About 80 participants of this year’s Welcome Week were transfer students from different schools around the world.

The overall Welcome Week participation is higher, but the total number of new transfer students is slightly less than last school year. However, numbers could increase when the fall semester begins.

“In terms of quality and the folks that I’ve had interactions with, it’s a great group. There’s a lot of energy. A lot of enthusiasm,” said Dr. Eric Gumm, director of the First-Year Program and Academic Development.

Among these transfer students is Heather Peacock, a junior social studies major from Magnolia, who transferred from Ranger College. The quality of ACU athletics sparked her interest and helped her decide to transfer.

“I was looking for somewhere to play softball, and it seemed like a good fit for me. So I came and tried out, and I made it.”

Colton Mitchell, a sophomore business management major from Palatine, Ill., transferred from Carthage College and stated that faith played a major part in his decision to enroll.

“I came to ACU because I wanted a good Christian school,” said Mitchell, “I looked at ACU and it just seemed to fit.”

Other students, such as Savannah Snook, a sophomore speech pathology major from Boston, who is transferring from Middlesex Community College, found that ACU’s size played a role in their decision to transfer.

Snook mentioned that she she went to a high school with an environment similar to ACU and wanted to return to a place with that atmosphere.

“I didn’t want to get lost in the crowd and have teachers that didn’t care about me,” said Snook. “I really wanted a college that was smaller and had a strong Christian foundation.”

Gumm stated that many people are looking for an environment like ACU; one that integrates faith into the curriculum while still upholding a high standard for academics. “It’s about that integration of faith and learning, and the energy that the campus has in terms of being a close community.”