This past Thursday and Friday, Impact 360 students and staff had the pleasure of hosting the first preview day of the year as the search for the class of 2016 begins. Since so many of us have been through this fun life-changing process of discovery, interviews, and decision making in the past, we could not wait to support prospective students on their journeys.
Each preview day has a theme, and October’s was a hoedown. Dubbed the “360 roundup,” it was held to welcome the interviewees on Thursday night. We had a blast line-dancing, drinking sweet tea from mason jars, and making s’mores by a cozy fire. All the while, we chatted with preview students about our experiences at Impact 360, answered any questions we could, helped settle nerves about interviews and simply got to know each other. At the end of the night, we retreated to the dorms—some to continue the bonding experience and others to rest for the upcoming interviews, but most to participate in a mixture of both.
The next morning, we provided the interview students with a taste of an average day at Impact 360 (although “average” days are few and far between). At 7:15, we gathered for fellowship and breakfast followed by interviews at eight. Then, at noon, a class began and evolved into a riveting discussion centered around worldviews, which was a learning experience for prospective, current, and former students alike. Finally, lunch was served and we bid farewell to our new friends, praying that God would give them patience and peace as they wait to hear back from the Impact 360 staff.
Now, campus is silent (as silent as a campus of 41 college-age students can be) and students are studying diligently to complete their assignments for the week. Still, the fun and fellowship are continuing. From birthday dinners to square-dancing, this group of Christ-followers knows how to have a good time while remaining studious. Though the year and academics press on and October preview weekend falls into the past, the staff and students at Impact 360 are praying for prospective students, whether they have stepped on campus or not.
At the end of the day, we Impact 360 students find ourselves in the same situation. Most are not sure where we want to go to school after Impact, what career we want to pursue, or what we want to major in. This is one of the great things about Impact 360, it is an environment for the unsure to learn more about themselves and their futures, even if those answers don’t come easily. Despite the uncertainty, there is a consensus among every student here—where Christ goes, we will follow.