HC welcomes students for a new year of change and possibility

A new year at Hesston College is underway.

Students, faculty and staff gathered for Opening Weekend as the 2026-27 academic year began. From moving into residence halls and reconnecting with friends to meeting new classmates, the weekend marked a season of new beginnings, familiar traditions and plenty of change.

For students, the transition into a new academic year can bring a mix of excitement, uncertainty and anticipation.

Patrick Watson II, admission counselor, says opening weekend is a reminder of just how much can change in a short amount of time.

“Registration and move-in week can be seen in many different ways,” Watson explains. “For some students, it is a blank canvas. For others, it shows the growth they have made in just a couple of months. But the thing that it represents the most is change.”

For Gresa Arapi, a junior from Cypress, Texas, that change comes with both excitement and a little stress.

“At the beginning of the school year, you’re under a lot of stress, so I get a little bit overwhelmed,” Arapi says. “But I think I have a strong support system here, so just having them with me makes it a lot easier.”

A member of the women’s basketball team, Arapi looks forward to meeting new people, transitioning further into the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and continuing to grow in basketball and her faith.

For Krysten Carter, a sophomore from Missouri City, Texas, navigating change means staying focused on what matters while remaining open to what is ahead.

“I’m feeling like I just need to focus on prioritizing what’s important first, even though I’m going through a lot of changes,” states Carter.

Carter looks forward to meeting new people and becoming more involved on campus. She also hopes to grow in confidence, share her voice and stand firm in her values.

These experiences of change are at the heart of this year’s theme verse, drawn from the story of the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:32.

As two disciples walked along the road with Jesus, they did not initially recognize him. Later, reflecting on their experience, they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Their story offers a reminder that even when the road ahead is uncertain, God is present and at work.  It also points to a steady truth in the middle of a changing season: While much around them changes, God does not. New classes, new friendships, new responsibilities and new opportunities will shape the year ahead. But through each change, students can find something steady in a God who remains present.

Opening Weekend ended with one of Hesston’s favorite traditions, Nest Olympics. Students came together for an evening of water games, friendly competition and plenty of laughter while beating the August heat. The event gave students another opportunity to meet one another, build community and celebrate the start of a new year. It closed out with Hesston Fire/EMS giving students one final way to cool off, using one of their trucks to send a spray of water across the crowd.

As the water settled and opening weekend came to an end, students were left with more than memories from their first weekend on campus. They began a new year surrounded by community and were reminded that while life will continue to change, they do not have to face those changes alone.

With hearts aflame and eyes toward what is ahead, Hesston College begins another year — grounded in community, open to possibility and trusting in the God who remains constant through it all.