SWU has changed my perspective of what college is.

“I believe that God is here,” said Ryan Siebert, a sophomore who says he felt a keen connection with SWU.

Ryan wanted to attend a Christian college, and when he visited SWU, he found a good fit.

“I came away from that weekend feeling a connection. Through a lot of prayer, time and looking at pros and cons of things, I felt the Lord was leading me here. I felt a sense of affirmation that this is where I was meant to be,” he said. Coming from a small town, Ryan also likes the size of Southern Wesleyan’s campus. Its location in the beautiful South Carolina Upstate also appeals to Ryan, who likes hiking and being in the outdoors.

Looking back on his first year of college, Ryan feels blessed at how God has used his time at SWU.

“Your relationships with people and your journey as a student seem to blend together. I’m not going to say I love sitting through classes all day, but at the same time I have learned so much both inside the classroom and out. It has been mainly through professors, classmates, even the maintenance and custodial staff – it’s getting to know people on a regular basis.”

Ryan is prayerfully considering missions work or an outlet for his passion for writing.

He adds, “Anybody can go to any school and have a number of things happen to them. I believe God has something to do with placing people where He does and that my decision to come here was part of something bigger than what I can see. It’s more than just receiving an education about the world – it’s receiving a vision for your future.”