities even when I didn’t feel ready.
I am not just graduating with a degree from OBU — OBU gave me the tools to walk into the real world with purpose. It gave me professors who believed in me, organizations that pushed me into leadership, and friendships that showed me what Christ-centered community looks like. It gave me the confidence to tell stories that matter and the faith to trust God in seasons that don’t make sense.
And if you’re in the middle of your own uncertain season — you’re not alone.
