From the President: Matthew A. Scogin ʼ02

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16

Dear Friends and Family of Hope College,

This fall, we welcomed the largest number of new students in Hope’s history: 955 attending college for the first time, and 50 who transferred into Hope from other institutions. As a result, our campus this semester has not just been full of students, it has been full of the energy and life that Hope students bring. We are grateful. Especially when many colleges and universities across the country have been experiencing enrollment challenges, we are grateful that so many students value the education that Hope offers enough to entrust us with their preparation for the future.

More broadly, we are grateful that so many students are seeking the type of education that Hope provides. There are numerous Christian colleges and universities in the nation, but Hope’s approach is ecumenical, distinctive and unique. We strive to provide outstanding academics and co-curricular activities in an invitational Christian community with the opportunity for a robust engagement with faith.

For more than 155 years, our emphasis has been educating the whole person within the context of historic Christian faith. The nature of how we engage with faith reflects on our salvation through Jesus Christ as a gift of grace — not earned, but freely shared. God’s gift of grace provides the foundation for how we as Christians ought to engage with the world: with a spirit of generosity. And this is why we have centered our Hope Forward vision around generosity. Like all great visions, ours is aspirational. And lofty. But it is also a vision guided by the Biblical principles that have sustained our institution from the beginning. As we continue on this journey, we hope our example will inspire our students — the next generation of leaders — to generously make their mark on this world.

At a time when we encounter so much brokenness in the world around us, it is encouraging to see such strong interest among young people in what they find here at Hope. As we celebrate the Advent season and the greatest gift of all, that interest and the hope it inspires are gifts that we can also treasure.

Spera in Deo!
Matthew A. Scogin ʼ02
President