Cole Watson, class of 2017

My four years at Hope have been some of the most transformative years of my life. Hope has helped shape me into who I am today and who I will be in the future. Hope has prepared me well for a life after college and I am forever grateful for all the many things Hope has done for me.

I was drawn to the people of Hope and I have come to learn that when I chose Hope, I was not choosing a place, but rather I was choosing a people.

I am from Louisville, Colorado and as such, I often get asked the questions, “How did you hear about Hope?” and “Why did you chose to come to Hope?” I heard about Hope from my Uncle who lives in Holland and went to Hope himself. My older brother also went to Hope and so I knew a little bit about it that way. The reason that I chose Hope, though, was that it was everything I wanted in a college. It had good class sizes, great academic programs, a football team that I could play on, and a vibrant faith community that would challenge me daily. I was also drawn to the people of Hope and I have come to learn that when I chose Hope, I was not choosing a place, but rather I was choosing a people.

One of the biggest aspects of my life at Hope has been balancing my studies with my athletics. I played football at Hope all four years and so every semester I always had to manage doing well in both school and football. For me balancing school and football really came down to time management.  Football forced me to be extra disciplined in my studies and to stay on top of things. This required a lot of effort on my part, but it was very rewarding as I was able to play the sport I love everyday while also getting a great education.

Along with being a part of the football team, I was also a member of the Emmaus Scholars Program. The Emmaus Scholars Program is a yearlong intentional Christian community that prays, eats, lives, and learns together. The focus of the program is on Christian community and Christian mission.  This program was the single most transformative thing for me at Hope. It was in this program that I was able to deeply explore my faith and what it means to be a Christian. It also helped me think deeply about my vocation and calling and how I might be able to use my skills as a computer scientist for the Kingdom of God.

Not only was I involved in programs during the school year at Hope, but I was also involved in some of Hope’s summer research programs. During the summer after my freshman year, I was able to work alongside Professor Jipping in the Computer Science department and develop an Android app. Our team created an app to help adults with cognitive disabilities ride the bus in Holland. This opportunity allowed me to grow more as a computer scientist than any of my classes have. I also was able to be a part of another summer research program during the summer after my sophomore year. That summer I did some mathematical/computer science research with Dr. Cusack (Computer Science) and Dr. Bekmetjev (Mathematics). That summer taught me how to think deeply about hard problems and how to accept failure as a step in a longer journey towards success.

The MaxTracks team, including from left to right, Victoria Gonda (’16), Cole Watson (’17), Dr. Mike Jipping, and Kalli Crandell (’16)

Hope College has been an amazing place for me and I am so thankful for the liberal arts education that I got. I was able to deeply explore my faith as a Christian while at the same time learning how to write mathematical proofs and program complex applications. My time at Hope allowed me to explore how all my interests and passions can be combined and explored together. Hope has given me the opportunity to ask deep questions and really explore who I really am. I am forever grateful for Hope College and the well-rounded education that I received.

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