There was one central theme at Lindsey Wilson College’s 93rd Homecoming celebration and that was the profound significance of coming home.
Newly minted LWC Director of Alumni Relations Allison Cross, who has been in her new role for only 19 days, opened the luncheon with just that sentiment.
“I have to tell you, it feels like I never left,” said Cross who is a 2008 graduate of LWC. “This place just feels like home to me. Lindsey Wilson took a scared, shy, and frankly lost teenager and turned her into an adult – someone who has a passion for learning and someone with a passion for serving.”
LWC’s 2024 Outstanding Young Alumna Award recipient Emily Carnall ’12 McCullough emphasized the same feeling when she spoke of how important it is to start with a strong foundation and support system.
“Lindsey Wilson is not just a school, it is the place where my roots were planted and from those roots, everything else in my life has grown,” said McCullough from Mt. Washington, Kentucky. “It is often said that our work is a reflection of the lessons we’ve learned. And for me, everything I do now is rooted in the experiences I had during my time at LWC.”
Along with McCullough, LWC honored three additional members of the LWC family on Saturday at the annual National Alumni Association Award Celebration and Luncheon. LWC Board of Trustee Bruce Harris ’08 from Hoover, Alabama, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award; Board of Trustee Linda Underwood King ’67 from Louisville, Kentucky, received the Distinguished Service Award; and retiring Board of Trustee B.J. Burnett from Lexington, Kentucky, received the Honorary Alumnus Award.
In his acceptance speech, Bruce Harris credited LWC for the significance the College has had on the trajectory of his life.
“I know just like everything else that has ever come my way or any wonderful endeavor I have ever been associated with – it came about because someone at Lindsey Wilson helped to make happen,” Harris said. “I arrived at this campus exactly 20 years ago, which means that I have been undergirded, supported, encouraged, and propelled forward by the indelible impact of this place and of these people.”
Harris went on to commend the College on its incredible growth and the far-reaching impact it is having on a global scale.
“Students are coming to us today in ways we never thought possible,” Harris continued. “Yes they are still coming to us from rural Appalachia and living on campus – but they are also coming to us online and through satellite campuses and master’s and doctorate programs. But you know what, they are ours. They leave here and they are alumni. They carry the Blue Raider banner just like we do. The mission of Lindsey Wilson College is to serve the educational needs of students. That includes every student, every day. And thanks be to God it also includes every way.”
Because of the cancellation of the homecoming football game between LWC and St. Andrews (North Carolina) University due to the remnants of Hurricane Helene, the coronation ceremony for the 2024 homecoming king and queen was postponed. The crowning has been rescheduled for October 19 when LWC football takes on Campbellville University at Parnell Family Stadium, Lindsey Wilson Sports Park. LWC will provide more details at a later date. For more information email the Director of Student Activities at blackwoods@lindsey.edu or call 270-384-8033.
