Samford University

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Hallmarks and Quirks

Things I'm Good At:

Getting my students great internships. I have a massive JMC department with a ton of networking opportunities, so my grads get the first bite at the apple when it comes to cool internships. Think Fox, ESPN, iHeartRadio, and Southern Living magazine. Speaking of Southern Living magazine, I share my campus with them. Be nice, and they'll practically hand you an internship—or pass your résumé along to a similar magazine.
Making good on my promises to get grads jobs. 94% of my students are employed or in grad school within six months of graduation. The other 6% have an MRS.
Churning out Fulbright scholars. I produce at least one per year. Not bad for someone my size. I also offer lots of other scholarship-based study abroad opportunities.
Keeping things small and professional. My classes have a 12:1 student to faculty ratio and are excellent for discussion. Moreover, none of my classes are taught by a graduate assistant.
Giving my business majors the edge. If you're a business major, you can apply to be a Brock scholar, where you can tailor your major to suit your particular business interests.

My Top 5 Must-Haves:

An ENO (it's a type of hammock). You'll be lost in "Vail Forest" if you don't have one. Better get a pair of Chacos while you're at it.
Layers. This is Alabama, people. One day we might have snowmaggedon (a.k.a. that one time Highway 280 shut down and was on Good Morning America), and the next day it'll be sunny and seventy-five degrees. The Yellowhammer State likes to keep you guessing.
A punny sense of humor and a pair of strong thumbs. I love a good joke at my own expense, and the amount of twitter and insta accounts that exist for the sole purpose of making fun of me is ridiculous. And awesome. I'm looking at you, @SamfordBarbie and @SamfordPuddles. #blessed #liveauthentic #kinfolk #thatsdarling.
A Bible. Between Bible study, church, and convo, you're going to want one. I'm partial to the ESV edition, but I think the King James is pretty good, too.
Coffee—preferably in an IV. I'm talking about Lorelai from Gilmore Girls coffee levels. You'll also need to know how to make coffee six different ways.

Why You Might Have Heard of Me:

Both Forbes and U.S. News Report (the big guns) named me the #1 private university in Alabama and the #3 in the South.
My nursing program is in the top twenty, nationwide.
My pharmacy program and law school were the first of their kind in the Southeast.
The films October Baby and Woodlawn were both filmed on campus and my students helped produce them.
My Kappa chapter of Alpha Delta Pi won the Maxine Blake Golden Lion Award, making it the most prestigious chapter in the country.

On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...

I'm probably at a philanthropy event, bible study, or local coffee shop. I like to spend my free time being intentional—which basically means coming up with new ways to spread the love.

Is there a better place to be intentional than at a coffee shop with your discipleship group, pouring over a Psalm? No, there's not—unless Seeds is hosting a benefit concert where a percentage of their profits go to sustain a village in Haiti the same night.

Favorite Hangouts:

BBP (Ben Brown Plaza) is the social hub on campus. It's the place to meet between classes—and it's right next to the Chick-Fil-A.
The Quad is a classic college scene: trees, grass, and a 98% chance that you'll get whacked in the head by a Frisbee if you don't watch out.
The President's office—but not because I get in trouble a lot. He's a cool guy, and his door is always open if you want to voice a concern or just hang out.
Taco Mama and Urban Cookhouse. Locally-sourced mom-and-pop-style food? I'll be there before you can say, "You look pale. Are you getting enough iron?"
Octane. I love to "get out of the bubble" and join everyone else who is also getting out of the bubble at this hip coffee place.
Oak Mountain State Park. I love hiking because nature is neat, ya feel. Also, given the choice, I'd rather be outside 'roughing it.'
Pepper Place Farmer's Market, where they have sweet tea in mason jars in the morning. What? This is Birmingham.

Quirks:

To graduate, you must attend sixty convocation credits, which range from TEDx talks to missionary visits, campus worship to a whole host of arts performances.
Step Sing, the annual Glee-style showdown. At Samford, the banner drop (theme reveal) is the equivalent of pre-season college football rankings for the rest of the country. My students will pay to see each other sing and dance, but I have to literally drop money from a helicopter to get them to go to a baseball game.
I treat my University Fellows (a.k.a. honors program students) to a sweet trip to Italy to study the philosophical influence of the Greco-Roman world on modernity. Sure, you have to complete two years of very demanding coursework first—but, details, people. Details.
The grass here is green all year long. I'm not actually sure what I'd look like with brown grass. Weird, probably. I'd rather not find out.
The gender ratio is a heavily skewed 3:1, but none of those single ladies are actually single—they like to say that they're "dating Jesus for a while and waiting for the right man to step in."
A big rite of passage is to climb the Reid chapel at night. It's usually unlocked, but for some reason, everyone still gets a little nervous when they're doing it.

Famous Alumni:

Tony Hale, Emmy-winning actor and writer
Bobby Bowden, football player and coach
Robert Aderholt, congressman
Jimbo Fisher, football coach
Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, singers for the country band Little Big Town