E&H Welcomes Writer of 'Colleges That Change Lives'

Emory & Henry College welcomed Monday the writer of a popular guidebook that focuses on institutions that change the lives of students.

Hilary Oswald visited Emory & Henry as part of the research she is doing at colleges across the country for Colleges That Change Lives, a best-selling guidebook that profiles 40 institutions for their work in transforming the lives of students.

Emory & Henry, which has long been listed in the guidebook, hosted Oswald to a day of meetings with students, faculty members and administrators.  She also visited a core curriculum class taught by Dr. Jack Wells, an E&H history professor, and a Public Policy & Community Service course, taught by Dr. Joe Reiff, E&H religion professor.

“Emory & Henry feels like a place where people are invested in each other,” Oswald said while visiting the campus. “Out of all of the places I’ve been, here it feels like the students are truly invested in the community. The students think about practical things they can do to impact the community.”

First written by the late Loren Pope, Colleges That Change Lives was first published in 1996 and, since its beginning, has included Emory & Henry. According to the book, "Emory & Henry doubles the talents of most of the kids it gets, and contributes to their moral development as well. It is a caring, nurturing college, and it may be unique in the way it works with parents .”

Oswald, who has been enlisted by Penguin Books and Pope’s heirs to write the next edition of the book, had read another book by Pope, Looking Beyond the Ivy League, while a high school student. A graduate of Davidson College, she said, “I’m a big believer in the power and purpose of a liberal arts education, and I will always be grateful to Mr. Pope for his guidance.”

David Hawsey, Emory & Henry’s vice president of enrollment management, arranged Oswald’s visit to Emory & Henry and was among the first to welcome her to campus. “It was wonderful to have Hilary visit our campus, meet our bright students and to see the great work that this college does to transform the lives that will have such an important, positive impact on their world.”