Cora Hines '15
English with teaching certification/TESOL minor
What did it take for Cora Hines ’15 to come to Messiah? Six acceptance letters, seven visits and one embarrassing poem written by her mother. In high school, she applied to six colleges and was accepted to all of them. She visited the Messiah campus seven times—for self-guided tours, overnight stays and accepted student preview day.
“I did everything,” she said. “My mother was very persistent. She said, ‘I’m not going to worry about you here.’”
For the English department’s accepted student preview day, Hines and her mother sat in a room with other parents and prospective students. Everyone was instructed to write a poem. Everyone. Including parents.
“My mother wrote a poem called ‘Beautiful Cora.’ When she shared it, all the parents were dabbing their eyes,” said Hines, still a little embarrassed at the memory four years later.
“And then I saw how easy it was to talk to people here,” said Hines. “This is where I was supposed to be. I’ve never regretted coming here.”
She jumped right in and became an Amigo mentor, a student ambassador, chair of the Multicultural Council, a student worker in the Multicultural Programs Office and more. She also found Professor of English Crystal Downing, who challenged her academically. “She’s so passionate,” said Hines. “I was never bored in her class. She has high standards and she doesn’t lower them, which I appreciated.”
Now teaching eighth-grade English at Shady Grove Middle School in her hometown of Columbia, Md., Hines knows the importance of education—in the classroom and throughout life. “The content may change,” said Hines, “but we are always educating people, whether it’s to talk, walk or cook.
It’s something we’ve always been doing.”
She says that while there are many great colleges to choose from, Messiah offers something other schools don’t have: relationships.
“That makes it different,” said Hines. “You’re struggling with your grade and want to talk to your professor. You need someone to pray with. Or, you want to have lunch with someone. The people make Messiah a great place.”