Student Profile: Beebe Stroud '22

 

Class Year
2022

 

Where do you call home?
Lookout Mountain, TN

 

Major
Psychology

 

Minor
English

 

Why did you choose Covenant?
It’s actually a pretty funny story. I grew up in the Chattanooga area and went to a Chrsitian high school, and I was dead set on literally any college but Covenant. Then, Covenant offered free cookie cakes at my school for anyone who applied, and there was no way I wasn't getting free cake. After I applied and got in, my parents really wanted me to visit, so I went to a campus preview event. The whole time I was on campus, I thought, “Dang it, I love this school.” Once I realized Covenant was nothing like I had assumed, it was really hard to choose anywhere else.

 

What aspect of Covenant do you like the best?
There are so many things that I love about Covenant, so it’s hard to pick just one. I love the community at Covenant, with professors, students, and staff. Professors are super accessible and actually get to know students, which I think is pretty rare. The same is true of Covenant employees; the amount of times that I have walked into the chapel office just to stop by is wonderful. Community among the students is also very tight-knit. Hall life, dances, and events are always happening which make being a student really fun.

 

Which professor(s) has most impacted your thinking, and how?
I often joke with other psych majors that Dr. Yue is my hero, but it’s true. She has impacted my thinking so much, especially in understanding how psychology is not set against Christianity. Plus, she got me interested in graphs, which is truly a miracle if you knew my history with math.

 

What do you most enjoy about your major?
I love learning about how brains work, but I think my favorite thing about psychology at Covenant is the psych commons and the community within the major. Psychology is a pretty small major, so students get to know each other well. Plus, the psych commons has free animal crackers! But in all seriousness, I do love the professors and how they help me understand both the science that I love and my faith.

 

What do you hope to pursue after graduation?
After graduation, I hope to go to graduate school and eventually become either a therapist or a professor. Or maybe both!

 

How is Covenant preparing you for success in your calling?
Covenant is preparing me academically for success as a therapist or professor, but it is also providing me with good role models in those occupations.

 

How is Covenant equipping you for active membership in the church?
I feel like Covenant is focused on equipping students to be thoughtful, well-rounded human beings in every situation. This affects how I can be active in my church (with new leadership skills and insights), but it also means that I am being equipped to be a part of the kingdom in every area of my life.

 

In what ways does Covenant foster spiritual growth?
Covenant fosters spiritual growth by having places for students to process real-world issues that we are actually facing and will face in day-to-day life. For example, I participated in a small group led by Hannah Bloomquist last year about the book Sexual Sanity for Women which really pushed me to grow spiritually.

 

How does residence life add to/support your academic, professional, and/or spiritual development?
I have lived on the same hall (Jubilee) all three years, and I was the resident assistant my sophomore year, so residence life has been huge for me. Residence life at Covenant is super special and makes it such a fun place to do life together. It has pushed and grown me in a lot of ways. I have learned how to invest in people younger than myself by how I have been poured into. I have learned how to apply my faith in community.

 

How have your relationships at Covenant shaped your expectations for the other communities God will call you to in life?
My relationship with mentors (Hannah Bloomquist, Chaplain Lowe, Brett Borland) and even just older students have shown me how I can pour into those younger than me in all situations.

 

What’s your favorite way to spend free time on and/or off campus?
I love being with my friends on and off campus. We love to go downtown and study in coffee shops (Goodmans is my favorite). I also spend a lot of time with my hall. We usually go thrift shopping and then eat dinner together, or we have dance parties on the hall.

 

What’s your favorite Covenant College event and why?
ALL OF THEM! Covenant events are so fun and add so much to the culture and community. I love Founders Music Video and Sk80s (80s Skate Night) especially.