by Jena Finch-Manchester
On Tuesday morning, my phone buzzed with a message from one of my former high school
students asking if I was on campus. “Well…kind of!” I replied. “What’s up?”
She and her mom were visiting Iowa State University for a prospective student tour! I tried to
ask questions about their tour guide, their location or plans. We decided lunch might be the
best opportunity to connect and even the dining hall was kind of vague. I was up for this
adventure! When they arrived at the dining hall, she spotted me immediately, rushed over, and gave me the biggest hug. As other prospective students and their parents walked by, I overheard
someone jokingly ask, “Do we get hugs too?” Had I heard them sooner, I might have said yes!
Over lunch, we caught up on life and talked about everything ISU has to offer. I shared a little
about the Wesley Center and campus ministry, it’s very similar to what we have already done
together. She excitedly told me she would be meeting with the band director later that
afternoon. It was obvious she could already picture herself at ISU. In fact, she admitted she
wasn’t interested in visiting any other schools.
As we wrapped up, I pointed them toward their next stop (with a little help from God and my
still-developing sense of direction!). Before leaving, she leaned in for one more hug and quietly
said, “It will be good to know someone here, and I know how much you care.” Then her mom embraced me and said words I’ll carry with me for a long time: “Thank you for meeting us and loving my daughter as your own child.”
Moments like these remind me that campus ministry begins long before a student ever moves
into a residence hall. Sometimes it starts with a shared meal, a familiar face, and the
reassurance that someone will be here to welcome them when they arrive.
It looks like I may have met one of our first Wesley students for the fall of 2027—and I couldn’t
be more excited.
