Anna Connell
Ever since her big brother came for a tour, four years before she became a first year student at the College, sophomore Anna Connell knew she loved Centenary. She remembers being impressed most by the professors, who, she says, "seemed genuinely interested in my brother and his goals. Their interest and helpfulness stayed with me."
And now that she herself attends Centenary, nothing has changed! "The professors are wonderful about giving one-on-one help to their students. They care about your grades. I even found myself visiting a couple of my professors in their offices just to say ‘hello!’"
But Anna’s love for Centenary goes beyond the faculty. A psychology major considering a minor in religious studies, Anna came to Centenary last year and immediately got involved in the campus community and, through it, both Shreveport and the world. "Through the Christian Leadership Center, there are local, national, and even international missions. The staff in the CLC office is dedicated to catering our need for service," Anna asserts. "Our trip to the Navajo Nations in Arizona made a huge impact on all of us there. We were shown love, and formed a community with this very different culture which we all brought back to campus."
Beyond the square-city-block campus, Anna gets involved in many different mission efforts. "I found my place at a local non-profit organization tutoring kids in the Cedar Grove neighborhood each day for an hour, having a free community meal once a week, and visiting with our outside (homeless) friends," she says of her volunteer efforts. “We provide them with a time of fellowship as well as a few groceries each week that they need."
When asked what she feels is the Centenary Experience, Anna says, without hesitation, "Centenary has proven its loyalty to providing students with various leadership opportunities on campus, in Shreveport, in the state, and even the nation. The Centenary Experience is why I'm proud to say that I attend Centenary College of Louisiana!"
Quick Facts:
Organizations Involved in: Chi Omega, The BIG Event marketing and media coordinator, Religious Life Center coordinator, Christian Leadership Center
Cool Things Done at Centenary:
- Got involved with The BIG Event executive council and Religious Life Center leadership as an underclassman.
- Internship tutoring students in Cedar Grove neighborhood
- Went on mission trip to Navajo Nations in Arizona