When you ask Christian Welker ’24 about the impact of his Houghton experience, the first thing he says is “life-changing.” He uses phrases like “changed the trajectory of my life” and “a more well-rounded person.” Christian uses words like “confidence,” “freedom,” “conviction.” “Complete.”

Christian, a dual major in history and writing, thought he wanted to be a physicist, but when forced to choose between Science Honors and London Honors in his first year of college, London Honors won the day. That one simple choice upset all of Christian’s ideas about who he was and what he wanted to do. Time with his Honors professors, including writing professor Susan Bruxvoort Lipscomb and history professor Christian Esh ’98, inspired him to change his major and gave him a vision for a different future. To Christian, Houghton is a place where your gifts and abilities are seen and developed.

Christian, an aspiring museum employee, isn’t just growing as a writer and historian. He’s using his time at Houghton to also grow as a Christ-follower. Inspired by his grandfather, Christian strives to see the humanity in everyone around him, a trait he’s honing at Houghton by exploring a diversity of thoughts, ideas and perspectives and learning to not reduce people to a single viewpoint or position. “I can talk to people I disagree with and come away still disagreeing but understanding their perspectives,” shares Christian.

As one of six children, Christian is putting himself through college. He works hard over breaks to save enough funds to pay his tuition but still sometimes worries he’ll run short. Thanks to the Student Scholarship Fund, Christian is able to make ends meet, resulting in a high degree of self-sufficiency. Scholarships make a Christ-centered education possible for Christian, the same education that has produced a confident, grateful, complete young scholar-servant, fully equipped to change the world.